Nettleton - Following the news that St. Dominic Memorial Hospital in Jackson is laying off 157 employees and closing all of its behavioral health services, Commissioner Brandon Presley released the following statement: 

“Despite what Tate Reeves tries to portray, the healthcare crisis is real and is damaging our people and our economy. Almost every day, we hear about a hospital cutting critical healthcare services or threatening to close its doors completely. 

“Mississippians know that Tate Reeves isn’t interested in fixing this problem, and his failed record proves it. I’m running for governor to fix this mess, get our healthcare systems back on track, provide healthcare to 220,000 working Mississippians, and keep our hospitals open.”

BACKGROUND:

• Earlier this year, Tate Reeves approved a cheap band-aid - and still many hospitals are struggling because they cannot get access to what little funding Tate Reeves gave them in an election year. Some of the hospitals around Mississippi struggling include:

• KPC Promise Hospital in Vicksburg potentially being forced to shut down.
  

• In March, Mississippi’s first rural emergency hospital, Alliance Healthcare System, announced they were ending inpatient care in order to try and keep their doors open.
  

• Greenwood Leflore Hospital has requested donations from the public on their website - and now the county is debating whether to raise property taxes in order to keep the hospital open. Staff is being overwhelmed with patients dealing with severe health issues that could have been treated sooner with proper health care.
  

• Tate Reeves has declined to comment on his cheap band-aid for hospitals. He has also admitted that it was in his “personal political interest” to oppose expanding Medicaid - despite the policy being a win for Mississippi families, patients, and doctors.

Brandon Presley is a fighter who keeps his promises, stands up for the little guy, and isn't afraid to ruffle more than a few feathers to deliver results for hardworking Mississippi families. Brandon served as Mayor of Nettleton from 2001 to 2007, where he got the town moving again, then balanced the budget every year and cut taxes twice. As Public Service Commissioner, Brandon opened up meetings that had been closed to the public for decades, brought high-speed internet to some of the most remote and forgotten parts of Mississippi, put people back to work with the Hire Mississippi program, and saved taxpayers over 6 billion dollars.

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