JACKSON (AP) — Mississippi’s next State Health Officer is Dr. Daniel P. Edney, who will replace Dr. Thomas Dobbs on Aug. 1.
Dobbs is resigning from the post he’s held since 2018 at the end of July.
Edney currently holds the position of Deputy State Health Officer and has been with the department since February 2021. The Mississippi State Board of Health announced Edney’s promotion on Wednesday.
“Following in the footsteps of Dr. Dobbs, I, too, hope to serve as a catalyst for change – especially with infant and maternal mortality, the opioids battle plaguing the country right now, and moving the needle in preventive health and health equity issues,” Edney said in a news release.
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Dobbs said Edney has been a tremendous asset since he joined the health department, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Among his various contributions, Dr. Edney worked with various organizations and partnerships to explain COVID and answer questions. He has also worked with providers to sign them up to give COVID vaccine, and he fielded questions from providers about allergies and other complications related to the administration of the vaccine,” said Dobbs.
Edney is a former president of the Mississippi State Medical Association and currently serves as a board member on the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. He has also served as a fellow and laureate for the Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Physicians and a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
