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Physician leader sounds public health alarm

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - 3/6/2017

March 06--TUPELO -- Chronic budget cuts are threatening Mississippi's public health infrastructure, warns a leading Mississippi physician.

Mississippi State Medical Association president Dr. Lee Voulters said he and other physicians are alarmed at the proposed budget cuts for the Mississippi State Department of Health.

"We're one disaster away from disaster. The results could be catastrophic if we don't have a department of health that can respond," said Voulters, who was visiting Tupelo Thursday and Friday to meet with the Northeast Medical Society and speak at the Tupelo Kiwanis Club.

Much of the work of the health department is invisible because people take it for granted that they can eat in a restaurant without concern for food safety or drink the water that comes from the faucet, Voulters said.

"Our citizens are threatened if our department of health can't function the way it needs to," the Gulfport neurologist said.

Like other state agencies, the Mississippi State Department of Health has been hit with a series of three budget cuts as state revenue collections have lagged for the current 2017 fiscal year. Additionally, changes in state accounting practices have shifted revenue from fees that used to come directly to the agency to the state's general fund.

Voulters and his fellow physicians are concerned that the budget cuts to the current fiscal year budget and cuts proposed by the fiscal year 2018 budget will impact the agencies ability to respond to emerging disease threats like the Zika virus. Diseases like tuberculosis and syphilis are largely contained, but could reemerge as broader threats if the health department doesn't have the resources to closely monitor existing cases, Voulters said.

Voulters is asking citizens to advocate for the department, to make sure public health services are sustained.

Economic drivers

During his trip to Tupelo, Voulters also focused on the contributions of physicians that go beyond health care services. Doctors help drive local economies as well, he said.

"It's probably more significant than people realize," Voulters said.

For each physician in a community, there are typically nine people employed to support the practice. The annual payroll is about $750,000. With local and state taxes, each practice is contributing about $45,000 in tax revenue.

"The economic output is close to $2 million," Voulters said.

There's plenty of room to grow Mississippi's physician work force. The state has the lowest density of physicians in the country.

"If you want to improve the economy of community, buy a building and persuade a physician to open a practice," Voulters said.

michaela.morris@journalinc.com

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(c)2017 the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, Miss.)

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