Transaction Description:
DELTA HEALTH SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM - 116 WOODGREEN CROSSING MADISON, MISSISSIPPI 39110-4522 LANELLE WEEMS MSN, RN 601-368-3322 LWEEMS@MHANET.ORG WWW.MCQW.ORG REQUESTED FUNDS: $402,028 NEED SOUTH SUNFLOWER COUNTY HOSPITAL (SSCH) IS A 47-BED, NOT-FOR-PROFIT, SOLE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. HIGH CHRONIC DISEASE PREVALENCE PLAGUES COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SUNFLOWER COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI. THE RESULT IS THAT SUNFLOWER COUNTY RANKS AS ONE OF THE LEAST HEALTHY COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI, AS #71 OF 82 RANKED COUNTIES. WHILE MOST OF THE COUNTY IDENTIFIES AS ONLY BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN (77%), THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME DIFFERS BY $47,300 BETWEEN BLACK RESIDENTS ($26,500) AND WHITE RESIDENTS ($73,800). TO FULLY SERVE THE MOST MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SUNFLOWER COUNTY, MEANING THE LOW-INCOME BLACK RESIDENTS, SSCH STAFF CONDUCTED A COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT (CHNA) IN 2022. AN ONLINE COMMUNITY SURVEY (N=59) OFFERING INSIGHTS INTO THE HEALTH OF THE SUNFLOWER COUNTY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COUNTY’S RESIDENTS. RESPONDENTS IDENTIFIED ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY AND NOTED HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, DIABETES, AND OBESITY AS DISEASES OF CONCERN. MEANWHILE, ONE THIRD OF ALL RESPONDENTS NOTED CONCERN REGARDING RACISM WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY. WHILE SERVING RESIDENTS WITHIN THIS COMPLEX CONTEXT, SSCH HAS RECEIVED PRIOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AS PART OF THE 2018 COHORT OF HOSPITALS IN THE DELTA REGION COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (DRCHSD). THOSE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RECOMMENDATIONS LED TO IMPROVEMENTS AT SSCH IN THEIR FINANCES AND CLINICAL OPERATIONS AND TO ADDITIONS IN SERVICE LINES NEEDED TO ADDRESS LOCAL COMMUNITY HEALTH CONCERNS. OF THE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED AT SSCH, NONE TO DATE ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF HIGH NURSE TURNOVER AND HIGH NURSE VACANCY RATES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE WORKFORCE CONCERNS FACED BROADLY THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. RESPONSE SSCH REQUIRES SUPPORT IN TRAINING AND RETAINING QUALIFIED NURSING STAFF. NURSE RETENTION CAN IMPROVE QUALITY OF CARE AND COMMUNITY TRUST IN THE LOCAL HEALTH SYSTEM. HOWEVER, FINANCING NURSE STUDENT EXTERNSHIPS CAN BE COST PROHIBITIVE FOR A SMALL, RURAL HOSPITAL WITH A TIGHT OPERATING BUDGET. THUS , THE MS EARN PILOT PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE PAID, THREE-SEMESTER LONG EXTERNSHIPS TO ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING STUDENTS MATCHED WITH SSCH OVER THE 2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR. THE PROPOSED PROJECT BUILDS UPON THE CURRENT MS SUMMER STUDENT EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM BY OFFERING A LONGER PERIOD OF TRAINING WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTERN AND HOSPITAL STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REGARDING HEALTH EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. IMPACT IN THE SHORT TERM, THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF NURSES PRESENT AT SSCH, EQUIP STAFF, INCLUDING NURSE EXTERNS, TO WORK EFFECTIVELY ACROSS DIVERSITY IN RACE AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND, PROVIDE NURSE EXTERNS WITH VALUABLE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR NCLEX LICENSING EXAM, AND ENABLE MORE EFFICIENT PATIENT DISCHARGE AND BED TURNOVER. THESE CHANGES WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT THE HOSPITAL IN TERMS OF STAFF TURNOVER AND BURNOUT, WHILE IMPROVING CARE AVAILABLE TO THE UNDERSERVED, BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION OF SUNFLOWER COUNTY. IN THE LONG TERM, THIS PROJECT WILL BE USED AS MODEL THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI TO IMPROVE NURSE STUDENT EXTERNSHIP TRAINING IN TERMS OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE AND EQUITABLE PATIENT ADVOCACY. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA WILL BE COLLECTED VIA SURVEYS, INTERVIEWS, AND FOCUS GROUPS TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE MS EARN PILOT PROGRAM ON METRICS RELATED TO HOSPITAL QUALITY OF CARE AND EMPLOYABILITY OF PARTICIPATING EXTERNS. ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION MISSISSIPPI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION’S HEALTH, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC. HAS BEEN MANAGING THE CURRENT MS SUMMER STUDENT EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION, AND THEIR ALREADY EXISTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SSCH ENABLES MHA-F TO EASILY ACT AS PI OF THE PROPOSED MS EARN PROGRAM.
