Healthcare providers in Adams and Jefferson counties are among the recipients of more than $32.6 million in newly announced state grants aimed at strengthening rural healthcare services, recruiting medical professionals, and expanding workforce training opportunities across Mississippi.
Gov. Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that 60 awards totaling $32,606,496.32 have been approved through the Mississippi Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding is part of the state’s $205.9 million first-year implementation budget for a five-year initiative to improve healthcare access in rural communities.
Among the local recipients is Merit Health Natchez, which has been awarded $405,000 to recruit physicians in nine critical medical specialties.
The hospital plans to focus recruitment efforts on cardiology, radiology, urology, family medicine, family medicine with obstetrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology — commonly known as ear, nose, and throat care — and pediatrics.
The investment is intended to strengthen the availability of specialized medical services for patients in Natchez and the surrounding region, potentially reducing the need for residents to travel outside the area for certain types of care.
In neighboring Jefferson County, Jefferson County Nursing Home will receive $181,000 through the program’s Earn While You Learn initiative.
The funding will provide approximately 15 rural residents and healthcare workers with paid opportunities to pursue credentials as certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses.
The initiative is designed to address healthcare staffing shortages while helping local residents enter or advance in the nursing profession.
Another $200,000 award will go to Kinder Mind, a program serving George and Jefferson counties. The funding will support 10 social work students through stipend-supported training positions, with the goal of expanding the behavioral health workforce in rural and underserved communities.
Additional funding is also headed to nearby southwest Mississippi healthcare facilities.
Franklin County Memorial Hospital will receive $150,000 for workforce development, including professional certifications, specialty training, cybersecurity, behavioral health education, emergency preparedness and continuing education.
Claiborne County Medical Center has been awarded $783,692 to recruit and retain full-time healthcare professionals, helping maintain hospital operations and access to medical care.
Together, the five awards identifying Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, or Claiborne counties account for $1,719,692 in funding for healthcare recruitment, training and workforce development in southwest Mississippi.
“This is another really important round of awards,” Reeves said. “The investments we’re making today will help Mississippi train, recruit and retain the health care professionals our rural communities need and help close gaps in mental health care by strengthening our state’s Psychiatric Emergency Services.”
The governor said the broader initiative is intended to help Mississippi families receive healthcare closer to home while establishing a more sustainable rural healthcare system.
The latest round of funding also includes investments in psychiatric emergency services, with major awards going to facilities in Jackson, Gulfport and Greenwood to establish specialized psychiatric emergency treatment units.
Mississippi’s Rural Health Transformation Program is supported primarily by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
State officials said additional funding opportunities are being launched in October to support innovative rural healthcare initiatives and help smaller providers modernize electronic health record systems.
More information about the program and upcoming application opportunities is available at MississippiRHTP.com
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