by Jasymin Shepherd, Mississippi Today
June 17, 2025

Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.

More than two months have passed since Converge, Mississippi’s sole Title X (“ten”) family planning grantee, had its federal funding withheld — and already, communities across the state are feeling the strain.

More than 90 clinics in Mississippi receive funding from the Title X family planning program to provide care to people in need. However, on April 1, Converge, a Mississippi non-profit, was notified by the US Department of Health and Human Services that the grantee’s Title X funding was being withheld while the agency reviews Converge’s compliance with President Trump’s recent executive orders.

As a patient advocate and someone who has personally relied on Title X-funded services for care, I’ve seen firsthand the difference these clinics make. For many, they are the first—and sometimes only—place to turn to for timely, affordable reproductive health care like birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, infertility counseling and more. Today, that care hangs in the balance. 

I still remember walking into a Title X clinic at a pivotal moment in my life — uncertain and in need. There, I received not only essential care but also compassionate counseling from providers who treated me with dignity. With Title X-funded providers already forced to stretch scarce dollars, my experience reinforced their critical role in filling a growing need for care across communities.

For so many in Mississippi, these clinics are more than a health care provider. They represent a place of safety and trust.

With Title X funding on hold across the entire state since April 1, providers are working tirelessly to stay open. But the reality is, without critical support made possible by Title X, clinics are being forced to charge for services that were once free or at reduced cost. And for patients, that often means delaying care—or going without it altogether.

These decisions have real consequences. Mississippi already faces the highest maternal mortality rate in the country, with Black women disproportionately affected. Access to preventive, affordable care can help address these disparities — but only if that care remains available.

The Title X program plays a vital role in Mississippi’s health care safety net. Clinics funded by Title X serve thousands of Mississippians every year — many of whom live in rural areas, are uninsured or face other barriers to care. When funding is disrupted or withheld, the impact is felt immediately. It becomes harder for providers to keep their doors open. Staff members face layoffs. And patients lose access to the care they’ve come to rely on. 

At Converge, so much progress has been made over the years to create reliable access points to care. The organization has built a statewide provider network grounded in excellent, expanded care into underserved areas through telehealth and clinicians trained in providing patient-centered care. But that progress has now come to an abrupt halt. 

I recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to share my story with members of the Mississippi congressional delegation and highlight the extraordinary role that the Title X program plays in people’s lives. Because behind every clinic, every program and every policy are real people — people whose lives and futures depend on continued access to care.

That’s why I’m urging Congress and the Trump administration to act quickly to restore Title X funding. Now more than ever, this program is essential to keeping our communities healthy and strong. 

Mississippians deserve reliable access to the care they need to thrive and stay healthy. I hope leaders at every level will listen and respond with the urgency this moment calls for. Lives — and livelihoods — are on the line. 

Jasymin Shepherd is a patient advocate with Converge and a kinesiology adjunct instructor at Hinds Community College in Raymond. She also in the past sought care in a Title X-funded setting.

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

The post Family planning services for many Mississippians remain in jeopardy 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

This essay reflects a Center-Left bias through its advocacy for restoring federal Title X funding and its emphasis on the lived experiences of patients reliant on reproductive health services. The author critiques policy changes tied to the Trump administration and appeals to Congress and the current administration to take corrective action. While fact-based, the language is emotionally resonant and aligned with progressive positions on public health and reproductive rights. The narrative prioritizes access to care, equity, and the needs of underserved communities, indicating a perspective more typical of center-left health policy advocacy.

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.

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

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: 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.