Lt. Governor promoting legislation aimed at improving healthcare

Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann is supporting four republican-written bills that focus on improving the workforce in Mississippi's hospitals. The legislation includes a loan repayment program for nurses, a grant program for nursing schools, and one bill would distribute 80 million dollars in grants to hospitals based on licensed beds if passed.

Hosemann says that nurses are crucial to the state and that his appreciation of them grew during the early months of the COVID pandemic.

'We need our nurses," he said. "I went [to hospitals] when they were in hazmat suits, holding iphones so [patients] could communicate with loved ones... the nurses were the ones standing there bedside."

Hosemann says these senate bills would meet address immediate needs, but Bill 2323, which has passed through the Public Health and Welfare committee would be a long-term solution. This legislation would allow hospitals to consolidate facilities with other entities to make the best use of their infrastructure.

"We can get a plan for our hospitals to reach conclusions and work with each other on how they're gonna deliver healthcare... this is the [bill] that will allow them to start that process."

The other three bills are currently pending in committee.