Southern Miss Student Health Services Earns Reaccreditation
Thu, 02/26/2026 - 09:01am | By: David Tisdale
A longstanding commitment to first-rate patient care has earned The University of Southern Mississippi’s Student Health Services (SHS) at Moffitt Health Center reaccreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).
Considered the leading accreditor of ambulatory health care organizations in the U.S., AAAHC’s stated mission is to provide facilities with rigorous standards and education to apply in their patient care environments and to perform routine onsite evaluations to assess compliance. These evaluations are conducted at least every three years by AAAHC surveyors, who are health care professionals. Achieving AAAHC accreditation means Southern Miss SHS meets nationally recognized standards set by the organization and employs best practices that benefit its patients.
SHS was established at Southern Miss in the 1950s when the school was known as Mississippi Southern College. In the 1960s, what was then Beedie Smith Clinic opened, and the first physician director was hired. Initially launched as an infirmary, Southern Miss SHS transitioned to ambulatory care in 1992 and has held AAAHC accreditation for more than 20 years, beginning in 2002.
Known as the Moffitt Health Center since 2015, the multiservice health care facility is currently one of only two university health centers in Mississippi with AAAHC accreditation. The center’s team includes licensed and credentialed physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, lab and X-ray staff, administrative support staff and pharmacy staff.
“Achieving reaccreditation involves meeting rigorous standards for quality of care and business practice and illustrates our dedication to keeping with those standards and practices,” Moffitt Health Center Executive Director Dr. Melissa Roberts said. “I’m so proud of our team and its unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and the health and success of every Golden Eagle.”
During the recent AAAHC three-year accreditation cycle evaluation, Moffitt Health Center staff provided care during the following number of annual patient visits:
- 2023 - 14,702
- 2024 - 14,650
- 2025 - 15,360
During the same accreditation cycle, the clinic’s pharmacy staff filled the following number of prescriptions for students and other members of the Southern Miss community:
- 2023 - 16,640
- 2024 - 17,559
- 2025 - 18,146
“We’re very pleased, and not surprised, to see Moffit Health Center earn continued accreditation, which is a testament to the leadership of Dr. Roberts and the hard work of her dedicated staff,” Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dr. Sirena Cantrell said.
Learn more about Southern Miss Student Health Services at Moffitt Health Center.