Mississippi Today

Dan Jones exposed a major political problem for Tate Reeves

Published

2 years ago

February 6, 2023

Dan Jones exposed a major political problem for Tate Reeves

by Adam Ganucheau, Mississippi Today
February 6, 2023

Note: This editorial anchored Mississippi Today’s weekly legislative newsletter.Subscribe to our free newsletterfor exclusive access to legislative analyses and up-to-date information about what’s happening under the Capitol dome.

You almost certainly heard about the bombshell story former University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones told at a press conference last week.

Jones said that Gov. Tate Reeves, Mississippi’s most staunch public opponent of Medicaid expansion, acknowledged to Jones in a private meeting several years ago the benefits of expansion. The governor, Jones recalled, then said he couldn’t champion it publicly because of “my personal political interest.”

Reeves, as he often does when challenged, got nasty. He said Jones was lying and referred to Jones only as “this dude.” You know, the longtime Baptist medical missionary and deacon. The six-year chief of the state’s flagship university. The years-long leader of the state’s largest hospital and dean of the state’s only medical school. The one-time national president of the American Heart Association. Just “this dude.”

As Jones spoke last week, a crowd of curious lobbyists — including a couple of Reeves’ former staffers — gathered in the rotunda to hear what he had to say. Jones, in less than five minutes, did what so many people under the dome have never dared: he called Tate Reeves out. While doing so, he laid out a succinct case for Medicaid expansion that the governor himself couldn’t ignore.

And Reeves’ hot-headed response to the whole thing may be all we need to know about how tough an issue it will be for him during the critical 2023 election year.

First, some scene setting: State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney warned lawmakers in late 2022 that 38 hospitals across the state are in danger of closing in the short term, and every hospital in the state faces unprecedented financial concerns.

A hospital funding solution that 39 other states — including many Republican-led states — have embraced is Medicaid expansion. Economists estimate Mississippi would receive more than $1 billion per year in new revenue from expansion, and hospitals and hundreds of thousands of Mississippians would benefit directly.

Democratic legislative leaders organized the Thursday press conference to lambast Republicans for doing little to address the state’s hospital crisis. As a guest speaker, Jones was cast perfectly. He retired last year from a faculty position at University of Mississippi Medical Center after a decades-long career in medicine. He’s spent much of his career researching the impact of chronic health problems like hypertension, cardiovascular issues, and obesity on Mississippians. Years after leading the state’s largest hospital, he currently sits on the board of directors for the hospital in his hometown Hazlehurst. Needless to say, he knows a thing or two about the state’s health care system.

Some have questioned the timing of Jones’ press conference appearance. The first words out of his mouth that day should answer that question: “Believe me, the crisis is real. I’ve been involved in health care in Mississippi for more than 40 years. In those 40 years, I’ve never seen our health care system under such stress as it is now. It’s time for action to be taken.”

What got lost in the initial reporting that rightfully focused on the rare poking of the bear in the Governor’s Mansion was perhaps one of the most succinct cases for Medicaid expansion ever made in Jackson.

“First and most important is the moral imperative. Shame on us, shame on us for allowing the citizens of Mississippi to have health care problems and not have access to health care solutions. Shame on us. In the richest country in the world, in a state with millions and billions in its coffers, for us not to act on this and make health care available to all of our citizens in our state is immoral. It is immoral. It is time to act.

The second imperative is the economic imperative. In the 38 states that have expanded Medicaid, it’s been proven over and over again: states don’t lose money when they expand Medicaid, states gain money when they expand Medicaid. In an analysis of what would happen in Mississippi if Medicaid is expanded, done by a number of groups including our own state economist, there would clearly be an economic benefit for the state of Mississippi, for all Mississippians. Right now … there are families in Mississippi with health problems that are going into bankruptcy because of medical bills. Again, shame on us.

The last imperative is an important one. It’s the political imperative. The leaders of our state and elected officials are taking positions because they think it’s the politically correct thing to do for them. The Siena poll that was just published recently here in Mississippi demonstrates clearly that a majority of Mississippians are ready for all Mississippians to have access to health care. That Mississippians are ready for Medicaid expansion — not only Democrats and independents, but a majority of Republican voters are ready for Medicaid to be expanded. It’s time for elected officials to move forward and do something.”

