Rep. Hines warns UMMC reductions will hurt Jackson Medical Mall as House tables reconsideration of Senate Bill 30.1

Representative Hines told the Mississippi House that language tied to Senate Bill 30.1 could enable the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to reduce services at the Jackson Medical Mall and urged further negotiation to keep services in Midtown Jackson, and the House voted to table a motion to reconsider the calendar item.

Hines said the Jackson Medical Mall — which she described as converted from the old Jackson Mall by physician and civil-rights-era health advocate Dr. Aaron Shirley and later named the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center — is a unique community resource combining health care, retail and education. "UMMC has had a 450,000 square foot investment at the Jackson Mall. And now just recently, we've heard from UMMC that they are planning to reduce their footprint to a 25,000 square feet," she said, adding later that moving specific services would cut the center's footprint "again from 450,000 to 125,000 square feet."

Why it matters:…