Mike Talbert is a volunteer chaplain at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

The Mississippi State Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A virus infections in Mississippi. Since April 2019, there has been marked and sustained transmission of hepatitis A in the state. 

Mississippi has a higher adult obesity rate than most other states, according to new national data reported in the 15th annual State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America released today by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). 37.3 percent of adults living in Mississippi have obesity, ranking the state second amongst the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Jay Hughes and Delbert Hosemann, the two candidates for Mississippi lieutenant governor, expressed differing ideas on how to fix the state’s crumbling infrastructure, make sure more citizens receive health insurance and improve public education during a televised debate.

The two candidates running for Mississippi lieutenant governor engaged in a civil discussion about Medicaid expansion and other issues during a televised statewide debate.

Mike Espy, a former Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has begun raising money for at 2020 run for the seat.

The shift toward population health management puts additional financial pressures on struggling rural providers.