Leaders to kick-off ‘Save Our Hospitals’ tour

Elected officials, local leaders, and healthcare professionals across Mississippi will hold a series of events to highlight the state’s hospital crisis. The tour will stretch from Greenville to Gulfport and make stops in Jackson, Tupelo, Hattiesburg, and more.

Mississippi is one of 10 states that have refused to expand Medicaid, costing the state more than $1 billion yearly. Reeves’ refusal to expand Medicaid has caused nearly half of the state’s 74 hospitals to be at risk of closure with 25 being at risk of immediate closure, according to state Democratic officials.

This tour will highlight how the healthcare crisis is affecting every part of Mississippi. In Jackson, St. Dominic’s Hospital eliminated their behavioral health unit, slashing 157 jobs, and now the sheriff is worried there will be a mental health crisis. In Tupelo, North MS Medical Center announced that it will be laying off employees, cutting their hours and reassigning them to different jobs. Greenville has been hit especially hard by the hospital crisis, the Delta Health CEO criticized Reeves for his failure to understand how essential Medicaid expansion is to the health of Mississippi, saying, “We don’t understand why Tate Reeves doesn’t understand why he needs a healthy workforce.” In Gulfport, Gulfport Memorial Hospital recently laid off 90 employees.

Brandon Presley has said he will expand Medicaid and provide healthcare for 220,000 working Mississippians. He believes that a healthy workforce is a productive workforce, which is why he supports expanding Medicaid. His plan would save rural hospitals and create good-paying jobs across Mississippi.

“Tate Reeves’ has done nothing while Mississippi’s hospitals are on life support,” said Mississippi Democratic Executive Director Andre Wagner. “The ‘Save Our Hospitals’ tour will highlight how the future of healthcare is on the ballot this November and how Tate Reeves’ failure to expand Medicaid has put the health of Mississippians at risk. ”