VIDALIA — The Miss-Lou Regional Health Care Committee Luncheon Thursday afternoon brought residents from both sides of the river together to discuss efforts to bring more physicians to the area.

Committee Chair Sarah Smith and guest speaker Dr. Hendrik Kuiper both spoke on ways to improve the health care in the Miss-Lou.

“We want to pinpoint concrete actions we can take to better the health care industry,” Smith said. “We need quality health care, and we have ways in which we can improve it.”

Smith said the committee wants to focus on keeping local residents at home for care

“We need to get the word out that we have quality health care here,” she said. “We need to let people know what kind of specialists we have in the area.”

Kuiper said he estimates that from Medicare patients alone leaving the area, the Miss-Lou is losing approximately $20 million a year.

“When you include private practices with the Medicare it is at least $50 million,” he said. “I think that is a conservative figure. It is probably closer to $75-80 million.”

Smith said working to get a larger variety of specialists in the area is another focus.

“The hospitals are busy recruiting new physicians to the area,” she said.

Smith said the committee is also working on pinpointing area high school students who may go into the medical field.

“We need to work on keeping these students here and working in the area,” she said.

Kuiper said developing younger physicians is key to sustaining quality health care.

“Innovative things like scholarships may bring young men and women to the area who are in the medical field,” he said. “You need younger people to fill in the jobs who can make this their home for the duration of their medical services.”

Kuiper said bringing more quality health care to the area would benefit the patients amd the area health care providers.

“Patients won’t have to travel for health care and the providers will make more money in the area,” he said.

The community will also benefit in multiple ways, Kuiper said.

“Patients’ relatives will be able to stay with them and be closer,” he said. “There will be a large infusion of health care dollars in the area. The money is not coming from the outside, and it will circulate throughout the community.”

Smith said collaboration between the entire area is still going to be the key component to improving the area’s health care.

“We need to work on physician referrals, and make sure they are consulting with each other on issues,” she said. “We can accomplish more if we work together.”

Kuiper said his first year of living in Natchez has made him certain the Miss-Lou will come together to complete their goals.

“Although the community has gone through some hard times over the past few years, the community has a lot going for it,” he said. “The community spirit is good, and that translates into the hospitals I work at.”

Kuiper said to remember that the only divider of Miss-Lou residents is the Mississippi River.

“The communities are linked to each other,” he said. “As one prospers, so does the other.”