JACKSON, Miss — Health Officer Thomas Dobbs announced Tuesday his resignation from the Mississippi State Department of Health.
According to the MS State Department of Health, Dobbs' resignation will be effective at the end of July.
Dobbs began his career at MSDH in 2008. He has held a number positions including District Health Officer, State Epidemiologist, and Deputy State Health Officer.
His specialty has been infectious disease treatment, serving in various roles related to that field, such as medical director for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, clinical consultant for the Southeastern National TB Center, and infectious disease consultant for several hospitals throughout Mississippi.
“I feel like the time is right for me to return to the clinical side of medicine, particularly the communicable disease treatment of patients,” said Dobbs. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at MSDH, particularly working with this dedicated health staff and advancing the field of health equity in Mississippi.”
Dobbs also said he would like to get back into the academic side of health. He has held faculty positions at colleges and universities throughout the Southeast, including at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Daniel P. Edney, MD, FACP, has been named Deputy State Health Officer. Edney is from Vicksburg, and graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical School with honors. He has served as Chief Medical Officer at MSDH for the past year and worked closely with Dobbs during COVID providing outreach and guidance to other physicians.