Tuesday, July 15, 2025
54.5 °f
Magee
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
MageeNews.com
Advertisement
  • Home
  • Message from the Prez
  • News
  • Happenings
  • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • Schools
  • Videos
  • Ducks on the Pond
  • Home
  • Message from the Prez
  • News
  • Happenings
  • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • Schools
  • Videos
  • Ducks on the Pond
No Result
View All Result
MageeNews.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Happenings

Nurses Can Help Eliminate Mississippi Health Care Deserts

Sue Honea by Sue Honea
January 29, 2021
in Happenings, Out & About
0
Mississippians Control Their Own Destiny
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward MageeNews.com a small commission – at no extra cost to you.

 

By: Russ Latino

Within a decade, the U.S. health care system is projected to face a shortage of more than 100,000 doctors. The existing supply of medical providers is already insufficient to meet demand for care, and as our nation’s population ages, that demand will only grow—increasing cost and decreasing access.

Related posts

South Central Regional Medical Center Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer, Stephen East

South Central Regional Medical Center Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer, Stephen East

July 15, 2025
Magee Lion’s Club Host Amy Adams

Magee Lion’s Club Host Amy Adams

July 15, 2025

If America is plagued by growing health care deserts, then unfortunately, Mississippi is the Sahara. As a state, we already have the worst physician shortages in the country, and the problem is getting worse.

Despite real efforts to close the gap by minting new physicians, the National Institute of Health predicts that Mississippi will need an additional 3,709 doctors by 2030, a substantial increase from our current pool of 5,714 active physicians.

The math to hit this mark with new physicians becomes quite difficult when you realize that a full third of active physicians today are 60 or older, and likely to retire soon. But the number of physicians is not the only issue. Location matters. More than half of all active Mississippi physicians are clumped in four metropolitan areas, leaving vast swaths of rural population without access.

These are not just sterile statistics on a page. Mississippians have the shortest life expectancy in the U.S., a full four years shorter than the national average. We are at, or near the bottom, of nearly every health care ranking.

Proponents of greater government control in health care would point to our situation as proof that the health care marketplace has failed. On the contrary, the current dilemma is proof that the health care marketplace has been over-governed. Regulation has failed.

Nowhere is this more evident than in regulations that quite literally prevent qualified medical professionals from dispensing care. Take, for instance, Mississippi law that prevents advanced practice nurses from providing care at the full scope of their training and qualifications, without supervision from a physician.

These kinds of restrictions disrupt patient care. Those who don’t have ready access to primary care experience delays in diagnosis, pay more for care, and die earlier than patients who have quick access to providers.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that states could reduce their physician shortages by two-thirds by easing restrictions that keep nurses from independently treating patients.

Additionally, studies show that patients have confidence in the care they receive from nurses. A Duke University study concluded that nurse practitioners provided comparable or superior primary care, better results, and equal or higher levels of patient satisfaction compared with physicians.

A study by economists at Brandeis University found nurses charge patients 29 percent less for health evaluations and 11 percent less for in-patient care than physicians. That saves patients money. It also saves taxpayers money because lower costs mean lower expenditures for Medicare and Medicaid.

Researchers at the University of Rochester found the number of nurse practitioners serving areas suffering from primary care shortages increased 30 percent in states providing full practice authority. After Arizona enacted reforms to grant nurse practitioners full practice authority, the number of nurses serving rural communities increased 73 percent.

A study by the Census Bureau and the University of Hawaii estimates adults are 11 percent more likely to receive a routine physical exam in states that expanded practice authority, while the rate of emergency room visits fell by more than 21 percent. As we all know by now, having access to a regular source of care that is not an emergency room is better for our health, and better for our wallets.

Reforms to allow nurse practitioners to practice to the full extent of their training have expanded care, cut costs, and saved lives. Twenty-two states, the District of Columbia, and the Veterans Health Administration have removed this nursing barrier.

Lawmakers in Mississippi should do the same.

Russ Latino is the president of Empower Mississippi, the former national head of Stand Together’s economic and health care initiatives, and a recovery attorney. 

 

 

MageeNews.com is an online news source serving Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi.

 

Tags: Census Bureauempower mississippiMageeNews.comnursepractitionersRuss Latino
Previous Post

More than $229 Million in PPP Loans Approved by SBA in MS

Next Post

2021 Annual Reports Due April 15

Next Post
Michael Watson

2021 Annual Reports Due April 15

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest News

The fear of the Lord leads to life.

by Sue Honea
July 15, 2025
0
God’s Wisdom never Changes

The Scriptural passage selected for today is found in Proverbs 19:23: "The fear of the Lord leads to life: then...

Read more

South Central Regional Medical Center Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer, Stephen East

by Sue Honea
July 15, 2025
0
South Central Regional Medical Center Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer, Stephen East

LAUREL, Miss. — July 15, 2025 — South Central would like to announce the recent hiring of a new Chief...

Read more

Summerall Voting Precinct renamed Martinville Voting Precinct

by Sue Honea
July 15, 2025
0
Summerall Voting Precinct renamed Martinville Voting Precinct

Simpson County Board of Supervisors – July 15, 2025 Meeting Summary The Simpson County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday,...

Read more
Facebook Twitter Youtube RSS Instagram
MageeNews.com

MageeNews.com is THE source for news and views in Simpson County, Mississippi, and beyond.

Recent News

God’s Wisdom never Changes

The fear of the Lord leads to life.

July 15, 2025
South Central Regional Medical Center Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer, Stephen East

South Central Regional Medical Center Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer, Stephen East

July 15, 2025
Summerall Voting Precinct renamed Martinville Voting Precinct

Summerall Voting Precinct renamed Martinville Voting Precinct

July 15, 2025
Magee, US
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
scattered clouds
54.5 ° f
45%
3.47mh
25%
66 f 45 f
Wed
68 f 40 f
Thu
71 f 44 f
Fri
75 f 46 f
Sat

© 2023 MageeNews.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Sue Stuff
  • News
  • Happenings
  • Schools
  • Sports
  • Obituaries
  • Ducks on the Pond
  • Videos

© 2023 MageeNews.com