Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann laid out a plan Wednesday he believes would serve as a solution to the state’s ongoing hospital crisis.
The plan, which aims to provide both short-term and long-term assistance to Mississippi hospitals, includes the following:
- Senate Bill 2372: A program that would provide $80 million in grants to hospitals based on the number of licensed beds and care. The legislation would also require recipient hospitals to submit a detailed report to the Mississippi State Department of Health in order for the state and the facilities to better plan for the future.
- Senate Bill 2373: A hospital nurse loan repayment program that would award new nurses who agree to work in a Mississippi hospital up to $6,000 each year for three years ($18,000 total) to go toward any outstanding student loan debt.
- Senate Bill 2371: A grant for community college nursing and allied health programs. Community college recipients which have waitlists may use funds on equipment, infrastructure, curricula, or other expenses geared toward increasing capacity in nursing or allied health training programs.
- Senate Bill 2371: A hospital residency and fellowship grant providing start-up costs to create new or add capacity in existing programs in medical or surgical specialty areas at Mississippi hospitals. Physicians and surgeons who serve their residency or fellowship in the state are much more likely to remain here after the program concludes. Hospitals may use funds on equipment, infrastructure, curricula, or other initial expenses.
- Senate Bill 2323: Legislation allowing community hospitals to collaborate and consolidate facilities and services with non-profit or other similar entities.
“Mississippians should have access to affordable, quality healthcare, and our hospitals across the state are a critical part of this network,” Hosemann said. “The proposed funding is short-term, but these bills also are the beginning of a thoughtful, candid conversation about the delivery of healthcare in our state.”
