MSDH Appoints New Physician Workforce Director

Jackson, Miss. — The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has appointed Dr. Richard Calderone to be the Director of the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce (OMPW). OMPW is housed in the Mississippi Center for Rural Health and Population Studies, which develops strategies to attract, educate and sustain a well-trained and appropriately distributed physician workforce throughout the state.

“Dr. Calderone brings a wealth of public health expertise to this office,” said Dr. Dan Edney, MSDH Executive Director and State Health Officer. “He understands the dire need for physicians in rural Mississippi. We’ve made some progress from being 50th in the nation for primary care physicians, to 44th. But we still have much work to do, and I am excited to see what OMPW can achieve under his leadership.”

Calderone, a native of Slidell, Louisiana, is a graduate of the inaugural class of the William Carey University (WCU) College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed residency training in the combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), followed by a Preventive Medicine residency through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University and two master’s degrees: in biomedical sciences from WCU, and in public health from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Calderone was most recently a core faculty member for the Forrest General Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program, while also serving as Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Chair of Internal Medicine at WCU. He is president of the Mississippi Osteopathic Medical Association and immediate past president of the South Mississippi Medical Society.

“I will serve our state by working with institutions and individuals to promote high quality medical training, and work to retain physicians to care for Mississippians,” Calderone said. “There is an amazing team of professionals in the Center for Rural Health and Population Studies, and it is a unique opportunity to learn from them and support their continued efforts in various federal and state initiatives. I am most looking forward to collaborating with leaders from around the state to help implement Dr. Edney’s vision for achieving a healthier Mississippi.”