Last updated on November 15th, 2023 at 09:50 pm
Medical care is a key element in any decision to relocate. You can find great medical care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Doctors, nurses, and other caregivers along with their hospitals and facilities offer great medical care. How do I know this? From personal experience and from what I have observed from others. Funny as you get a bit older topics at gatherings gravitate to medical care.
Many surveys indicate Mississippi is at the bottom when it comes to health care. Ok, now I have said it. Let’s talk about the gorilla in the room. First and most important, Mississippi is a big state. The three counties at the bottom of the Mississippi Gulf Coast have more in common with New Orleans, Mobile, and the Florida panhandle than they do with the rest of the state of Mississippi. The Gulf Coast should not be compared to a rural, farming state when it comes to many things e.g. medical care.
More doctors per capita on the Gulf Coast
There are more doctors, nurses, and hospitals per capita than almost any place in the state. Our communities are wealthier and better educated than most other counties in the state. We are more cosmopolitan than most of the state. Many of our residents have come here from other states and brought with them their money, education, and a demand for good medical care. Further, medical caregivers are here in part due to the climate and the coast. For all of these reasons, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is not like the rest of the state. Does this clear the air?
According to my primary doctor, I am a rare example of a very healthy individual who has inherited the right genes. Since I was a child, I hardly ever got sick. Beyond a few childhood diseases, I have been remarkably healthy. Because I have been healthy, I have paid little attention to medicine. People talk about medications and I tune out.
I have learned however that most people are not like me so I thought it was time to consider an article about the topic. After writing articles about almost everything else, I started thinking about the most important decisions people make. Medical decisions about care and treatment are at the top of the list so here is my input on the subject.
My neighbor and his companion made regular trips to the doctor. Between the two of them, virtually every specialist in the area was called upon to render service. From heart disease to issues with slipped discs. Their opinions were that the doctors here offered first-rate care.
Medical care as good as San Francisco
If I had heard this from someone who had lived on the Gulf Coast all of their lives, I would have taken their comments in stride. These guys have lived in a dozen states and large cities. My neighbors told me the care was at least as good but often better and at much lower prices than they had experienced in San Francisco and other cities. Other neighbors have been confirming what this neighbor has told me. Several have had replacement surgeries on knees, shoulders, etc.
My family members here have had surgery on their spines and hands with terrific results. The medical staff are kind and pay attention. The wait to see a doctor or PA is either a few days or a couple of weeks. COVID hardly made a dent in the timing as our medical professionals worked every day. It’s a very rare case where someone has to leave the area for treatment. People with cancer and other life-threatening issues are receiving treatment near their homes.
One of my methods of remaining healthy is having regular checkups for skin cancer, colon cancer, and a variety of other issues. I have an annual wellness check (a physical and labs). I had cataract surgery with an implanted lens and I read and drive without glasses. All here close to where I live.
Most doctors are from Mississippi or neighboring states
Many doctors went off to medical school and then came back to the area to practice their trade. Something you do not often see everywhere. Military doctors have decided to retire on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. These “retired” military doctors bring lots of experience and culture to the area.
There are three medical groups in the area that many practices belong to. Memorial is based in Gulfport at the large Memorial Hospital. This group has a large number of offices and clinics around the Gulf Coast. Singing River is another large group with a flagship hospital in Pascagoula and another hospital in Ocean Springs and a large hospital in Gulfport. As with Memorial, they have clinics scattered around the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Singing River is now associated with the Ochsner Health group from New Orleans which includes their large hospital there.
Merit is a group based at the Merit Hospital in Biloxi with clinics in various locations. And, in addition to this extensive network of hospitals and medical facilities, you can include the Veterans Administration hospital in Biloxi. Keesler Air Force Base has a hospital as well for active-duty military, some retired, and spouses. Considering the population in the entire Gulf Coast region is less than 500,000, we seem to be well covered on the medical front. Remember, New Orleans and Houston with specialty hospitals are within driving distance.
No worries about medical care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
You may be considering a move from your high-cost state or an area where it’s just a bit too cold in your later years. You will not have to worry about medical care along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, check that box. Another point is that Medicare insurance is accepted by nearly all hospitals and clinics. Before leaving California, we were finding that many doctors and groups were not accepting Medicare. Not so here.
A word about dental care. Medicare pays little for dental care and most offices only accept it for cleanings and minor work e.g. filling a tooth. I have had oral surgery here at my cost but that cost is very modest compared to what I paid in California. Dental care is available all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
My experience
I was admitted to the emergency room a few months ago for cellulitis, something I had never experienced and was unaware of. My wife took me to the Ocean Springs Hospital, part of the Singing River Oschner group. They diagnosed it immediately and took action to reduce my blood pressure, eliminate my fever, and deal with the swelling in my leg.
During the following days I spent in the hospital, the care was great. I wrote another article about this care which I ask that you read by clicking here. I was not paid to say what I did, the care was outstanding and I wanted people to understand this. I just looked up medical care in Mississippi on the internet and found some of those articles that just downgraded the care. Don’t believe what you read from a bot writing a generic article. Talk to people like me who have had first-hand experience.
Ready to consider moving to the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Great medical care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast CHECK. Beautiful coastline CHECK. Low cost of living CHECK. Low cost for housing CHECK. I could go on with more items to check off but you get the idea. Please read the most popular article on this website, “Why I decided to retire in Ocean Springs, Mississippi” and another article somewhat similar about relocating to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
If you want to look at what’s available, click here (take you to Logan-Anderson, Gulf Coastal Realtors) website where you can search for homes and lots. Please read other articles on this website about the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
