LIZ YOUNGBLOOD. CEO of Adult Hospitals and Metro Jackson-Area Clinics for University of Mississippi Medical Center
On the top challenge
"Access to the right level of care at the right time and in the right location is the most pressing health concern facing our patients. Like many states, Mississippi faces a number of challenges, including socioeconomic factors and some very rural parts of the state with limited to no healthcare providers. Communities around our state understand these challenges and are looking to us to help them meet this need. It is about finding the right solutions based on the specific needs of each community."
On the hospital's response
"We are working with communities and other healthcare providers throughout Mississippi to identify ways we together can help meet the needs of their populations. This comes in many forms. Some examples include opening centers that offer after-hours access to care, partnering with schools to bring health and wellness activities directly to students, and creating access to wellness and preventive medicine services in rural areas through community partnerships. UMMC's Center for Telehealth provides access to specialists throughout the state in a variety of forms, including tele-emergency services, teleconsult services in provider clinics, teleICU services, as well as direct-to-consumer services such as remote patient monitoring and tele-education.
"Our telehealth program is one of just two recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of HHS, as a Telehealth Center of Excellence. This designation allows us to serve as a national clearinghouse for telehealth research and resources, including technical assistance for other telehealth providers."