J. H. Rush

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J. H. Rush (1868- circa 1947) was a physician who founded the first private hospital in Meridian, Mississippi.

[edit] Biography

Jesse Hackley Rush was born in De Kalb, Mississippi in 1868, a son of William Vaughn Rush (1847 - 1916) and Julia Rush Key (1848 - 1907).

Dr. Rush married Mary Hunnicutt (1874 - 1954) and this union produced three children: Lowry, Dorothy and Leslie. His sons Lowry and Leslie would follow their father's footsteps and join the medical profession. Leslie Rush is the inventor of the "Rush Pin", which revolutionized the treatment of bone fractures and is still being used today.

In 1915, J. H. Rush founded Rush's Infirmary, an 18-bed facility that was the first private hospital in Meridian, Mississippi. When Rush's Infirmary opened its doors, the staff was comprised of Dr. and Mrs. J. H. Rush, one registered nurse and six student nurses. Rapid growth soon followed.

In 1947, the hospital became a non-profit institution and was re-named Rush Memorial Hospital in commemoration of its founder. Since 1965, the facility has been known as Rush Foundation Hospital.

Today, Rush is a comprehensive healthcare network providing medical care to people throughout East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama.