The University of Mississippi Medical Center, the state’s only academic health sciences institution, is on the move. UMMC’s leadership completed an extensive long range planning project last year and has a compelling vision for the future which will have a big impact on Jackson and the state. It is interesting to back up and get a little context on the size and scope of UMMC. Each day there about 20,000 people on its campus including over 8,873 employees (approximately 1,000 added in the last eighteen months). That would make it a top 20 city by population in the state. UMMC has invested heavily in safety and security resulting in its being rated in the top one percent of urban academic health sciences centers around the country for overall safety. The campus has its own water supply and electrical substation. Its doors are open 24/7/365 and its technical systems people manage 72,000 points throughout the campus. There is over 4,000,000 square feet of space that requires management and upkeep. From a regulatory standpoint, there are layers of federal, state, and local requirements that must be continuously considered. In addition, there is a $1.3 billion dollar annual budget to manage.

It takes great leadership and execution to make all of this work together to provide quality patient care, first class healthcare instruction, and cutting edge research. I enjoy studying how people manage complex organizations and execute on such lofty goals, so I recently sat down with Dr. David Powe, Chief Administration Officer at UMMC, to learn more about how he manages all of this from an operational standpoint. Dr. Powe has extensive responsibilities including facilities, transportation, real property, security, logistical services, environmental safety, emergency preparedness, master planning, and governmental and community relations. What first struck me about Dr. Powe was his passion and enthusiasm for the job and the mission of UMMC. My experience has shown me that enthusiasm is contagious, and I am sure that his passion for his job inspires those that work with him.