Never has the critical role of Mississippi physicians in the state’s public health been more clear than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the CDC and the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) have key leadership roles in guiding and managing key aspects of the response, the physician role is the most critical in saving lives, helping us to navigate the deadliest event in our country’s history. Mississippi physicians were the critical players in managing an overwhelmed health system, often putting themselves in clear danger, especially early in the pandemic when PPE was scarcely available, and the transmission dynamics of the virus were poorly defined. In addition to the lives saved during the heroic responses to hospitalization surges, many more deaths were averted due to the vaccination efforts of our state’s physicians and the broad utilization of monoclonal antibodies, especially during the Delta wave. Mississippi was a clear leader in the use of monoclonal antibodies, with hundreds of lives saved and thousands of hospitalizations averted.
One of the most trusted roles of Mississippi physicians is as an educator and trusted advisor for our patients. Numerous surveys in Mississippi have demonstrated that a person’s personal physician is the most trusted source of health information. In an era of rampant misinformation easily amplified through social media, reasoned physician counseling appears to be a singularly effective antidote. Physician guidance extends beyond the exam room. Throughout the pandemic physician leadership was crucial in guiding the state’s response. The governor’s medical advisory committee was a key factor helping to drive a science-based response to the pandemic. And physician leadership, especially through MSMA with the support of African American health leaders, helped Mississippi overcome an early health disparity gap for black Mississippians.
To that end the public health in Mississippi will continue to depend on physicians to lead the way. Numerous threats, both familiar and novel, will continue to threaten our collective wellbeing. As public health leaders, we will endeavor to keep Mississippi physicians empowered and informed with the most relevant and timely information. The recent identification of idiopathic fatal hepatitis in children is a clear demonstration of the necessity of the public health / physician partnership. As the public health experts in Mississippi, the department of health communicates updates and guidance on these emerging threats. The state is absolutely dependent on Mississippi physicians to maintain a full and complete awareness of these threats so that we can collectively respond in a manner that gives us complete epidemiological awareness, prevents illness, and saves lives. The CDC and MSDH will continue to provide physicians with the most timely information possible. As the state’s front line of public health intervention, I would encourage all Mississippi physicians to continue maintaining full awareness of our state’s health threats. CDC, through the MMWR, and MSDH through Health Alert Network (HAN) Messages, are excellent ways to maintain ongoing situational awareness. If these are not in your normal network of medical updates – please visit these websites to enroll.
MMWR - https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsubscribe.html
MSDH HAN - healthyms.com/mshan