Dr. Dan Jones on Feb. 2, 2023

The political argument may be the most timely, certainly in this statewide and legislative election year. As Jones highlighted, Reeves appears to be in the vast minority on Medicaid expansion.

The Siena College poll he referenced showed that 80% of Mississippians — including 70% of Republican respondents — support Medicaid expansion. Those everyday Mississippians join a cadre of health care professionals, local elected officials, economists, and others who are calling for Medicaid expansion.

Just two days before the press conference last week, Republican legislative leaders killed 15 bills, all filed by Democrats, that would have expanded Medicaid. Three days before the press conference, Reeves dug in deeper than ever in his opposition to expansion, telling lawmakers, “You have my word that if you stand up to the left’s push for endless government-run healthcare, I will stand with you.”

Reeves disrespectfully dismissed Jones on social media the same way he’s tried to dismiss expansion: by working to distract from the real issue at hand, by name-calling, by discrediting the source or the communicators of the source. It’s deflection straight out of the Donald Trump playbook.

But with so many hospitals on the verge of closing, with so many Mississippians struggling to afford basic health care, and with the overwhelming majority of Mississippians supportive of expansion, deflection may not be enough for Reeves anymore. His opposition to expansion has become a real political liability, and as the attention of the entire state focuses more on the hospital crisis, it could likely become the defining issue of this year’s governor’s race.

Just take a look at how Reeves’ most notable challenger responded to the Jones story last week.

“When Tate Reeves has a choice between doing right by Mississippi or getting ahead in his career, he always chooses himself,” said Brandon Presley, the leading Democratic candidate for governor. “Because he has no backbone, 38 hospitals may close and more Mississippians may die because of lack of access to health care. People deserve affordable health care — plain and simple.”

Reeves and his staff might be smart to start developing a strategy a little more nuanced than firing off a mean tweet.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC hospital madison county

Published

3 days ago

June 13, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-06-13 11:23:00

by Gwen Dilworth, Mississippi Today
June 13, 2025

The University of Mississippi Medical Center has acquired Canton-based Merit Health Madison and is preparing to move a pediatric clinic to Madison, continuing a trend of moving services to Jackson’s suburbs.

The 67-bed hospital, now called UMMC Madison, will provide a wide range of community hospital services, including emergency services, medical-surgical care, intensive care, cardiology, neurology, general surgery and radiology services. It also will serve as a training site for medical students, and it plans to offer OB-GYN care in the future.

“As Mississippi’s only academic medical center, we must continue to be focused on our three-part mission to educate the next generation of health care providers, conduct impactful research and deliver accessible high-quality health care,” Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC’s vice chancellor of health affairs, said in a statement. “Every decision we make is rooted in our mission.”

The new facility will help address space constraints at the medical center’s main campus in Jackson by freeing up hospital beds, imaging services and operating areas, said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for health affairs.

UMMC physicians have performed surgeries and other procedures at the hospital in Madison since 2019. UMMC became the full owner of the hospital May 1 after purchasing it from Franklin, Tennessee-based Community Health Systems.

The Batson Kids Clinic, which offers pediatric primary care, will move to the former Mississippi Center for Advanced Medicine location in Madison. This space will allow the medical center to offer pediatric primary care and specialty services and resolve space issues that prevent the clinic from adding new providers, according to Institutions of Higher Learning board minutes.

A UMMC spokesperson did not respond to questions about the services that will be offered at the clinic or when it will begin accepting patients.

The Mississippi Center for Advanced Medicine, a pediatric subspecialty clinic, closed last year as a result of a settlement in a seven-year legal battle between the clinic and UMMC in a federal trade secrets lawsuit.

The changes come after the opening of UMMC’s Colony Park South clinic in Ridgeland in February. The clinic offers a range of specialty outpatient services, including surgical services. Another Ridgeland UMMC clinic, Colony Park North, will open in 2026.

The expansion of UMMC clinical services to Madison County has been criticized by state lawmakers and Jackson city leaders. The medical center does not need state approval to open new educational facilities. Critics say UMMC has used this exemption to locate facilities in wealthier, whiter neighborhoods outside Jackson while reducing services in the city.

UMMC did not respond to a request for comment about its movement of services to Madison County.

UMMC began removing clinical services this year from Jackson Medical Mall, which is in a majority-Black neighborhood with a high poverty rate. The medical center plans to reduce its square footage at the mall by about 75% in the next year.

