Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian held a ribbon cutting for its new endocrinology center on 23rd Avenue.

Anderson's chief executive officer, Ray Humphreys, says the center is a vital asset for Meridian and its neighbors.

"The east Mississippi, west Alabama that we serve, along with the entire state of Mississippi, has the highest instances of diabetes over any state in the United States," said Anderson CEO, Ray Humphreys.

For nearly twenty years, people in our area who had severe diabetic conditions had to travel to Jackson to see an endocrinologist.