Dr. Eddy, a Department of Health official, told the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee that the department has closed a roughly $10,000,000 shortfall identified two years ago and is asking legislators to increase the state component of early-intervention funding by $2,000,000 to reach a combined $8,000,000 target this year.

The funding request is part of a broader briefing in which Dr. Eddy credited reorganization, improved billing and fee adjustments with increasing revenue and reducing federal dependency. "We have closed the $10,000,000 gap that I had shared with y'all 2 years ago," he said, and added that improved revenue cycles and a statute requiring private insurers to recognize the department as public-health providers now generate roughly $1,000,000 a year in additional revenue.

Why it matters: the department said the changes have allowed more county health departments and higher-level clinics to be open five days a week, increased patient access and freed state discretionary funds to address maternal and infant health, syphilis prevention and other priorities. Dr. Eddy told lawmakers the department reduced its reliance on federal funding from about 80% of its budget to roughly 70% through these measures.

Key program details and funding requests. Dr. Eddy described four spending “buckets” in the department’s appropriation: core agency operations ($24,700,000), named agency programs ($22,700,000), pass-throughs, and a separately administered trauma fund. He thanked the legislature for a $2,900,000 appropriation last year that the department used in part for maternal, infant and child health (about $1,200,000 was the largest component), including the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program and the emerging OB system of care. He said $200,000 supported the county health-department reorganization and about $600,000 for rebuilding the state health plan office.

Early intervention: Dr. Eddy said the state component for early intervention currently runs about $3,600,000 and the department needs roughly $8,000,000 to implement recommendations from a legislatively ordered task force. He asked the committee to raise the state component by $2,000,000 and said the department could match that with $2,000,000 of discretionary funds it expects to access through other legislation: "If you can raise the state component $2,000,000, that with what we can contribute, that'll get us to 8,000,000." He characterized the department’s offer as contingent on both the appropriation and the department’s internal matching authority.

Public-health operations and workforce. Dr. Eddy said the department increased clinician staffing—from 12 nurse practitioners when he took the post to 34 currently, with a goal of 40 as level-3 clinics expand—and credited improved fee schedules and billing for freeing about $2,000,000 in state general funds for redeployment. He said county support is mixed and that some small, low-population counties are costly to operate but still necessary for access.

Syphilis campaign and maternal health work. The department described an intensive syphilis awareness and test‑and‑treat campaign that uses billboards and partnerships with hospitals to increase screening in emergency departments. Dr. Eddy said he expects final 2024 data before stating costs saved but anticipates reductions in congenital syphilis. He also described Board of Health approval to develop an OB system of care to direct high‑risk perinatal patients to appropriate delivery levels and speed transfers when NICU care is needed.

Cannabis program and residencies. The department said the cannabis regulatory program has generated net revenue to the general fund (roughly $9,000,000 in combined excise and sales taxes, plus regulatory fees) and that the department is "fine with the appropriation as it is for yet another year." Separately, Dr. Eddy reported an unresolved $3,000,000 pass‑through to community‑based residency programs that was appropriated but not dispersed during a transition and asked the committee to clarify its intent for those funds.

Standards and facilities. Senators and committee members asked about building conditions; Dr. Eddy said many smaller counties required renovations to meet ADA and HIPAA standards and cited completed projects in Forrest County, Yazoo County and a renovation in Wilkinson County. He also noted two counties without a local health department presence (Benton County and Issaquena County) and said Federally Qualified Health Centers are filling gaps in some areas. On burn care, Dr. Eddy said Mississippi now has two designated in‑state burn centers but still relies on out‑of‑state centers for some pediatric and extensive burns because of statutory funding limits.

What the committee pressed for. Members asked for an inventory of county health facilities and more data on early intervention and childhood obesity. Dr. Eddy said the department’s annual report and an updated state health report card, released in the previous month, provide much of the underlying data.

Outlook. Dr. Eddy framed the $2,000,000 early‑intervention request as the committee’s key decision and characterized the remainder of his ask as level funding for core buckets and work to finalize the $3,000,000 residencies pass‑through. He said the department is preparing for possible federal cuts and is not asking the committee to backfill anticipated reductions this year.