State officials continue to stress the issue of healthcare accessibility in rural Mississippi

“The healthcare infrastructure of the Mississippi Delta has turn into more and more extra fragile,” he mentioned. “Most of the hospitals within the delta have been already having to cope with distinctive socioeconomic points. With COVID placing much more pressure on staffing and funds, we’re seeing an growing variety of hospitals coming into a hazard zone of their capability to function and maintain operations.”

He says there are a number of hospitals within the state which are struggling to remain afloat. Whereas Edney did not identify the facilities, he mentioned that every space would have its personal challenges and wishes. Edney lists monetary points, inhabitants decline, and COVID-related fallout as causes that Mississippi may even see extra closures sooner or later. 

“We’ve a well being care disaster on this state,” he mentioned. “We’ve to decide on to do one thing about it.”

Edney characterizes the work performed by Delta hospitals as heroic – earlier than, throughout, and popping out of the pandemic.  However he worries the dominoes might start to fall if nothing is completed to assist rural hospitals. He says some issues shouldn’t be left for the market to resolve, and the Delta is worthy of assist from the state.

“I’m a Delta boy. I grew up in Greeneville,” he mentioned. “These hospitals have been working simply extremely exhausting… simply overwhelmed a instances and by no means giving up… our society has to resolve, what are we going to do with our rural hospitals?”

Edney believes hospitals act as financial drivers for communities.  Mississippi is a state led by a Governor who champions enterprise funding within the state.  However, as Edney factors out, investing in areas just like the Delta turns into tougher when the healthcare infrastructure is fragile.

“When enterprise appears to find into a brand new space, they ask the identical questions.” he defined. “They’re within the well being care system. When components of which are unhealthy, they have a tendency to look elsewhere.”

The Division of Well being is at present implementing the “Wholesome Mothers, Wholesome Infants” program, which sends nurses to the properties of Medicaid-applicable moms. Edney hopes that this meets among the wants met by the NICU closure in Greenville.