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Mississippi Delta loses its only neonatal intensive care unit

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Mississippi Delta loses its only neonatal intensive care unit

A Greenville hospital closed its neonatal intensive care unit in July after the unit reported losses of $1 million a year. 

Now, there is no longer a NICU in the Mississippi Delta. 

Delta Health-The Medical Center, which is currently operating with only one medical floor, also closed its cardiac rehabilitation department. It and the NICU are “non-revenue producing ventures,” said interim CEO Iris Yeldell-Stacker in an Aug. 1 presentation to the Washington County Board of Supervisors. 

Hospital officials told Mississippi Today that operating the NICU created annual losses for the hospital of $1 million. An average of 150 newborns have been placed in the NICU each year since 2019.

The hospital serves four Delta counties: Bolivar, Coahoma, Sunflower and Washington – all counties with poverty levels over 30%, well above both the state and national average. 

“Infants that require care in the NICU will be transferred, as they always have been,” Amy Walker, chief nursing officer at Delta Health System, said. “This will likely cause a hardship on the families of the infant as they will have to travel to Jackson to be with their baby for what could be a lengthy hospital stay. We will still provide a well baby nursery for babies delivered here, and can provide things like IV fluids and limited antibiotic therapy for those babies.”

The NICU’s closure shocked many employees who saw it as a valuable asset, said an employee who asked to remain anonymous in the story for fear of retribution from the hospital. The employee said the hope for the unit was to break even, not turn a profit, but that this proved impossible due to a lower than expected number of transfers from surrounding communities.

The NICU was classified as a level II, meaning it could provide some intensive care for sick and premature infants, such as those who required respirator support or those who were born experiencing drug withdrawals. The hospital transferred an average of 16 babies per year to Children’s of Mississippi’s level IV NICU, the only unit in the state with this designation. 

Now, all babies born in the Delta that require NICU care will be sent to Children’s of Mississippi in Jackson or go out of state. 

The hospital’s NICU was being managed by Children’s of Mississippi when it closed. University of Mississippi Medical Center officials said they had no comment for the story. They also declined Mississippi Today’s request to interview the doctors and nurses who managed the unit. 

Further operational changes are likely in Delta Health System’s future because of its dire financial state. The entire system has a current income of negative $13.2 million for 2022,  according to Yeldell-Stacker. Its Greenville hospital is responsible for $334,000 of these losses, while the rest were attributed to Delta Health System’s other medical centers and groups. 

Yeldell-Stacker cited increased operating costs, mostly coming from an increase in contact labor. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital paid nurses between $40 and $55 per hour, whereas contact nurses cost between $155 to $175 per hour. 

The hospital also received a $14 million loan from Medicare early in the pandemic, which Yeldell-Stacker said they are paying back to the tune of $1 million per month, further dragging down its  finances. 

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Bond set for three accused of assaulting woman in Vicksburg

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-13 16:44:00

SUMMARY: Three suspects were arrested in Vicksburg, Mississippi, after a violent assault was streamed live on Facebook on November 9. Ronjanae Hill (24), Marcus Ross (33), and Charles Doss (27), all from Vicksburg, were charged with aggravated assault. They appeared in Vicksburg Municipal Court on November 12. Hill and Ross each received a $75,000 bond, while Doss’s bond was set at $100,000. All three were bound over to the Warren County Grand Jury. The assault occurred at an apartment complex, and further details about the incident were not disclosed.

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Mississippi News

Columbus organizations team up for annual Turkey Drive

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www.wcbi.com – Eric Lampkin – 2024-11-13 14:52:00

SUMMARY: The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Community Benefit Committee are organizing their annual Turkey Drive to ensure residents have a turkey for Thanksgiving. They are requesting frozen turkey donations from local residents and businesses, which can be dropped off at the Sheriff’s Office until November 21. Last year, they gave away 1,800 turkeys. The Turkey Giveaway, open to Lowndes County residents, will take place on November 23 at 10 a.m. at the Lowndes County Sportsplex. This marks the 5th year of the giveaway, aiming to provide a festive meal for those in need.

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Mississippi News

Mississippi invests more than $110 million toward economic development

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www.wjtv.com – Cameron Smith – 2024-11-13 14:43:00

SUMMARY: Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi announced an investment exceeding $110 million aimed at enhancing economic development, infrastructure, workforce training, tourism, and conservation across the state. The funding will be allocated through various programs including the Mississippi Development Authority and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Key projects include site developments in multiple industrial parks, upgrading wastewater systems, and enhancing training facilities. Reeves emphasized that these investments are critical to sustaining the state’s economic growth and creating high-paying job opportunities for residents. The comprehensive financial support also includes grants for educational improvements and infrastructure enhancements statewide.

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