Delta Health Alliance broke ground on $10M MS Delta Cares Center
Courtesy Dominique Cheeks/Delta Health Alliance –
From left: State Rep. Willie Bailey, Bill Kennedy, USDA Rural Development state director Dane Maxwell, Delta Health Alliance CEO Dr. Karen Matthews, Lamar Liddell, Myrtis Tabb and Joyce McNair.
Delta Health Alliance recently broke ground on a $10 million, USDA-funded expansion of Leland Medical Clinic that will establish the Mississippi Delta Cares Center, a facility that will house occupational, physical and speech therapy along with dentistry. The ceremony took place at 201 Baker Blvd. in Leland.
Hilary Meier, vice president of health, said the center is expected to employ about eight people at launch, with additional hires as services expand, and is planned to open around late May 2026. Dental care — now offered twice a month by a visiting dentist — will move to a more consistent schedule staffed by two dental hygienists and a dentist when the building opens. Initial hires also include a respiratory therapist in addition to occupational, physical and speech therapy staff.
Many Stoneville-based USDA employees and their families currently travel to Cleveland or Greenwood for therapy and dental care; the new center is expected to shift that care closer to home. The center will accept the dental coverage carried by Stoneville-area staff and families in addition to their basic major medical plans. Leland Medical Clinic accepts Aetna, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, TRICARE East, Medicaid, Medicare and UnitedHealthcare, among others.
Access and affordability remain central to the clinic’s model, DHA said. A sliding-fee scale is available for eligible patients, with fees starting as low as $3 and income thresholds of about $31,000 for an individual or $53,000 for a family of three, making care accessible to uninsured and underinsured patients. The clinic also provides free transportation for patients within about a 45-minute radius, a service that will extend to the new center. In addition, Leland Medical Clinic offers Good Faith Estimates upon request: patients may request an estimate at the front desk at least three days before an appointment to see expected charges based on the information provided; estimates may change if additional issues are addressed during the visit. Good Faith Estimates are available to uninsured patients and to insured patients who choose not to submit a claim for specific services.
Local officials joined the ceremonial groundbreaking, including state Rep. Willie Bailey, Bill Kennedy, Lamar Liddell, Myrtis Tabb and Joyce McNair. USDA Rural Development state director Dane Maxwell served as keynote speaker, following remarks by Delta Health Alliance CEO Dr. Karen Matthews and Mr. Bill Kennedy, Chairman of the Board. In his remarks, Maxwell said his office is prioritizing support for rural Mississippi communities like Leland in health care, core infrastructure and broadband expansion and he encouraged local leaders to pursue upcoming state and federal resources.
“This expansion will allow us to meet critical rehabilitative and dental needs right here in our community, helping residents recover, strengthen and thrive without having to travel far for services,” said Dr. Karen Matthews, CEO of Delta Health Alliance.
The new facility builds on services offered at Leland Medical Clinic, which has served the region since 2013 as a comprehensive, patient-centered medical home. For Leland, it’s more than a building: it puts physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as dentistry, within reach. It’s also workforce infrastructure — a $10 million investment that helps Leland compete for Stoneville talent and also keep generational families here; and for many who’ve never had the chance, it may open the door to a first dental visit close to home.
