Latest news with #Mississippi
Medscape
an hour ago
- Health
- Medscape
‘A Perfect Storm:' Struggles and Hopes for Mississippi Oncs
It's not because there are bad doctors in the state, said Otis Brawley, MD, professor of oncology and epidemiology at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. 'It's a combination of the environment that people grow up and live in,' plus obesity, poor eating habits, and overuse of alcohol and tobacco, all of which significantly increase cancer risk, he told Medscape Medical News . In Mississippi, rates of smoking and alcohol consumption are higher than the national average, while physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake remain low. Income, education, comorbidities, and the state's healthcare infrastructure all also play a role. Residents have high rates of chronic diseases and comorbidities, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. And with median household incomes nearly 38% lower in Mississippi than the national income, healthcare can take a backseat to the basics — food, clothing, and shelter. For many, it can be a struggle to keep the lights on or keep their children in school, explained Jimmie Wells, RN, MSN, OCN, a long-time oncology nurse, navigator, and educator who recently retired from academic medicine. 'There are a lot of people that are just in survival mode,' said Wells, who volunteers as the Statewide Coalition Chair for the Mississippi Partnership for Comprehensive Cancer Control. 'They get up and ask themselves, 'what am I going to eat today? Are my children going to eat today?'' These issues are compounded by Mississippi's overall healthcare infrastructure and performance. The state consistently ranks near the bottom in access, quality, disparities, and outcomes, the Commonwealth Fund reported in 2023. Mississippi is also one of 10 states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and, not coincidentally, has some of the worst cancer outcomes, said Brawley. Access to care is a particular challenge. Because the state is so rural, once someone is diagnosed, 'it's hard to get to good care,' said Brawley. All 82 counties in Mississippi are considered medically underserved , either entirely or partially, by the Health Resources and Services Administration. And although estimates vary, the American Society of Clinical Oncology counts 151 oncologists practicing in the state, which includes 34 radiation oncologists and three surgical oncologists, according to data provided to Medscape Medical News . 'There are not enough providers,' especially in rural areas, Wells said. 'It is absolutely an issue.' Plus, Brawley noted, 'there are very few doctors willing to move into Mississippi to practice medicine.' From Beijing to Jackson Qu, however, was eager to practice in Mississippi. As a medical student at Peking University in 1989, Qu joined a million fellow students in Tiananmen Square who were demonstrating against the Communist regime. When the military opened fire on the protesters — killing hundreds and injuring thousands — Qu decided it was time to leave China. He studied English and was accepted to a cancer genetics graduate program at Tulane University Medical School in New Orleans. As it ended, he decided he wanted to go into practice. He was matched to the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, Mississippi, and he fell in love with Mississippi. After medical school, Qu pursued a fellowship in hematology and oncology, landing a position at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. While he could have stayed at Mayo, he decided to move back to Mississippi to practice. He believed his contribution at Mayo would 'be very, very minimal,' but he could make a relatively large impact in Mississippi. It's a different world in Mississippi. High rates of comorbidities and socioeconomic factors weighing on residents lead to delayed diagnoses. 'Our colon cancers are diagnosed in the emergency room,' Qu said, noting that patients often come in with an obstructed or perforated bowel. 'We see this every day,' he said. Jackson Oncology has been recognized by the American College of Surgeons for its quality and outcomes, but with people seeking care so late, 'unless you are God, we cannot cure that person,' said Qu. His practice has also been hobbled by low reimbursement, especially from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which pays less than Medicaid. Plus, 10.5% of people lack health insurance. Although challenging, Qu said, 'we are finding ways to keep our door open.' Home of the Blues The Mississippi Delta is famous worldwide for being the birthplace of Blues music. That was top of mind for Syed Rafique, MD, when he made the decision to practice in Greenwood, at the western edge of the Delta. It was not his first choice, and friends and colleagues advised against the move. But a recruiter convinced the Pakistani-born physician — who had completed internal medicine and hematology/oncology residencies at SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn, New York — that the Blues lover would enjoy seeing live music at the still-existent juke joints that peppered the Delta region. At that time, in 1994, there were no oncologists between Jackson, some 100 miles south, and Memphis, 130 miles to the north, said Rafique. People in the Greenwood area couldn't afford to go to those cities for diagnosis or treatment, he said. For Rafique, that was a reason to go to the Delta. 