“The people of Mississippi are feeling the touch of our hands,” said Radiology’s Mike Tutor. “Not just the ten people who are physically here, but the hands of everyone at Western Baptist.”
Tutor was one of 19 Western Baptist Hospital staff on two medical mission teams that recently journeyed to the Gulf Coast region for hurricane relief.

The first team departed Feb. 26, with the second following on March 5. Each team stayed one week and provided medical assistance at a free clinic in D’lberville, Miss., a small town just north of Biloxi. The clinic sees more than 100 patients daily and operates in the back of a grocery. It runs solely on donations and is being coordinated by a retired, volunteer nurse from Missouri.

Mission team member Laurie Latham, Western Baptist’s privacy and compliance officer, said the trip was an opportunity to extend the hospital’s healing ministry to those in need.
“The mission of Western Baptist Hospital is to continue our Christian heritage of service and to enhance the health of the people and communities we serve,” said Latham.
“As team members, we represented all hospital employees in bringing that mission to Gulf Coast residents who so greatly needed a helping hand.”

Team one included: Cindy McDearmon, M.T.(A.S.C.P.); Gina Powell, R.N.; Kimberly Peck, R.N.; Becky Linzy, R.N.; Michael Tutor; Randy Poston; Leann Leek, R.R.T.; Deanna Dillow, R.N.; Jay Pitman, M.D.; and Scott Harp, P.A.
 Team two included: Anita Pinkston, M.T.(A.S.C.P.); Donna Dickson, R.N.; Vicki Rudd, R.N.; Andrea Williams, R.N.; Laurie Latham; Michael Mouser; Kathy Toy, R.R.T.; Kevin Traughber; Brian Hawkins, M.D.

The team members were originally scheduled to go in November, but that mission was canceled when federal and state officials halted the volunteer effort. In January, the hospital learned of the privately-coordinated opportunity in D’Iberville.