Some of the hospitals in jeopardy reside in districts represented by some of the worst offenders when it comes to health care in the state:
- Highland Community Hospital, represented by Rep. Mark Formby (R-Picayune)
- Tippah County Hospital, represented by Rep. Judas Steverson (R-Ripley)
- Baptist Medical Center Attalta, formerly Montfort Jones Community Hospital, represented by Rep. Jason White (R-West)
- Natchez Regional Medical Center, ironically represented by Public Health Committee Chairman Sam Mims (R-McComb)
This report was released as news broke that the Pioneer Community Hospital in Newton, represented by Reps. Randy Rushing (R-Decatur) and William Shirley (R-Quitman), will be closing their doors - forcing their patients to drive to other counties to seek medical care. Imagine having to drive to another county if you are having a heart attack or delivering a baby!
For years, Reps. Formby, Steverson, White, Mims, Rushing, and Shirley and the Republican Party have stood in the way of ensuring that hospitals have patients who are able to afford medical care. This shameful behavior is disgraceful, and their stubbornness is costing lives. Once the new legislature is seated in January, we must hope that our legislators will be more concerned about the well-being of their constituents who need health care than being concerned about where a lobbyist will buy them pink-colored drinks and expensive dinners. If history is our guide, we should not get our hopes up.