'I didn't want to have to fight for a patient in New York or another big city,' he told Medscape Medical News . Like Qu, Rafique felt like he could help more people in Mississippi. He agreed to stay for 5 years. But then he never left. Providing cancer care in the Delta region is especially challenging, Rafique said. While cancer incidence in the Delta is on par with that in the state, the Delta has the highest overall cancer mortality. At about 200 cancer deaths per 100,000, it is 13% higher than any other region, according to the state health department. Deaths from prostate cancer are particularly high at about 34 per 100,000 men (vs about 25 in the state overall), as are deaths from lung cancer at 55.5 per 100,000 (vs 47.5 in the state). Rafique sees around 40 patients a day, which is well above the norm. He has had to sell stock holdings to cover the cash flow for his practice, especially with delays in insurance approvals for expensive medications. He sometimes wonders if he can keep practicing, but he knows that not many clinicians are looking to come to Mississippi to replace him. Just a handful of oncologists practice in the Delta. Rafique and a radiation oncology colleague are the only cancer specialists at Greenwood Leflore Hospital, Greenwood, Mississippi, a 25-bed facility that serves 300,000 residents. Out of the 11 hospitals in the region, six are scaled-down facilities without full specialty offerings or inpatient care. That means specialty care often requires travel to Jackson or Memphis. But that is not realistic for everyone. Patients are older and cannot drive, Rafique said. 'They cannot leave Greenwood.' Poverty also drives many decisions. Some patients stop taking medications in the face of multiple denials by insurers, Rafique said. Others stop coming to see him because they can't afford to pay for gas. One day, Rafique saw a man in his 60s with neck pain. A scan revealed a spinal tumor — what appeared to be a metastasis. After determining the primary disease was hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, the oncologist proposed tamoxifen — a pill — to treat the cancer. A relatively simple plan. But the patient and his family refused treatment because his job was allowing him to pay a big premium on a life insurance policy that he hoped would sustain his family after his death. It was a stark dilemma. 'I can prolong his life, but he won't be able to work and won't be able to pay the premium for his life insurance, and then he will lose the life insurance,' said Rafique. The patient chose to go into hospice. 'When I came to Mississippi, I was shocked,' said Rafique. Now, he realizes there 'is only so much you can do.' 'It's like a perfect storm,' he said. 'It's not one thing that you can go and pinpoint and fix.' Seeing Light in Darkness Despite the hurdles, efforts are underway to give Mississippians better care. The Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce and the Mississippi Hospital Association have been working to bring more doctors, including residents and fellows, to the state, especially in rural areas. The Mississippi Partnership for Comprehensive Cancer Control— a group of more than 100 organizations, including the American Cancer Society — is working to improve access to cancer care, preventative services, and screening as well as engage Mississippi residents. In 2024, the Partnership went to barbershops to talk about prostate cancer, which disproportionately affects Black men. Another recent effort has involved bringing a mobile clinic to conduct pap smears to 'hot spots' around the state, Wells said. Mississippi Baptist Medical Center and the Baptist Health Foundation have also deployed m obile mammography units to three areas in Mississippi. However, Wells explained, questions surrounding who will pay for the exams has limited the rollout. When it comes to community engagement, there's no one size fits all approach. Wells has found engaging Mississippians is a hyper-local enterprise that requires many different avenues of outreach. Every community has 'a different rhythm, a different kind of culture,' she said. Despite the challenges, Qu and Rafique said they wouldn't practice anywhere else. Rafique calls the Delta home. 'I love my work. I love these patients,' said Rafique. Like Rafique, Qu also really, really loves this place. Qu and his wife raised their four children in the state. Those children — two in residency, one in medical school, and one aiming to enter medical school — all plan to come back to Mississippi to practice. 'I plan to retire here and probably die here,' said Qu. Qu goes to work every day knowing he can make a major impact. 'We generate miracles every day,' he said. Alicia Ault is a Saint Petersburg, Florida-based freelance journalist whose work has appeared in many health and science publications, including You can find her on X @aliciaault and on Bluesky @ Lead image: Moment/Getty Images
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Emmett Till national monument at risk of removal from Trump's anti-DEI initiatives
Tallahatchie County, Mississippi — There are 138 National Monuments across the U.S., but for the first time in nearly 100 years, they're eligible to be sold for parts. This Juneteenth, some of the protected lands in jeopardy commemorate important moments in American civil rights history, including some newer monuments like the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. "We are seeing this effort to erase and reverse history and historic preservation," said historian Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources and government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. "This is turning quickly into a dream deferred." Spears advocated for years, alongside several community members, to get federal protections for the areas in Mississippi and Chicago that tell the story of Emmett Till — a 14-year-old Chicago boy who was kidnapped in the middle of the night and brutally lynched in 1955 after reportedly whistling at a White woman while visiting family in Mississippi. "His badly decomposed body was taken from the water, and officials in this area wanted to have him buried immediately to sort of get