Rural hospitals across Mississippi are facing financial hardships, and the Mississippi Department of Health is seeking state funding to expand its services. County health departments have served as consistent locations for coronavirus vaccinations throughout the pandemic. State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney says these facilities have faced the same staffing hurdles seen by nearly every other healthcare provider in the state, and they are seeking funding for 150 additional nurses.
“We’ve lost a lot of nurses, and through COVID we’ve lost even more. So that’s where that 150 number comes from,” says Dr. Edney. “We requested 100 with our budget request, at this point I’ll take whatever I can get. We’ve got to have some help at the county health department level.”
County Health Departments are also increasing the number of services that are available to residents, with a particular interest in helping those in underserved areas. Mississippi has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the nation, and Dr. Edney says the state is going to offer blood sugar and pressure checks to help identify the signs of diabetes early. And he says prenatal care is a growing need in areas where those services aren’t available. These services were available some years ago, but were rescinded once local hospitals and primary care providers were capable of taking on that demand.
“So certain counties we’re looking at standing up pre-natal care again. We’re seeing populations that don’t have access anywhere. And that falls to us,” says Dr. Edney. “We’re going back to looking at just some basic primary care provision using telehealth which will help us a lot. Keep our expenses down.”
Dr. Edney says the Department of Health is not seeking to compete with any hospitals but to fill the gaps in healthcare access across the state.
