PURVIS, Miss. -- Karl Hess was recently named South Mississippi State Hospital’s second quarter 2016 Employee of the Quarter. He began working at SMSH as an RN in May 2006 and left briefly in 2012 to work at the VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System. Hess returned to SMSH in September 2013 as the Risk Management Director in charge of security and risk management.
“Karl is always willing to jump in and assist when he is needed,” said Jimmy Evans, a campus police officer. “His goal is to always keep the patients and employees at SMSH as safe as possible.”
Hess is a long-time resident of Pearl River County and a 1994 graduate of Pearl River Central High School. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Mississippi State University (1998) and an Associate’s degree in Nursing from Pearl River Community College (2005). He is currently enrolled in the State Personnel Board’s Certified Public Manager® Program, a nationally recognized leadership development program for public managers and supervisors who work for State agencies.
Prior to his work at SMSH, Hess worked at Forrest General Hospital.
“I like the people I work with on a daily basis,” said Hess. “It is great to see our patients being discharged doing a lot better than they were when they were admitted. I enjoy knowing that our entire SMSH staff truly does strive to provide the best care possible to our patients.”
Away from work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, fishing, fantasy football, and playing corn hole.