LISTENING TOUR 2020

Jackson, Mississippi


The first stop on our National Listening Tour

What are the challenges specific to this community? How can physicians work to better understand their patients here? What hurdles do residents face when trying to access care? These are the questions we aimed to answer.

What We Uncovered

Our Site Report identifies barriers to medical care access and trust breakdowns between patients and caregivers, while our info sheet breaks down our stats and findings to help you easily digest the information “at-a-glance.”

Health care shouldn’t be a luxury or a profit-based decision.
-Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba

Mississippi has the lowest of physicians per capita of any state

Twenty-six pulmonologists are listed as practicing in Jackson, giving each doctor roughly 1,600 patients with chronic disease

Americans without insurance graph

Americans without insurance

The United Health Foundation ranked Mississippi as 49th among the states for overall health


Listening Tour in the News

Check out our latest media coverage

COVID-19 highlights lung health gaps in Jackson, but a group of chest doctors is listening 

Mississippi Today

Jackson is a microcosm of barriers to accessing care, but in the hub of the state’s medical system. If each of the 26 practicing pulmonologists in Jackson, the densest physician population in the state, took an even share of all the patients with lung conditions, they’d have more than 1,600 patients each. Too, 16% of residents are uninsured, so finding specialty care is not the only problem — it’s paying for it.


CHEST Foundation brings listening tour to Jackson, MS.

Jackson’s local NBC

Mississippi has one of the highest death rates in the country for lung disease and asthma. In a listening tour in Jackson, the CHEST Foundation brought together local doctors and community leaders to bring answers to those who need help.


Jackson, MS, first stop on virtual listening tour.

Clarion Ledger

“All of these patients, regardless of how the started their journey, have one commonality – they are disproportionately made up of our most vulnerable populations. In Jackson, we are fortunate to be part of a coast-to-coast search for answers.”

Jackson Listening Tour: Watch the Live Recording!


Erin Popovich Endowment

We’d like to thank the Erin Popovich Endowment for funding this initiative.

When enough people are talking, they can’t be ignored. Let’s break the silence together. DONATE TODAY »