Lawmakers propose funding to keep rural hospitals from closure

Mississippi senators are proposing an $80 million grant program for financially struggling hospitals and other programs designed to help the state attract and retain nurses and physicians, the Associated Press reports. The state health officer, Dr. Dan Edney, told legislators in November that 54% of Mississippi’s rural hospitals are at risk of closing, the report says. Mississippi has many uninsured residents, and health care facilities have faced rising expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.