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Vicksburg, MS, April 7th, 2025 – Merit Health River Region provided care to thousands of area residents in 2024, with 236,000 patient encounters across its network of physician clinics and other outpatient sites of care. In addition to delivering safe, quality, compassionate healthcare, the health system is helping those in need, supporting charitable organizations and contributing to the area economy. In its most recent Community Benefit Report, Merit Health River Region’s impact totaled an estimated $... ... Read More

Vicksburg, MS, April 2, 2025 – Merit Health River Region, in a commendable effort to combat hunger, has culminated its Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive by collecting a record 1,339 jars of peanut butter for the Storehouse Community Food Pantry. The annual drive, now in its second year, saw an impressive increase from last year's collection of 1,159 jars. With a food insecurity rate of 17% in Vicksburg, Warren County, the initiative aims to support the community's food needs with peanut butter, a nutriti... ... Read More

Vicksburg, MS – Merit Health River Region, in honor of its dedicated medical staff members, is celebrating National Doctors' Day by donating $6,000 to Haven House Family Shelter. This significant donation underlines the hospital's commitment not just to their patients, but also to the wider community. National Doctors’ Day, celebrated annually on March 30, is a day to appreciate the immense contributions of doctors and medical staff in caring for patients and their communities. This year, Merit Health R... ... Read More

Early Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer Gives Best Chance of Survival Vicksburg, MS – The American College of Radiology now recommends women who are at average risk for breast cancer get screening mammograms annually starting at age 40 for women of average risk. The recommendations are in response to the increase in breast cancer diagnoses in younger women and high mortality rates in Black women. Here in Mississippi, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women – at more than d... ... Read More

Vicksburg, MS – Merit Health River Region kicked off its annual Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive benefitting StoreHouse Community Food Pantry and is inviting community members to participate in this effort to fight hunger in the local area. Peanut butter is a sought after item for food banks because of its high nutritional value and long shelf life. Yet, it is one of the least donated items. The Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive kicks off on March 3rd and will run through March 24th. “Merit Health River ... ... Read More

Vicksburg, MS – The midpoint of the year is a good time to review health insurance policies to ensure you will get the most out of plan benefits, especially if you have already met the annual deductible. Many insurance plans will cover most, if not all, costs for eligible medical procedures and treatments once an individual meets the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, making the second half of the year an opportune time to schedule any necessary or elective medical procedures that may have been postp... ... Read More

Delivers essential medical services and broad impact to the larger community Vicksburg, MS – Over the course of 2023, Merit Health River Region played a vital role in helping people get well and live healthier at more than 211,000 patient encounters across its hospital, Merit Health Medical Group physician clinics and other outpatient sites of care. The essential nature of services Merit Health River Region provides was particularly clear in the aftermath of March’s tornado that affected Rolling Fork, M... ... Read More

Vicksburg, MS (Feb 28th, 2024) – Merit Health River Region invites community members to join the Merit Health River Region’s efforts to fight hunger by participating in the second annual Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive benefitting STOREHOUSE Community Food Pantry. Peanut butter is a sought after item for food banks because of its high nutritional value and long shelf life. Yet, it is one of the least donated items. The Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive kicks off on March 4 and will run through March 22.... ... Read More

Vicksburg, MS Jan 25, 2024 – It’s a leap year, and that means we all can look forward to an extra day in February – an extra day to enjoy life, be well, and pursue the things that make us happy. And, while an extra day is nice, what if you could add more years to your life? Caring for your heart is one of the best ways to increase longevity. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, responsible for one in five adult deaths in the U.S each year. The CDC (Centers for Disease Con... ... Read More

People who live in rural communities live an average of three years fewer than urban counterparts and have a 40% higher likelihood of developing heart disease and face a 30% increased risk for stroke mortality — a gap that has grown over the past two decades. Merit Health River Region is committed to changing that. For efforts to optimize stroke care and eliminate rural health care outcome disparities, Merit Health River Region has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Str... ... Read More