The movement of health care services from Jackson to the suburbs is a “very troubling trend” that will make it more difficult for Jackson residents to access care, Democratic state Sen. John Horhn, who will become Jackson’s mayor July 1, previously told Mississippi Today.

Lawmakers sought to rein in UMMC’s expansion outside Jackson this year by passing a bill that would require the medical center to receive state approval before opening new educational medical facilities in areas other than the vicinity of its main campus and Jackson Medical Mall. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves vetoed the legislation, saying he opposed an unrelated provision in the bill.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC hospital madison county appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The article presents a primarily factual report on UMMC’s expansion into Madison County, outlining the medical center’s services and strategic decisions while including critiques from Democratic leaders and local officials about the suburban shift. The inclusion of concerns over equity and access—highlighting that the expansion is occurring in wealthier, whiter suburbs at the expense of services in majority-Black, poorer neighborhoods—leans the piece toward a center-left perspective, emphasizing social justice and community impact. However, the article maintains a measured tone by presenting statements from UMMC representatives and government officials without overt editorializing, thus keeping the overall coverage grounded in balanced reporting with a slight progressive framing.

Mississippi Today

Rita Brent, Q Parker headline ‘Medgar at 100’ Concert

Published

3 days ago

June 13, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-06-13 10:26:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
June 13, 2025

Nationally known comedian Rita Brent will host the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute’s “Medgar at 100” Concert on June 28.

Tickets go on sale Saturday, June 14, and can be ordered on the institute’s website.

The concert will take place at the Jackson Convention Complex and is the capstone event of the “Medgar at 100” Celebration. Organizers are calling the event “a cultural tribute and concert honoring the enduring legacy of Medgar Wiley Evers.”

“My father believed in the power of people coming together — not just in protest, but in joy and purpose, and my mother and father loved music,” said Reena Evers-Everette, executive director of the institute. “This evening is about honoring his legacy with soul, celebration, and a shared commitment to carry his work forward. Through music and unity, we are creating space for remembrance, resilience, and the rising voices of a new generation.”

In addition to Brent, other featured performers include: actress, comedian and singer Tisha Campbell; soul R&B powerhouse Leela James; and Grammy award-winning artist, actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Q Parker and Friends.

Organizers said the concert is also “a call to action — a gathering rooted in remembrance, resistance, and renewal.”

Proceeds from the event will go to support the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute’s mission to “advance civic engagement, develop youth leadership, and continue the fight for justice in Mississippi and beyond.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Rita Brent, Q Parker headline 'Medgar at 100' Concert appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents a straightforward, factual report on the upcoming “Medgar at 100” concert honoring civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers. The tone is respectful and celebratory, focusing on the event’s cultural and community significance without expressing a political stance or ideological bias. It quotes organizers and highlights performers while emphasizing themes of remembrance, unity, and justice. The coverage remains neutral by reporting the event details and mission of the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute without editorializing or promoting a specific political viewpoint. Overall, it maintains balanced and informative reporting.

Mississippi Today

Future uncertain for residents of abandoned south Jackson apartment complex

Published

3 days ago

June 13, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-06-13 09:25:00

by Maya Miller, Mississippi Today
June 13, 2025

Residents at Chapel Ridge Apartments in Jackson are left wondering what to do next after months dealing with trash pileups, property theft and the possibility of water shutoffs due to the property owner skipping out on the bill.

On Sunday, Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley, city attorney Drew Martin and code enforcement officers discussed next steps for the complex, which, since April 30, has been without a property manager.

“How are you all cracking down on other possible fraudulent property managers around Jackson?” one woman asked Martin.

“ We don’t know they’re there until we know they’re there, and I know that’s a terrible answer, but I don’t personally have another one I’m aware of right now,” Martin said. “These individuals don’t seem to have owned another apartment complex in the Metro Jackson area, despite owning a whole bunch nationwide.”

A sign marks the entrance to Chapel Ridge Apartments, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Jackson, Miss.

Back in April, a letter was left on the door of the leasing office advising residents to not make rental payments until a new property manager arrives. The previous property managers are Lynd Management Group, a company based in San Antonio, Texas.