rid of the evidence," Spears explained. "His mother insisted that he'd be sent back to Chicago, where they had an open casket funeral. And images of Till's badly decomposed body in that open casket really sparked the modern civil rights movement." Protections to preserve this history finally came in 2023, when a monument consisting of two sites in Mississippi and one in Illinois, was designated by former President Joe Biden. One site is located at Graball Landing along the Tallahatchie River near Glendora, Mississippi, where Till's body was found. The second is at the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where his confessed killers were found not guilty by an all-White jury. The third is located at Chicago's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, where Till's funeral was held. Spears says he and his colleagues have been working to expand the monument, not remove or shrink it. "Let's make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else's son ever again," Spears said. But just as the stroke of a president's pen preserved these areas, it could now take them away. A legal opinion released by the Justice Department earlier this month gives presidents the ability to revoke or shrink certain national monuments for the first time since the 1930s. The opinion comes as part of a movement against diversity, equity and inclusion, with some land reportedly under consideration to be used for mineral extractions. It's not just national monuments that are at risk. Under newly proposed budget cuts for the National Park Service of nearly $1 billion, Spears says more than 300 park sites would be forced to shut down. Those budget cuts could also potentially see the closure of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, according to Spears and former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. "It's like amputating an arm for a hangnail. It's a complete overreaction," Spears says. Sams says the agency has lost 13% of its staff already since he left his post earlier this year. Sams was involved in the designation of five different National Monuments signed by Biden, including the Till monument. He says if the monument were to close, it would be "very sad and egregious." "People don't like to look at their past when it shows a negative light of who we are, and I can understand that nobody likes to look at their own personal past that may have a negative light, but we also know that in order to learn from our own history, we also have to learn from our past mistakes,' Sams told CBS News. "And we, as Americans, have never been actually scared to do so, and I don't think we should be now. We look at our past, and we know that from our past mistakes that we have become stronger." Currently, the Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument — both located in California — are under consideration for revocation or being sold for parts. The Baaj Nwaavjo I'tāh Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is also under consideration reportedly due to its uranium supply. Judy Cummings is touring America's national monuments this summer with her daughter and granddaughter. They drove from Wisconsin to see the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument sites in North Mississippi. Asked about the potential for sites like this to close, Cummings said, "it makes me want to weep and it makes me furious at the same time." When asked about the potential removal of national monuments, White House spokesperson Anne Kelly told CBS News in a statement, "Under President Trump's leadership, Secretary Burgum is keeping our parks ready for peak season, ensuring they are in pristine condition for visitors, and restoring truth and sanity to depictions of American history in line with the President's Executive Order. The President is simultaneously following through on his promise to 'Drill, Baby, Drill' and restore American energy dominance." And in a separate statement provided to to CBS News, the Department of Interior said: "Under President Trump's leadership, we're advancing strategic reforms to maximize resources and improve park operations. These efforts will make our parks more efficient, better maintained, and more enjoyable for the American people, while keeping conservation efforts strong and effective. By modernizing how we manage assets and facilities, we're ensuring our parks can serve future generations even better." "You can't just do away with more than two-thirds of the National Park System because it makes sense from a government efficiency standpoint," Spears said. "That's not what we want." According to a recent study, about half of the current National Parks first began as National Monuments, including the iconic Grand Canyon. According to Spears, every $1 invested in a National Park site returns about $15 to the communities that it is located in. "That's an enormous, enormous return on investment," Spears said. It is also an investment in the visitors too. "I don't really have words," said Nicole Cummings, Judy's daughter. "I just kind of get goosebumps and it's just really powerful." SpaceX Starship upper stage blows up Hurricane Erick approaches Mexico with destructive winds, major storm surge Biden to speak at Juneteenth event in Texas
CBS News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
National monument honoring Emmett Till at risk of removal from Trump's DEI initiatives, budget cuts
