by Mississippi Power

Mississippi Power recently partnered with Pearl River County Hospital to upgrade the area around their helipad.

Crews moved overhead lines that were near the landing space underground, effectively clearing the immediate area of powerlines and making it safer for pilots to take-off and land.

“We are so thankful for this partnership and for the work done by Mississippi Power,” said Director of Nursing Deena Branum. “We’re now able to better accommodate our Air Care flights, and our patients have quicker and safer access to the healthcare they need.”

The Air Care flights were limited to flying in and out one way to avoid the lines before they were moved underground. At the time, the hospital was only flying patients to other facilities once or twice a month. Now, they’re air-lifting patients multiple times a week.

“Having the area clear of lines definitely makes a difference,” said Pilot Tim Damico. “We’re no longer limited to a certain direction and can better adapt to wind and other factors to make sure the flight is as safe as possible for our patients.”

Representatives from Mississippi Power and Pearl River County Hospital were on-site to see the first helicopter landing. Allied Health students from Poplarville High School attended and got an up-close tour of the Air Care helicopter.

“Our Poplarville customers will also benefit from these updates,” said Area Manager Meg Payment. “By upgrading the equipment and moving the lines underground, we’ve strengthened our system and increased reliability in this community. It’s a true win/win solution.”

Now in its 98th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 191,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power was honored with a Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. The Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve recently recognized Mississippi Power for its commitment to its military workforce. Mississippi Power has nearly 160MW of solar capacity at four locations across the company’s service territory, including Southern Company’s first project to combine the latest, cutting-edge solar technology with battery storage. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.