William Carey takes giant leap for Mississippi health with Institute of Primary Care

Lici Beveridge, Hattiesburg American
·4 min read

William Carey University on Tuesday took one big step in expanding its medical school and one giant leap for Mississippi-kind with the groundbreaking of the Institute of Primary Care.

The university announced in May it would establish the WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine's Institute of Primary Care with a $20 million infrastructure grant from AccelerateMS.

"This represents a singular investment that will have generational benefit for all Mississippians," said Dr. Italo Subbarao, dean of the WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine. "It is an investment in healthcare that acknowledges the need for training and keeping more primary care physicians and healthcare providers in Mississippi which are key to better healthcare."

The institute will provide an additional 60,000 square feet of space with two large, connected facilities that will house the largest osteopathic manipulative medicine lab in the South. It will also include an innovative simulation lab that will allow the school to do more to improve obstetric and pediatric care in the state.

William Carey University broke ground Tuesday on its $20 million Institute of Primary Care, which will help train doctors to go into the field, with the hopes the new doctors will choose to work in unserved communities in Mississippi.
William Carey University broke ground Tuesday on its $20 million Institute of Primary Care, which will help train doctors to go into the field, with the hopes the new doctors will choose to work in unserved communities in Mississippi.

The institute will feature two large immersive, modular classrooms that will allow for a variety of educational opportunities.

"What better way to invest in Mississippi than to invest in healthier families," Subbarao said.

Dr. Italo Subbarao, dean of the WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine, said Tuesday that William Carey University's Institute of Primary Care will benefit Mississippians for generations.
Dr. Italo Subbarao, dean of the WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine, said Tuesday that William Carey University's Institute of Primary Care will benefit Mississippians for generations.

Community and professional engagement also will be part of the new facility, which will include clinical rooms for patient encounters and a conference center for bringing in industry professionals.

The project will take about two years to complete, Subbarao said.

Ryan Miller, executive director of AccelerateMS, said the grant will not only provide students access to better-paying jobs, but those jobs will in turn benefit the state by providing better health outcomes to more people in the state.

"Our mission is to help Mississippians find access to trajectory careers that can mean a world of difference for them," he said. "They might experience financial health in ways they have not experienced before.

"There is no other industry sector important, in my heart, than healthcare and being able to help Mississippians find access to resources where they not only can change their lives but the lives of others. That is absolutely what we are celebrating here today."

The Institute of Primary Care will enhance the college's mission to increase the number of primary care physicians in rural and underserved areas in Mississippi and the Gulf South.

A rendering of the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine Institute of Primary Care, Phase 1 and Phase 2
A rendering of the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine Institute of Primary Care, Phase 1 and Phase 2

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About 14% of Mississippians are uninsured, compared with 10% of people nationwide, according to a 2021 report, "Mississippi Primary Care Needs Assessment," by the Mississippi State Department of Health. In addition, "approximately 50% of Mississippians live in underserved counties with greater than 2,000 persons per primary care physician," the study shows.

The idea of expanding training for primary care physicians at WCU is to send the graduates into these underserved communities, both providing jobs and the likelihood of improved health outcomes in those areas.

The institute will train student doctors and primary care resident physicians, help community physicians and other healthcare providers advance their training and certifications, and provide a medical education space for advancements related to primary care.

The $20 million Mississippi Health Sciences Training Infrastructure Grant funds are allocated from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund program, which is part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Under 2022 House Bill 1006, AccelerateMS is responsible for the management, oversight, and monitoring of these funds.

Brett Golson, WCU vice president for Spiritual Development and Church Relations, spoke on behalf of President Ben Burnett, who was traveling to Foley, Alabama, Tuesday to support the women's soccer team at its NAIA championship game.

"Although we currently hold the nation's top ranking for service in rural communities, our goal is not to maintain, but to expand our primary care services to even more rural areas," he said. "This passion is driven by our commitment as a Christian university to emulate Jesus' actions and reflect the commitment of Dr. William Carey to serve and impact the places of greatest need."

Ryan Miller, executive director of AccelerateMS, said William Carey University's Institute of Primary Care will put trained professionals in the workforce, generating better financial health for them and their families and improved physical health for their patients.
Ryan Miller, executive director of AccelerateMS, said William Carey University's Institute of Primary Care will put trained professionals in the workforce, generating better financial health for them and their families and improved physical health for their patients.

Student Government Association President Brooke Baudoin, a second-year medical student from Lafayette, Louisiana, said she is looking forward to seeing how the new building will make the student experience better, once it is up and running and how that experience will in turn be shared in the communities where the graduates choose to begin their careers in medicine.

"It's really needed everywhere but it's especially needed in this state," she said. "We really needed to ramp up capacity."

The student population in medicine and healthcare has grown exponentially at WCU, with about 750 students currently enrolled in the program, Baudoin said, including 200 students in her graduating class.

"They are going to be redoing the lecture halls, which is really needed for this university," Baudoin said. "It's not going to be your traditional lecture-based format, you'll be able to break into groups, which is kinda how the healthcare system is set up. We collaborate and work together and it's going to foster a lot of that with the new building."

For more information about the Institute of Primary Care, call 601-318-6235 or email com@wmcarey.edu.

Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: William Carey's new primary health institute breaks ground