Gov. Phil Bryant returned to his hometown on Friday for the grand opening of the new Phillips Health Center in downtown Moorhead. Bryant cut the ceremonial ribbon as city and clinic officials along with other dignitaries looked on.
During his remarks, Bryant talked about the dedication of Dr. Albert Maury Phillips for whom the facility was name in honor of and remarked on the former physician’s dedication and love for the people of Moorhead and how he arrived as part of a rural position program and never left.
He recounted one particular incident that happened when he was child, wherein he needed medical attention on Christmas Day. “What do you do then, you’ve got a screaming child with paper stuck to his eyeball from a firecracker, well you call Dr. Phillips,” Bryant said.
Bryant maintained that it did not matter that it was on Christmas Day or what time it was in general, he said Dr. Phillips reply would always be, “I’ll meet you at the clinic.” Bryant told the crowd his middle name is actually Phillips. “We sort of drop the S, so I didn’t have to explain that to everybody,” he said, as the crowd roared with laughter.
Bryant, who is not planning to seek re-election said throughout his tenure as governor he has been concerned about the lack of primary healthcare in the Delta and how expensive it can be to seek primary healthcare in a hospital emergency room.
That is why he was actively involved in seeing that the $216,000 facility came into fruition.
The Governor praised the Delta Regional Authority, Chip Morgan and others for their contributions.
“I’m not sure where we would be without Delta Regional Authority, but we would not be able to make the progress that we have in the Mississippi Delta without the Delta Regional Authority and MDA,” said Bryant.
“I hope there will be lives saved because of what’s taken place here today,” Bryant said.
South Sunflower County Hospital Administrator Courtney Phillips also expressed his delight in being able to provide Moorhead with such a facility. Phillips stated that the concept began back in 2015 with the intent of increasing the access to healthcare in Sunflower County.
Nurse Practitioner Terry Ann Dorsey will operate the clinic and it will be open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
