edney: the mississippi delta is the canary in the coal mine. stephani dr.edney is mississippi's top health officer and a practicing physician for more than 30 years in the state. dr. edney: you have to understand, in mississippi, poverty drives most everything. and with poverty comes obesity, because there are fewer choices for healthy food, and there are fewer opportunities for exercise and increased activity. obesity drives diabetes, which drives -- in coordination with hypertension, drives heart disee and stroke. overlaying all of that is access to care. stephanie: access that edney says is made more limited by the fact that mississippis one of 11 states that has not expanded medicaid, a change that has been resisted by republican leaders in the state. dr. edney: it's not my role to advocate one way or the other, but i point out where the resoces are. and, in 2023, part of federal funding of health care is the affordable care act. it just is. and we have a very big danger in mississippi, especially in mississippi delta, of hospitals closing or downgradin