Mississippi again ranks first in nation for stillbirths, new data shows
Mississippi continues to rank first in the nation in fetal deaths, according to 2021 data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week. The report examined deaths of fetuses in utero that occurred after 20 weeks’ gestation, also known as stillbirths, in the United States. Mississippi led the nation with a rate […]
Why so many top candidates are ignoring Mississippi’s worsening hospital crisis
The hospital crisis has emerged as the state’s most dire problem. Yet with Mississippi’s major statewide primary election less than three weeks away, only one candidate for an office that could do anything about it is even acknowledging its existence. Gov. Tate Reeves, who faces two Republican primary opponents on Aug. 6, would rather voters […]
‘Tate Reeves doesn’t understand’: Hospital CEO slams governor for refusing Medicaid expansion
GREENVILLE — Hours after yet another Mississippi hospital announced it was laying off workers this year, the leader of a hospital in the Mississippi Delta criticized Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for refusing to expand Medicaid access to the working poor. Iris Stacker, the CEO of Delta Health Systems in Greenville, spoke at a Tuesday campaign […]
OB-GYN leaves Merit Health Central, cites ‘risky’ conditions
Dr. Samuel Brown left Merit Health Central in May after nearly two decades delivering babies there, and he said one of the reasons was he no longer felt safe performing C-sections at a hospital with no surgery department. The south Jackson hospital, which is one of nine Merit Health hospitals in the state, began cutting […]
AG Lynn Fitch wants to make info on out-of-state abortions available to Mississippi authorities
Attorney General Lynn Fitch wants to ensure Mississippi authorities are allowed to investigate and gather information on abortions performed out of state on Mississippi women. Fitch, Mississippi’s first-term Republican attorney general, and 18 other state attorneys general have filed comments in opposition to a proposed change to federal regulations, known as HIPAA, that protects the […]
UMMC didn’t fully meet criteria for burn center, March report shows
The March inspection of the University of Mississippi Medical Center for its burn center designation showed the health system failed to fully meet almost a third of criteria required to host the state’s next burn center, though it was recently deemed qualified to do so anyway. UMMC communications officials refused to answer Mississippi Today’s questions […]
Hospitals limit pediatric dentists’ access for procedures that require anesthesia
Two hospitals in south Mississippi have limited local pediatric dentists’ access to their facilities, potentially preventing hundreds of kids from receiving necessary dental care, according to one dentist. Though the hospitals — Merit Health Wesley and Forrest General Hospital — are located in Hattiesburg, experts say this is an issue happening throughout the state and around […]
AMR response times spur cities to reconsider ambulance service contracts
Some major Mississippi cities that have used the same private ambulance contractor for decades are reconsidering that relationship in light of questions about response times and potentially deadly consequences. Leaders in Biloxi, Gulfport and Jackson have discussed American Medical Response’s ambulance response and the contracts with that service during recent city council meetings. They have […]
Jackson hospitals’ psychiatric beds are full weeks after St. Dominic closed behavioral health
Weeks after a Jackson-based hospital announced the closure of its behavioral services unit, two metro-area hospitals are too full to accept psychiatric patients. Both the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Merit Health Central have repeatedly been on psychiatric diversion – meaning neither are accepting new patients – since July 4. It’s not clear when […]
Jackson leaders insist city water is safe to drink. Some mothers struggle to trust them.
As federal and city officials continue to work to assure residents the water flowing from the troubled Jackson system is safe to drink, distrust among many capital city residents — particularly mothers and caregivers of small children — runs deep. Regular boil water notices, lack of consistent water pressure and concerns about the safety of […]