Since 1952, Forrest General Hospital, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has been a leader in medical excellence in south Mississippi. The hospital has grown from the original 90bed facility into a 547bed, Level II Regional Trauma Center and hospital system. In addition to the hospitals general medical/surgical facility, the hospital also includes Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services, The Orthopedic Institute, Asbury Hospice House, Forrest Generals Cancer Center, Family Birthplace, Rehabilitation Center, Stroke Center, Womens Surgery Center and Wound Healing Center. Featured specialty services areas include behavioral health and addiction services, cancer services, emergency and trauma services, heart and vascular services, orthopedics and neurosurgery services, surgery, and women and childrens services.
In 2012, Forrest General strengthened the foundation for the future of healthcare in the region by forming the Forrest Health system to increase access to quality healthcare and improve the services and stability of local community hospitals.
In addition to Forrest General Hospital, Forrest Health hospitals include: Highland Community Hospital, Picayune; Jefferson Davis Community Hospital & Extended Care Facility, Prentiss; Marion General Hospital, Columbia; Pearl River County Hospital & Nursing Home, Poplarville; Perry County General Hospital, Richton; and Walthall General Hospital, Tylertown.
Forrest General also provides all-levels of care for critical access care hospitals in the 19-county service area, including Covington County Hospital, Greene County Hospital, Hancock Medical Center, Jefferson Davis Community Hospital, Pearl River County Hospital, Perry County General Hospital, Stone County Hospital, Inc., and Walthall General Hospital.
Employment Policy: It is the policy of Forrest Health to recruit and select candidates for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), religion, national origin, age, disability or other status protected by applicable federal or state statutes.
A Board of Trustees appointed by the Forrest County Board of Supervisors is charged with the oversight of Forrest Health. The system is completely self supporting and does not operate on local taxes.Forrest Health facilities are approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for participation in Medicare and Medicaid Programs.
Forrest Health serves the community in different capacities, one of which being through sponsorships and other charitable contributions to Pine Belt organizations. As a part of this community, we want to not only support health-related causes, like the American Heart Association and The Association for the Rights of Citizens with Disabilities (ARC), but also those our patients, employees, and community hold dear, such as local high school sports and non-profit organizations such as The Pine Belt Foundation. We also support the arts for the cultural experience of our community through organizations and special events including Festival South, City Lights + Music Nights, and Ballet Magnificat. As a non-profit ourselves, we must carefully consider the sponsorships we choose. We support organizations and events that benefit our community and our patients and employees ways of life in Hattiesburg and the surrounding communities.
Area Development Partnership (ADP): We sponsor large community activities like Hub Fest in addition to providing support for other programs like Leadership Pine Belt and many other events. As one of the largest employers and one of the most economically impactful organizations, we feel a responsibility to support the growth of other businesses and community organizations, which is the mission of the ADP.
Additionally, Forrest Health offers several free educational seminars and events throughout the year. The Dare 2 Care program, a partnership between Forrest General and Hattiesburg Clinic Vascular Surgeons, is a comprehensive cardiovascular disease early detection and education program, which is offered at Forrest General several times a year. Stop the Bleed, another free educational course offered Forrest Generals Trauma Services, educates the general public on different techniques to control bleeding while waiting for emergency personnel. For several years, the hospital has also offered free seminars on Medicare and the Affordable Care Act as part of its partnership with CMO Insurance.
Educational programs are offered in addition to numerous support groups and community events such as the Cancer Survivors Picnic and Camp Bluebird, the first camp for cancer patients and survivors in Mississippi.
Forrest Health also contributes through the Spirit Girls program, which offers hundreds of young women from around Forrest Generals 19-county service area an opportunity to learn about positive self-esteem, the importance of taking action for their health and giving back to the community. In 2018, Spirit Girls worked 5700 volunteer hours in a wide range of activities and community service projects for organizations such as The ARC,DREAM of Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg Zoo, and The Childrens Center for Communication and Development.
