Hospital care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is excellent

Hospital care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is excellent. You have probably read those lists of the top ten this and bottom ten that. When it comes to health care these lists often put Mississippi at the bottom. Mississippi is often ranked 55 or something stupid including all of our possession islands etc. These articles are usually written by people working in big cities on the coasts using data pulled from a source that removed it from another source and so on. They are all wrong. What to know why?

It’s simply not possible to rank an entire state for anything. Every state has its own unique areas and some are better than others for many things including health care. Let’s start with the fact that unlike what the writers of those articles think, healthcare is not a right.

Pushing that philosophy means that anyone without access to a “free” hospital within 15 minutes from their home, is how they probably rate care. This is ignorant. If you live in New York, Los Angeles, and other big metros, there are many hospitals and the writers think this is the way it should be even in rural America.

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Details that I have observed

Let’s talk about Mississippi a bit. First, I am not a medical professional and know not much more than the writers of those lists. I am however an observer. Applying unfiltered facts to the story, you can separate the nonsense from reality. Here are the details that I have observed not only in person, from discussions with people who have lived in Mississippi their entire lives but reading.

No doubt, rural Mississippi residents do not have the same access to medical care as people living in larger cities. If you live in Jackson, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and some larger MS cities, there are hospitals and clinics around. Most of the state is rural with people living on farms and ranches.

These small towns that are an hour or more from a larger town with a hospital do indeed suffer from a lack of larger infrastructure. There, I said it. But, having said that, let’s talk about choices. Most people who live in rural Mississippi want to be there. They grew up there and love it.

Nurse-to-Patient Ratio in selected states

State	Nurse-to-Patient Ratio
Mississippi	1:5
New York	6.3 patients per nurse
New Jersey	1:6
Illinois	5.4 patients per nurse
Florida	5.6 patients per nurse
California	1:3.6
Minnesota	1:5

The nurse-to-patient ratio is a key indicator of the quality of medical care in a state. Note that Mississippi often rated at the bottom is equal to or better than some wealthier states including Florida.

Mississippi is often referred to as a “poor” state.

These same people have a choice to move to a larger city or suffer the inconvenience of traveling for medical care. The topic of who gets free care, Medicare, etc. is for another article that I do not feel qualified to write. I am just talking about geography now and common sense. These city-dweller writers think everyone in the nation including the flyover states should be living at the same standard.

Mississippi is often referred to as a “poor” state. I would suggest that the majority of residents do not agree with that. Actually, the standard of living for many that I have come in contact with is better than it was when they moved out of state for a while and lived for example in San Diego.

You can make more money in the big metros but it takes more to live there and the taxes, well they are another thing. The cost of living in Mississippi is the lowest in the nation so it’s not necessary to earn $200,000 per year to afford a house in a congested suburb.

Do people need help? Absolutely, the same help people need in communities across the nation. It’s funny when people in California talk about the poor in Mississippi. Millions of illegal aliens have invaded California and live a dozen to a house or more.

Many states struggle with the “poor” and medical care

They are bearly subsisting. Talk about the poor, it does not get worse than that. Yet, the state keeps inviting more people rather than following existing federal law and doing something about the problems they have created.

You don’t hear about the ugly underbelly of many states. Because a few mega-millionaires live in the state and pay for medical care, states such as California and New York are rated higher. Before you fall for this manipulated data, look at individual communities. Let me tell you about my recent health care in Ocean Springs, MS.

My personal story about local medical care

Recently, I was admitted to the Ocean Springs Hospital, part of the Singing River Health System headquartered in Pascagoula, MS. My wife took me to the emergency room based of a fever my body was shaking and my ankle was red. The doctors came to see me after about a 15-minute wait.

They decided to admit me to the hospital because the symptoms were not favorable. I was placed in an exam room where two doctors and physician assistants ordered tests and X-rays. They discovered I had cellulitis.

Actually, my ankle and leg got worse as they were evaluating me. As they received the results of the blood and other tests, they worked out a plan to deal with the problem. I was given medicine through a drop tube. After a while, I was moved to a regular hospital room. So many people came in out checking on me, taking blood and vitals, changing medicine, etc., I thought that I was the only patient in the hospital.

I was placed in a private room with a couch and recliner. They permit family members to spend the night. You should know that this is only the second time that I have ever been hospitalized so I had no comparison except that I have visited family members in the hospital many times. My wife had a procedure several years ago in a well-known hospital in Orange County, CA.

medical professional hospital care — not one of the people who helped me but the smile was similar

Ocean Springs Hospital’s treatment equaled (exceeded) a California hospital

She received the same type of treatment, the same type of room, etc. I can tell you that there was actually no difference in the physical facility between the room my wife was in and the one I was in.

Regarding care. Absolutely outstanding. Every person who came into my room had a great attitude. They were intelligent, focused on their job, and yet had time to talk and laugh. The hospital could not have provided better care. I am not a medical professional so my experience should be even more valuable for others to hear.

Having owned my own corporation for decades and hiring many people, one thing I can appreciate is dedicated employees, particularly skilled health workers. Generally, I refer to the 80-20 rule where 20% of the people do 80% of the work and 80% do 20% of the work. My entire system crumbled under the onslaught of highly gifted professionals.

When an alarm went off as a drug was empty, my nurse was there within a couple of minutes or sooner. The several doctors that I came in contact with knew their business, I felt very confident being around them. I stayed in the hospital for three nights so I had significant exposure to the system at this hospital and I have nothing but praise to heap on the staff and the management of this hospital. Including the emergency room staff.

monitoring of condition Hospital care on the Mississippi gulf coast — Constant monitoring of my condition. They paid close attention.

Too much trash talk about poor health care in Mississippi

When I hear trash talk about Mississippi health care, I wish I could grab the writer and bring them to this hospital or actually any on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I have heard from others that the care that I received is the same in all of the hospitals here. In addition to my time in the hospital, I have visited a variety of specialists having annual check-ups. It takes a short time to get in to see a doctor here and everyone that I work with is great.

Because I write a lot about things on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I speak to others about their health care and get the same responses. Very good. Also, my visit to the hospital was covered by health insurance and Medicare. Not some expensive care but a regular HMO. Dig deeper when you hear that Mississippi hospitals and medical care are at the bottom of national rankings.

Another thing that I learned is that there is still a shortage in the medical workforce. The United States is short about 1.5 million nurses according to U.S. government statistics. Nurses, nurse assistants, and other health care workers are working 12 on and 12 off plus additional shifts to accommodate the need. It’s important that competitive wages be offered to entice those entering college to select the health care profession.

We need more nurses

The number of people needed will only grow. I hope that young people select health care as a career choice. Insurance coverage is there to bring in the patients, all we need is more dedicated young people to help improve the performance of state healthcare systems.

In closing, after my stay at the hospital, I went home and continued to take antibiotics and my leg finally went back to normal. All cured. The correct diagnosis by the best people and the best care created the best outcome.

Clearly, the health system performance on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is up to any around the country. Another feature of my stay was easier access. No long hours waiting, no refusing my insurance. Great care from start to finish. I can’t say enough.

Please read other articles on the topic such as Great Medical Care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and The Best State to Retire with $500,000 Now: Mississippi.