Vice chancellor receives presidential honor; assistant vc captures research award

Published on Monday, November 2, 2020

MPHA honors UMMC leader with presidential award

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs, and Dr. Thomas Dobbs, state health officer, are winners of the 2020 President’s Circle Award bestowed by the Mississippi Public Health Association.

The awards were presented at MPHA’s annual conference Oct. 20-22.

The association counts as members public health advocates and professionals from across the state who are committed to keeping Mississippi healthy and safe.

The President’s Circle Award is given for outstanding teaching, research, service or outreach in public health in recognition of contributions to the field in Mississippi’s universities or colleges, state agencies, community-based nonprofits, faith-based organizations, businesses or other entities.

“I think it goes without saying what their individual and combined impact has been on public health in Mississippi during 2020,” said Dr. Catherine Moring, MPHA president, of Woodward and Dobbs in a news release. “We are confident that Mississippians are in good hands under the leadership of these two fine doctors.”

An active affiliate of the American Public Health Association, MPHA works to maintain state and local funding for essential health programs and to provide an adequate and well-trained public health workforce. The association promotes activities, programs and policies that address chronic and infectious diseases and work to develop healthy Mississippi communities.

Dobbs, state health officer with the Mississippi State Department of Health since 2018, is an associate professor in UMMC’s John. D. Bower School of Population Health.

Assistant vice chancellor earns ACEP research award

Dr. Alan Jones, UMMC professor of medicine and assistant vice chancellor for clinical affairs, has received the Outstanding Contribution in Research Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Jones, former chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, was one of several honorees recognized at ACEP’s annual conference presented virtually Oct. 26-29. His research has focused on the emergency treatment of sepsis.

ACEP represents more than 38,000 emergency physicians, emergency medicine residents and medical students.

“It’s an honor to represent those individuals and to know that the work you’ve attempted to spearhead on behalf of patient care has been recognized,” Jones said. “I’m grateful to be chosen from among my peers.

“My thanks really goes to the patients who enrolled in the studies and offered their trust, and to my colleagues in research. It’s a team effort. The award is really given to a collective. I just happened to be named.”

Throughout his career, Jones has earned numerous other tributes, including the 2020 SEC Faculty Achievement Award in recognition of an outstanding record in research and scholarship among faculty from Southeastern Conference-member universities.

Jones succeeded Dr. Richard Summers as department chair before Jones’ appointment as assistant vice chancellor for clinical affairs.

“This is a very prestigious award from the largest society for emergency physicians in the country,” said Summers, UMMC associate vice chancellor for research and the Billy S. Guyton Professor of Emergency Medicine, who nominated Jones for the ACEP honor. “There is only one award each year in this category, so this is a very elite group of researchers in emergency medicine.

“This is great recognition for UMMC.”