Health care officials from Mississippi and Alabama are teaming up for a common cause.

This week they are joining health care providers from three other states to learn about quality health care.

The two-day conference is being sponsored by the Mississippi Association for Quality Healthcare. Recently, a similar association in Alabama dissolved.

"That is one of the reasons we chose Meridian for this conference, to show that we are now unifying and trying to take in the state of Alabama, as well as our base group in Mississippi," said John Pace, president-elect of MAHQ.

Health care workers from Florida, Arkansas and Texas are also participating in the conference at the MSU Riley Center.