MS HB114

Establishes the Mississippi Rural Hospital Transition and Improvement Grant Program administered by the State Department of Health to award grants to rural hospitals for implementing plans that increase access to health care and improve hospital sustainability.

Defines eligible "Mississippi rural hospitals" as nonfederal general acute care hospitals with 50 or fewer short-term acute beds in counties with populations under 60,000 or municipalities under 7,500, or hospitals designated as critical access hospitals under federal regulations.

Permits grant funds to be used for modifying services, developing hospital-based physician practices, establishing telemedicine or electronic health records systems, and becoming critical access hospitals, but prohibits using grants to supplant federal funds or pay existing debt.

Limits total grants to $10,000,000 per state fiscal year with a maximum of $500,000 per hospital per fiscal year, and establishes an advisory council comprising department employees, hospital association representatives, rural hospital representatives, and physicians to review grant awards.

Creates a special Mississippi Rural Hospital Transition and Improvement Grant Program Fund in the state treasury and authorizes the department to use up to $60,000 annually for program administration; grant awards expire July 1, 2018.