Tallahatchie County, Mississippi — There are 138 National Monuments across the U.S., but for the first time in nearly 100 years, they're eligible to be sold for parts. This Juneteenth, some of the protected lands in jeopardy commemorate important moments in American civil rights history, including some newer monuments like the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. "We are seeing this effort to erase and reverse history and historic preservation," said historian Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources and government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. "This is turning quickly into a dream deferred." Spears advocated for years, alongside several community members, to get federal protections for the areas in Mississippi and Chicago that tell the story of Emmett Till — a 14-year-old Chicago boy who was kidnapped in the middle of the night and brutally lynched in 1955 after reportedly whistling at a White woman while visiting family in Mississippi. "His badly decomposed body was taken from the water, and officials in this area wanted to have him buried immediately to sort of get rid of the evidence," Spears explained. "His mother insisted that he'd be sent back to Chicago, where they had an open casket funeral. And images of Till's badly decomposed body in that open casket really sparked the modern civil rights movement." Protections to preserve this history finally came in 2023, when a monument consisting of two sites in Mississippi and one in Illinois, was designated by former President Joe Biden. One site is located at Graball Landing along the Tallahatchie River near Glendora, Mississippi, where Till's body was found. The second is at the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where his confessed killers were found not guilty by an all-White jury. The third is located at Chicago's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, where Till's funeral was held. Spears says he and his colleagues have been working to expand the monument, not remove or shrink it. "Let's make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else's son ever again," Spears said. But just as the stroke of a president's pen preserved these areas, it could now take them away. A legal opinion released by the Justice Department earlier this month gives presidents the ability to revoke or shrink certain national monuments for the first time since the 1930s. The opinion comes as part of a movement against diversity, equity and inclusion, with some land reportedly under consideration to be used for mineral extractions. It's not just national monuments that are at risk. Under newly proposed budget cuts for the National Park Service of nearly $1 billion, Spears says more than 300 park sites would be forced to shut down. Those budget cuts could also potentially see the closure of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, according to Spears and former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. "It's like amputating an arm for a hangnail. It's a complete overreaction," Spears says. Sams says the agency has lost 13% of its staff already since he left his post earlier this year. Sams was involved in the designation of five different National Monuments signed by Biden, including the Till monument. He says if the monument were to close, it would be "very sad and egregious." "People don't like to look at their past when it shows a negative light of who we are, and I can understand that nobody likes to look at their own personal past that may have a negative light, but we also know that in order to learn from our own history, we also have to learn from our past mistakes,' Sams told CBS News. "And we, as Americans, have never been actually scared to do so, and I don't think we should be now. We look at our past, and we know that from our past mistakes that we have become stronger." Currently, the Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument — both located in California — are under consideration for revocation or being sold for parts. The Baaj Nwaavjo I'tāh Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is also under consideration reportedly due to its uranium supply. Judy Cummings is touring America's national monuments this summer with her daughter and granddaughter. They drove from Wisconsin to see the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument sites in North Mississippi. Asked about the potential for sites like this to close, Cummings said, "it makes me want to weep and it makes me furious at the same time." When asked about the potential removal of national monuments, White House spokesperson Anne Kelly told CBS News in a statement, "Under President Trump's leadership, Secretary Burgum is keeping our parks ready for peak season, ensuring they are in pristine condition for visitors, and restoring truth and sanity to depictions of American history in line with the President's Executive Order. The President is simultaneously following through on his promise to 'Drill, Baby, Drill' and restore American energy dominance." And in a separate statement provided to to CBS News, the Department of Interior said: "Under President Trump's leadership, we're advancing strategic reforms to maximize resources and improve park operations. These efforts will make our parks more efficient, better maintained, and more enjoyable for the American people, while keeping conservation efforts strong and effective. By modernizing how we manage assets and facilities, we're ensuring our parks can serve future generations even better." "You can't just do away with more than two-thirds of the National Park System because it makes sense from a government efficiency standpoint," Spears said. "That's not what we want." According to a recent study, about half of the current National Parks first began as National Monuments, including the iconic Grand Canyon. According to Spears, every $1 invested in a National Park site returns about $15 to the communities that it is located in. "That's an enormous, enormous return on investment," Spears said. It is also an investment in the visitors too. "I don't really have words," said Nicole Cummings, Judy's daughter. "I just kind of get goosebumps and it's just really powerful."
