The Lake Village Clinic serves as a central hub of medical expertise for the Ark-La-Miss region, delivering both acute and emergency care to residents and visitors. Located adjacent to Chicot Memorial Hospital, the clinic is structured to provide a level of service and clinical capability comparable to larger metropolitan facilities. Its team of physicians and advanced practice providers is equipped with the training and experience necessary to address a broad range of patient needs.

Our History

Lake Village Clinic traces its origins to 1910, when Dr. E.P. McGehee established the E.P. McGehee Infirmary. Dr. McGehee completed his medical education at Southern University in Greensboro, Alabama, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Mobile, Alabama, graduating in 1892. In 1899, after surviving a steamboat accident on the Mississippi River, he settled in Lake Village, Arkansas, where he purchased a Victorian-era home and later converted it into his infirmary. This building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A surgeon by specialty, Dr. McGehee performed approximately 3,600 major operations during his first sixteen years of practice. His facility gained regional recognition—often referred to as the “Mayo Clinic of the South”—due to its early adoption of innovations such as air conditioning and one of the first X-ray systems in Arkansas. In 1967, a modern medical complex combining both hospital and clinic services was constructed, ultimately becoming Lake Village Clinic.

Dr. McGehee’s legacy continued through his family. His son also became a physician and practiced at the clinic, while his daughters married physicians, including Dr. John H. Burge. Dr. Burge earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1926 and became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1942. He was actively involved in both the medical community and public service, including serving as Commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and holding leadership roles in multiple medical societies.

The next generation, Dr. John “Jack” Pelham Burge, continued this tradition. He received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas in 1961 and completed his surgical residency at the Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans in 1966. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Burge held leadership roles in organizations such as the American College of Surgeons Arkansas Chapter and the Arkansas Medical Society, and served on several regional boards. He retired from active practice at Lake Village Clinic in December 2023 and continues to see patients at Southeast Arkansas Rehabilitation Hospital.

Over time, additional physicians have joined the practice, strengthening its ability to serve the community. Current providers include Drs. Jim Wright, Jo Anne Gregory, and John Parks, along with Mary Margaret Minsky, PA-C; Chris Johnson, APRN; and Nina Deal, FNP-C.