The complex has been under increased scrutiny after Chapel Ridge Apartments lost its solid waste contract mid-March due to months of nonpayment. The removal of dumpsters led to a portion of the parking lot turning into a dumping site, an influx of rodents and gnats, and an investigation by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Local leaders pitched in to help remedy the situation, and in May, Waste Management provided two dumpsters for the complex.

However, the problems persisted. In May, JXN Water released the names of 15 apartment complexes that owe more than $100,000 in unpaid water fees. Chapel Ridge was on the list. JXN Water spokesperson Aisha Carson said via email that they are “pursuing legal options to address these large-scale delinquencies across several properties.”

A “No Dumping” sign stands where a dumpster was previously located at Chapel Ridge Apartments, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Jackson, Miss.

“While no shutoffs are imminent at this time, we are evaluating each case based on legal feasibility and the need to balance enforcement with tenant protections. Our focus is on transparency and accountability, not disruption—but we will act when needed to ensure the integrity of the system,” Carson said.

And earlier this week, Chapel Ridge Apartments was declared a public nuisance. Martin said this gives the city of Jackson “the authority to come in, mow the grass and board up any of the units where people aren’t living.”

Martin said the situation is complicated, because the complex is owned by Chapel Ridge Apartments LLC. The limited liability corporation is owned by CRBM Realty Inc. and Crown Capital Holdings LLC, which are ultimately owned by Moshe “Mark” Silber. In April, Silber was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. Earlier this month, both companies filed for bankruptcy in New Jersey.

An empty area where a dumpster was once placed is seen at Chapel Ridge Apartments, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Jackson, Miss.

Now, Martin said the main goal is to find someone who can manage the property.

“Somebody’s got to be able to collect rent from you,” Martin said. “They got to be able to pay the water. They got to be able to pay the garbage. They got to be able to pay for the lights to be on. They got to maintain the property, so that’s our goal is to put that in place.”

Chapel Ridge offers a rent scale based on household income. Those earning under 50% of the area median income — between $21,800 and $36,150 depending on household size — for example, pay $480 for a two-bedroom and $539 for a three-bedroom unit. Rent increases between $20 and $40 for those earning under 60% of the area median income.

Valarie Banks said that when she moved into Chapel Ridge nearly 13 years ago, it was a great community. The disabled mother and grandmother moved from West Jackson to the complex because it was neatly kept and quiet.

“It was beautiful. I saw a lot of kids out playing. There were people that were engaging you when you came out. They were eager to help,” Banks said. “ I hope that they could bring this place back to the way it once was.”

But after months of uncertainty, Banks is preparing to move. She said she’s not the only one.

“I have somewhere to go, but I’m just trying to get my money together so I can be able to handle the deposits and the bills that come after you move,” she said. “All of my doctors are around here close to me. In 12 years, I made this place home for me. … I’ve been stacking my rent, but it’s still not enough if I want to move this month.”

While she said she’s holding onto her rent payments for the time being, she realizes that many of her fellow residents may not be as lucky. Without someone to maintain the apartments, some residents are finding themselves without basic amenities.

“Some people are in dire straits, because they don’t have a stove or a fridge or the air conditioner,” she said. “Their stove went out, or the fridge went out, or they stole the air conditioner while you’re in the apartment.”

Banks isn’t the only one who is formulating a plan to leave. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she’s been trying to save money to move, but she already has $354 wrapped up in a money order that she’s unable to pass off for her rent, due to the property manager’s recent departure.

“It really feels like an abandonment and just stressful to live where I’m living at right now. This just doesn’t happen. It just feels stressful. It doesn’t feel good at all,” she said.

She’s trying to remain optimistic, but as each day passes without someone to maintain the property, she’s losing hope.

“ I just hope that things get better some day, somehow, hopefully, because if not, more than likely I’m going to have to leave because I can only take so much,” she said. “I can’t continue to deal with this situation of hoping and wishing somebody comes, and they don’t.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Future uncertain for residents of abandoned south Jackson apartment complex appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This article from *Mississippi Today* primarily focuses on the struggles of low-income residents at Chapel Ridge Apartments, emphasizing the human impact of property mismanagement, regulatory gaps, and systemic neglect. The piece maintains a factual tone, but it centers the voices of vulnerable tenants and local officials seeking accountability—hallmarks of a center-left perspective. While it does not overtly advocate for policy change, the narrative framing highlights social injustice and institutional failures, subtly aligning with progressive concerns about housing equity and corporate responsibility.