Forbes
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Six Things To Eat And Drink In Mississippi That Will Change Your Life
This state may be off the beaten track, but trust me if you show up you will be culinarily rewarded. I have had impressive BBQ in a number of states, but what you will find in Mississippi will knock your socks off. Fried chicken: yes I have enjoyed it in other places, but it was transformational here. And collards are not so simple to make right: the secret is apple cider vinegar but don't tell anyone. It is the classic Southern fare that endures down in this state. I would like to say it is a bit healthier than it was: but I can't. However, it is darn good. Fried chicken, even when the Koreans do it so well, has never been my thing. Less so a doughy biscuit or heavy gravy. But let me tell you the simple dish at Connie's in Tupelo—the birthplace of Elvis Presley—will change your mind. It is one tiny piece of perfectly fried chicken, on a bun, enjoyed in a simple diner atmosphere but that moist meat enveloped in the crunch is something you will never forget. Oddly, Connie's also makes some great blueberry donuts. You really don't need to eat it and nor will your stomach love you but it is amazing to know that such a thing exists and to gaze upon it. We ordered it, but did not finish it, at Hal & Mal's. I only thought only enormous quantities of beer came in such big sizes. Pint & Pig really hit the high notes. This Jackson, Mississippi 'cue joint has it all going on with everything from pulled pork to amazing sausages. Cathead is a distillery based in Jackson it is also the state's first legal distillery. This distiller has a range of great spirits, ranging from honeysuckle vodka to gin and Bourbon. It also features live music and is run by a group of inspired women. Cathead makes unique spirits in Jackson, MS. Andrew Welch Slushies on offer at the Queen's Reward. Liza B. Zimmerman You don't hear much about it outside of Scandinavia, but distillate made from honey is very much alive at the Queen's Reward in Tupelo, Mississippi. These drinks run on the sweeter side but are amazing in summer when mixed into swirls of different slushies which can be had by the pitcher and even to go. Past flavors have included Peach, Snow Cream and Strawberry Lemonade. This proud agricultural school is turning out meats and mustards like it is nobody's business. They are all available in the campus gift shop. I wish I had seen products like these for sale in famous Ag schools in California (won't name names). But this school offers some great local meats and cheese. One thing that remains a mystery is chicken on a stick. For me in doesn't rate up there with the other contenders, however it is a Mississippi obsession. In Oxford, Mississippi. This unimpressive gas station across from the lovely The Oliver Hotel is a famous source of 'Chicken on a Stick.' Despite its appearance it is said to be a favorite of University of Mississippi students.
CNN
21 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
DHS issues new guidance for lawmakers visiting ICE facilities after tense confrontations
After a spate of tense encounters involving lawmakers at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, the Department of Homeland Security is asking members of Congress to provide 72 hours of notice before visiting detention centers, according to new guidance. Under the annual appropriations act, lawmakers are allowed to enter any DHS facilities 'used to detain or otherwise house aliens' to inspect them as part of their oversight duties. The act outlines that they are not required 'to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility.' The agency's new memo also seeks to differentiate ICE field offices from detention facilities, noting that 'ICE Field Offices are not detention facilities' and therefore do not fall under the appropriations act provision. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, called the move 'unprecedented' and an 'affront to the Constitution and Federal law.' 'This unlawful policy is a smokescreen to deny Member visits to ICE offices across the country, which are holding migrants – and sometimes even U.S. citizens – for days at a time. They are therefore detention facilities and are subject to oversight and inspection at any time. DHS pretending otherwise is simply their latest lie,' Thompson said in a statement. Previous DHS language for lawmaker visitations said 'ICE will comply with the law and accommodate Members seeking to visit/tour an ICE detention facility for the purpose of conducting oversight.' The recent memo now says the department 'will make every effort' to comply with the law and accommodate members, while listing circumstances like 'operational conditions, security posture, etc,' that could impact the time of entry. CNN has reached out to DHS for comment and further information. The recent changes come as Democratic lawmakers have had run-ins with law enforcement after showing up at the facilities as they push back against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted last week on federal charges alleging she impeded and interfered with immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center as McIver and other Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman, tried to visit the Newark facility last month. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested at the scene after attempting to join the three members of New Jersey's congressional delegation in entering the facility. He was charged with trespassing, which was later dropped. Other lawmakers have faced similar treatment in recent weeks while protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla was forcefully removed from a news conference in Los Angeles last week and coerced to the ground after attempting to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question. He interrupted Noem as she was giving remarks at the FBI headquarters in Los Angeles on the administration's response to the anti-ICE protests in the city. He was quickly removed from the room, brought to the ground by law enforcement, and placed in handcuffs during the rapidly unfolding incident. In another instance, New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested at Manhattan's immigration court on Tuesday after he tried to escort a migrant whom officers were attempting to arrest. Multiple videos showed the New York politician standing next to a man and locking arms with him as federal officers approached. The officers asked Lander to step aside so they could arrest the man, and when he and other bystanders tried to block the arrest, a scuffle broke out between them.
