As news of a possible swine flu pandemic swirled around the globe in late April, State Health Officer Dr. Ed Thompson emerged to tell Mississippians the virus could not be stopped, only curtailed. He explained that of the three common flu strains – two type A's and one type B – the swine flu is a never-before-seen type A.

 

At press time Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas showed sporadic cases, while Tennessee and Alabama had more regional reports of the virus. Cases in the United States appear less deadly than originally seen in Mexico.

 

After little more than a week of public health frenzy and media hype, with World Health Organization having declared the outbreak as only a step from pandemic level, State Board of Health Chairman Dr. Luke Lampton commended Thompson: His "leadership's been critical, focusing on the significant public health issues facing the state.

 

"When the swine flu broke out in the United States, Dr. Thompson placed the Department on 'emergency mode,' which included daily meetings, setting missions and goals, and reviewing problems at the local level. I participated in several of these meetings and was thoroughly impressed with the Department's readiness."

 

Personal illness prevented the State Health Officer's participation in the April quarterly Board of Health meeting, but he rallied to conduct press briefings about swine flu late in the month. State Epidemiologist Dr. Mary Currier as Deputy State Health Officer for Medicine and Science presented Thompson's report at the Board meeting.

 

A meeting highlight was the presentation to Elizabeth H. Barr, widow of a former public health worker, a "Resolution Commemorating The Life And Public Health Service Of John Ray Barr." In 1979, after an illustrious military career, Barr began a new career of public service to the State of Mississippi as director of the Mississippi Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Until his retirement in 1997, Barr led Mississippi WIC to national recognition for initiating a bidding process that allowed service to more eligible individuals, per capita, at less cost than any other state; his work made Mississippi the model for excellence nationwide. He died in June 2008 after a courageous battle against cancer.

 

In October 2008, the Board resolved "to honor the life, service, and leadership of this extraordinary public health servant and incorporate this memorial tribute to become a part of the official minutes of this meeting of the Board and that this tribute be communicated to the consumer public and a copy of same provided to his survivors."

 

Presenting the Resolution, Lampton said, "John Ray Barr made a significant contribution not only to the Department of Health but also to the health of all Mississippians. Like Barr, the unsung heroes who have worked at the Department of Health over the years serve the people of the state and save lives every day through their important work. We need to remember them with appreciation. They are true public health heroes."

 

He added that such service remains necessary.

 

"A vigorous public health approach to issues is always essential," Lampton said. "The difficult nature of public health work will keep it from ever being 'perfect' or let it reach a time where the Department can rest. Our Board's goal has been, in the words of past State Health Officer Dr. Waller Leathers, 'to make the department creditable, efficient, and scientific.' Dr. Alton Cobb, one of my public health heroes, shared this phrase with me, and this mission directed the Department under Leathers, Underwood, Cobb, and Thompson.

 

"For the Department to succeed, we must remain focused on that charge," Dr. Lampton emphasized. "I try as chairman to remember the public health vision of such past leaders as Dr. Underwood and Dr. Cobb. Times have changed, problems are different; and a vigorous public health approach to issues remains essential."

 

Because Board member Dr. Kelly Segars moved and all agreed during new business at the April meeting that the group re-elect current officers to serve another year, Lampton will retain the chairman's seat. Dr. Alfred McNair, Jr., will continue as vice chairman.

 

"This Board has been committed to transparency and eliminating conflicts of interest in Board decision-making," Lampton said afterwards. "Those watching the Board will continue to see member recuse themselves from matters coming before it to eliminate such conflicts."

 

Beyond Lampton, McNair, and Segars, all physicians, current Board members are Elayne Hayes-Anthony, PhD; Albert Randel Hendrix, PhD; J. Edward Hill, MD; Carl Nicholson, Jr., CPA; Sammie Ruth Rea, RN; Ronald W. Robertson, Sr.; David C. Williams, MD; and Ellen Williams, RN. Only Hendrix was absent from the April meeting. Hill, McNair, Rea, and Segars face term expirations June 30, 2009.

 

"The problems with the previous Board (1990's-2006) involved a lack of scientific leadership and also a disregard for conflicts of interest," Lampton summarized. "Hopefully the (2007) legislation which increased the percentage of physicians on the Board and required that the Board chair be a physician will ensure scientific leadership for the Department. This is essential and should not be forgotten by future generations."

 

The reconstituted Board at its first meeting in July 2007 brought Thompson back as interim State Health Officer; he had served 10 years as state epidemiologist and nearly another 10 as State Health Officer before retiring and taking a top-tier position at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In December 2007, the Board named him to the permanent position.

 

Lampton said one of the most important accomplishments is creation of "a rolling strategic plan. The Board has made progress on and accomplished many of the goals we set. Among those were for this Department to increase its efforts in battling chronic diseases which plague this state and are preventable; getting the new public health laboratory constructed – we broke ground on February 12; revising the Certificate of Need (CON) process by making it more dynamic and modern; fully staffing the Department; better communication to the public and physicians throughout the state; improving health indicators; improved readiness in disasters; and partnering with the Department of Education on prevention and a coordinated school health education program.

 

"Prevention, both primary and secondary, of such things as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and breast, colon, and cervical cancer will all continue to be of prime importance to this Board," he affirmed.

 

Board members met a year ago for their first strategic planning retreat and talked this April about another retreat this fall to revisit the previous plan and "set new goals since many of the 2008 goals have been met," Lampton said. "This Board is not in the business of micromanagement, but we must set goals for the Department and strive to accomplish them; then, once goals are accomplished, we must go back and set other goals. The strategic plan for the Board and Department must be a vital and evolving process which holds us accountable and also allows for new planning."

 

Two initiatives continuing this summer involve "serious review and overhaul of the state's CON process – refocusing priority on access to care and public health, which long ago should have been directing CON – and improving health measures, nutrition, and preventive health education in our school system.

 

In a joint meeting in mid-January, both the Board of Health and the State Board of Education "vigorously discussed the importance of preventive health and health education for the state's school children." Lampton said. "We decided to form a joint subcommittee of the Boards to focus on prevention and public health."