People are dying earlier and facing more severe health issues in many rural communities Some Appalachian and Mississippi Delta communities have been designated ‘medically-underserved’ for decades Bridging the Great Health Divide: Communities work to combat disparities in Appalachia and the Delta By Jill Riepenhoff, Daniela Molina, Jamie Grey, and Lee Zurik | March 8, 2021 at 8:12 AM EST - Updated March 10 at 12:00 AM Para leer esta historia en español, haga clic aquí. INDIANOLA, Ms (Great Health Divide) - In Issaquena County, Mississippi nearly a quarter of all babies born here weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds. The county doesn’t have a single doctor.