What We Do

Mississippi is a state that has had a long, sad history with health outcomes. The confluence of historical racial and economic baggage, indifferent and sometimes hostile leadership, and long-standing, suffocating poverty has created a seemingly untenable environment for change.  Mississippi ranks last, or close to last, in almost every leading health outcome.  In Mississippi and nationwide, these health disparities are significantly worse for those who have systematically faced obstacles to health due to their socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, geographic location, and other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion.

 

Compared to Mississippi’s white population, the state’s black population has the highest mortality rate due to: heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, renal disease, cancer, and homicide. Black Mississippians also have the highest infant mortality rate. This population has the higher prevalence of obesity, the highest prevalence of adults with permanent teeth extractions, and the highest teenage pregnancy rate. Mississippi’s black population also has the highest total invasive cancer incidence as well as the highest HIV incidence rate.

 

Those with no high school education had the highest prevalence of: coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, high cholesterol, diabetes, current asthma, those having any permanent teeth extracted, and current smokers.

 

Those earning less than $15,000 in annual household income had the highest prevalence of: coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, current asthma, lifetime asthma, permanent teeth extractions, and current smokers.

 

MAGnet-HCCN’s commitment to addressing health disparities is reflected in the fact that 51 percent of the patients served are at or below 100% of FPL and 95% are below 200 % of the poverty level.  Most of the health centers’ racial and ethnic minority population is over 93%. MAGnet-HCCN members have proactive multi-disciplinary teams of health professionals and various interventions and initiatives to address health disparities and health equity.

 

MAGnet-HCCN members will focus on implementation of the National Institutes of Health: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes “With Every Heartbeat Is Life” community-based, social outreach program to impact vulnerable minority patients and to decrease the occurrence of racial health disparity in the service areas. WEHBIL is a preventative tool that recognizes education as the primary missing link between non-compliance and compliance with health guidelines regarding chronic disease patients. MAGnet-HCCN Coalition is currently monitoring patients across the state with chronic illnesses.   In 2020, during the pandemic, the five partners of MAGnet-HCCN served a combined total of 108,316 unique patients.  This number represents only a 10% decrease from the 2019 reporting year of 119,110.  

 

Reports that 80% of all chronic diseases can be prevented; however, many patients with chronic diseases lack the adequate resources and education to effectively monitor their chronic disease. This curriculum is designed to teach patients how to perform clinical self-assessment skills, such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring; basic nutritional information, healthy alternatives to cultural traditional meals, and will connect patients with a consistent reliable health resource to answer all questions and address all concerns regarding substance and alcohol abuse. WEHBIL will focus on addressing the social determinants of health and behavioral/lifestyle changes as follows:

 

• Obesity

• Hypertension

• Coronary Heart Disease

• Diabetes

• High Cholesterol

• Behavioral Health