Hospital CEO urges maternal care be central to Mississippi rural health strategy

Kent Nicaud, president and chief executive officer of Memorial Health System, wrote that maternal health must be the central priority as Mississippi invests $206 million from a new federal Rural Health Transformation Program. Nicaud made the case in a guest essay for Mississippi Today Ideas.

In the essay, Nicaud said Mississippi has the nation’s highest maternal mortality rate and that more than 3,500 infants have died since 2014, a situation he called a state-declared public health emergency. He also cited the March of Dimes in saying more than half of Mississippi counties are maternity care deserts.

Nicaud wrote that telehealth should be part of the state’s strategy. He said Memorial Hospital Gulfport launched an around-the-clock inpatient tele–maternal-fetal medicine program in November with Obtelecare and Teladoc to give clinicians remote access to maternal-fetal medicine specialists, help manage complex cases and reduce travel for families.

He warned that technology alone is not enough and urged changes to staffing and care models. Nicaud recommended better integration of advanced-practice clinicians such as certified nurse‑midwives and the use of OB hospitalists to provide predictable coverage, reduce burnout and keep labor and delivery units open.

Nicaud urged the governor’s office, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and the State Department of Health to set clear, measurable goals for maternal health and designate part of the RHTP funding to proven, scalable solutions for rural hospitals. In his essay, Nicaud noted he chairs the Mississippi Healthcare Collaborative, which he said represents about 70% of the state’s patients and drives statewide efforts to improve maternal‑fetal care and health equity.

Source: Original Article