Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Under the leadership of a new executive director—longtime physician Dr. Katrina Poe—Mississippi State’s Longest Student Health Center is continuing to ensure each patient feels valued as they receive the utmost care, conveniently on campus.

“The opportunity to play a vital role in the continuance of the mission of Mississippi State University and the Longest Student Health Center is extremely exciting. My vision is for MSU’s Student Health Center, Student Counseling Center, and Department of Health Promotion and Wellness to meet the everchanging physical, emotional and social needs of our students, faculty and staff,” Poe said.

Board certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians, Poe joined MSU in 2018 as a staff physician before moving into the executive director role. She previously was a physician with Greenwood Leflore Hospital’s Kilmichael Clinic and was chief of staff at Kilmichael Hospital. The MSU alumna received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences before going on to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In addition to earning her Doctor of Medicine degree, she went on to do a family medicine internship and residency at UMMC.

“Dr. Poe is an exceptional leader, physician and colleague. She has led the LSHC during the COVID-19 crisis and worked to keep our MSU community safe and well. We are delighted to have her serving in this leadership role,” said MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt.

Poe has been recognized with several honors, including being named to the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Business Leaders Under 40 and a finalist for the newspaper’s Mississippi Business Woman of the Year.

Poe said her goals include leading the center’s interdisciplinary team in their commitment to serve the health and wellness needs of MSU’s diverse student body, as well as foster a work environment that enhances and facilitates the well-being and growth of faculty and staff members.

“We also want to bridge the staffing, programs, services and resources of the university to optimize the healthcare delivery to our campus community and promote innovative ways of student service delivery in the dynamic landscape of health care. We want to maintain a strong and active wellness culture that enables our students to flourish,” Poe said.

A variety of LSHC providers, including Poe and another full-time physician, Dr. Philip Pearson, offer a wide range of general health and wellness services. The center operates similarly to a community doctor’s office and includes three full-time nurse practitioners and one who is part time. Two retired physicians—Dr. Mike Mabry and Dr. Sheila Crowley—also have returned to practice part time. Two more fulltime physicians will join the center soon to complete its medical staff.

LSHC is under the umbrella of University Health Services at Mississippi State which values each individual and functions to meet the needs of patients, hoping to impact their health holistically. Working as a team, the divisions—Health Promotion and Wellness, Student Counseling Services and the LSHC—strive to identify and address those health and behavioral issues that impact well-being. UHS believes that the sooner these issues are targeted, the greater opportunity will be to have a positive impact both on an individual and community level. UHS promotes healthy living, encourages wise choices and values each individual.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.