08/10/2026
An Incredible Summer of Service, Mentorship & Hope
What a summer.
One of the greatest privileges of doing this work in the Mississippi Delta is opening our doors to the next generation of physicians, leaders, advocates, and what I like to call “hope dealers.”
This summer, we had the honor of hosting first-year students from the Duke University–UNC Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, including several interested in pursuing medicine. They came to the Delta after learning about our mission to confront health disparities and reduce preventable amputations—and they wanted to see the work firsthand and find ways to become part of it.
And they were not alone.
We welcomed William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine students, students from Bayou Academy in Cleveland, and a high school student from Eastern Regional high school in New Jersey who had the opportunity to experience another side of healthcare and business management: advocacy and public policy, attending the Congressional Black Caucus policy conference in Tunica and learning alongside Congressman Bennie G. Thompson about how policy decisions can directly impact the health of communities.
And it is always special to fellowship with the undergraduate Omega Psi Phi Brothers at Delta State University and encourage them to keep leading and serving.
These young people didn’t simply hear about health disparities in a classroom. They came to where those disparities are lived. They shadowed in clinic, observed procedures, attended meetings, saw research and community engagement in action, and learned how advocacy and public policy can change outcomes far beyond the walls of a hospital.
That matters.
Because the future of medicine isn’t only about producing great clinicians. We need physicians, policymakers, scientists, and community leaders who understand that where someone lives should never determine whether they get to keep their leg—or their life.
To every parent, teacher, mentor, professor, coach, and role model who poured into these young people: thank you. You are helping raise a generation that understands a fundamental truth:
Leadership is not about titles. Leadership is about service.
Fittingly, this incredible summer culminated with my receiving the Mississippi State Medical Association Excellence in Community Service Award. I accept it not simply as an individual recognition, but as affirmation of an extraordinary team, community, and movement committed to changing health outcomes across the Mississippi Delta.
At the MSMA House of Delegates, it was equally encouraging to connect with representatives from UMMC and William Carey, alongside physicians from across Mississippi working to shape policy and strengthen the future of healthcare in our state.
There is a powerful continuum to this work:
Expose them. Mentor them. Serve together. Develop leaders. Influence policy. Change outcomes.
The Delta has tremendous challenges—but it also has tremendous promise.
These young people are our future hope dealers.
And after watching them serve, ask questions, learn, and imagine what is possible this summer, I am more hopeful than ever.
