A new law aiming to keep recently qualified nurses working in Mississippi has added itself to a raft of initiatives the state is working on to keep its crumbling health system functioning.
Gov. Tate Reeves signed SB 2373 into law March 8 with the aim of offering such qualified nurses up to $6,000 annually for up to three years to help with paying off loans if they stay in Mississippi to work after graduation.
"Innovation is the solution to our health care challenges…and it is the solution to keeping talented Mississipians here," Mr. Reeves said on his Twitter account when discussing the new law.
At least 28 hospitals in the state are on the brink of closure, with others also suffering major financial challenges.
Local politicians last month approved $80 million in funding for the state's cash-strapped hospitals, but some lawmakers have criticized that as a "Band-Aid" solution.
Mississippi is one of 10 states that have held out against possible Medicaid expansion, which could provide the state with approximately $1 billion in funding.
Mr. Reeves has long been an opponent of such Medicaid expansion and faces an election in November where approximately 80 percent of Mississipians support such expansion.