Health, Dignity, and Hope: Why Preventive Care Matters

For many in DeSoto County, health care is not a given—it’s a luxury. More than 11,000 of our neighbors are considered the working uninsured. They are parents, caregivers, and employees who contribute to our community every day, but who cannot afford health insurance.

This lack of access has far-reaching effects. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, uninsured adults are far less likely to receive preventive services such as cancer screenings, diabetes checks, or blood pressure monitoring. Children without insurance also miss out on critical preventive care, including immunizations and well-child visits. Left unaddressed, these gaps can lead to worsening illness, loss of income, infant mortality and exacerbated cycles of poverty that are hard to escape.

At Trinity Health Center (the healthcare pillar of the DeSoto County Dream Center), we believe there’s a better way. Preventative care is not just about detecting disease early—it’s about offering dignity, education, and hope. Nurse practitioner Pam shared: “Preventative health is the key to long-term health and wellness. But if people don’t have health insurance, they just see the dollar signs attached for regular checkups and screenings.” 

One of Trinity’s patients, we’ll call Richard, experienced this firsthand. Richard didn’t have insurance, or a primary health practitioner, and when he went to the Emergency Room for a hand injury, the doctors told him to follow up with a doctor because he had an elevated blood pressure. He found Trinity Health Center, and after determining a family medical history, the nurse did a full lab work up, determined he had Diabetes as well as high blood pressure, and the Trinity team were able to establish a plan of care for Richard all in the same appointment. 

“As most young adults do, [Richard] thought he was healthy and didn’t need preventative care,” said Nurse Practitioner Pam. Mississippi as a whole has some of the highest chronic disease rates in the nation, including high rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Poverty and illness go hand-in-hand.

Richard’s story is not unique—many Trinity patients come through our doors having gone years without care. But each story reminds us that prevention saves lives, stabilizes families, and strengthens our community.”When we’re able to prevent patients getting to the point of needing medication, then we have the opportunity to provide education to help promote healthy lifestyle changes, and really make a difference,” said Nurse Practitioner Pam.

That is why Trinity Health Center exists: to provide quality, compassionate, relational healthcare to those who otherwise would go without. But we cannot do this alone.Together, we can break the cycle of untreated illness and poverty. Together, we can bring hope and healing. Learn more about opportunities to get involved on our website.