Community Activities in Mississippi
Mississippi Community Activities 2021
Visit to Hunters Chapel Missionary Baptist Church (August 2021)
The Mississippi State PI, Dr. Ervin Fox, and Community Advisory Board member, Dr. Tammy Taylor-Bufford, visited Hunters Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Como, Mississippi during Sunday Church Service on August 8th, 2021. They spoke to the congregation about the RURAL Study and the plans to visit Panola County in the near future.
Back-to-School Drive for the Crenshaw School District (August 2021)
During August 2021, Dr. Tammy Taylor-Bufford and Mrs. Jeanette Crenshaw worked with the MS Core on a back-to-school drive that brought community members together to help provide school materials to the students in the Crenshaw School District.
National Night Out Community-Police Awareness (August 2021)
Community Advisory Board members, Yulanda Haddix and Eileen Carr-Tabb, participated in National Night Out community-police awareness where the MS Core partnered with the event leaders to hand out back-to-school backpacks to children in the Oktibbeha community. The MS Core contributed several packs of notebooks, notepads, and other school supplies.
Panola County Rotary Club Meeting (July 2021)
Dr. Ervin Fox was invited to speak about the RURAL Study at the Panola County Rotary Club meeting on July 6th, 2021, by host Jeremy Mason, editor of the Panolian news outlet. Other attendees included Pastor Darrell Dixon, Pat Neal from the MSU Extension Office, Dr. Tammy Taylor-Buford and Dr. Eugenia Fox.
Sardis District Baptist Association Meeting (July 2021)
Community Advisory Board member, Reverend Louis Wilson, invited Dr. Ervin Fox to speak about the RURAL Study during the community update session of the Sardis District Baptist Association Meeting on July 6th, 2021. The meeting was held in Sardis, MS located in Panola County. Community Advisory Board members, Dr. Tammy Taylor-Bufford and Pat Neal, who is also with the Panola County Extension Service, assisted Dr. Fox with the talk along with his sister, Dr. Eugenia Fox, who lives in nearby Coahoma County.
Men’s Health Month (June 2021 Virtual Event)
In collaboration with the Community Advisory Boards of Oktibbeha and Panola Counties, the MS Core held a series of short talks in recognition of Men’s Health Month (2021). Click the Facebook weblinks below to view the talks.
Heart Disease and Stroke in Men
Dr. Ervin Fox, UMMC (Introduction by Rev. Maurico Clark, Oktibbeha County)
Dr. Brad Deere, UMMC (Introduction by Rev. Darrell Dixon, Panola County)
Dr. Amor Royer, UMMC (Introduction by Jeremy Weldon, Editor of The Panolian)
High Blood Pressure and Stroke Awareness in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond (May 2021 Virtual Event)
In recognition of High Blood Pressure Awareness Month (May 2021), the MS Core hosted a virtual conference, “High Blood Pressure and Stroke Awareness in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond.” The program was a partnership between the Community Advisory Boards (CABs) of Oktibbeha and Panola Counties, the Mississippi State Medical Association, the Mississippi chapter of the American Heart Association, and the Mississippi Rural Health Association. Dr. Sonja Fuqua moderated the program and speakers included the MSMA and AHA, Dr. Eva Ingram (Resident, UT Memphis), Dr. Latonya Washington (Internist, St. Francis Hospital and LeBonneur Hospital, Memphis), and a panel of community physicians. Speakers from the RURAL Study included Dr. Vasan Ramachandran, Dr. Ervin Fox, Dr. Felicia Caples and Dr. Frances Henderson. Click here to view a video of the virtual conference.
 
Heart Health in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond (February 2021 Virtual Event)
On Saturday, February 27th, 2021, the Oktibbeha and Panola Community Advisory Boards for the Mississippi Core of the RURAL Study presented its second annual event to bring awareness to heart health during February including a focus on increasing women’s heart health awareness. The planning Committee, comprised of members of both Community Advisory Boards and MS Core staff, decided on a theme that would also include COVID-19: “Heart Health in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond.”
The virtual event began with Welcome Messages from the American Heart Association and Mississippi State Medical Association. Dr. Vasan Ramachandran also welcomed participants and provided a brief overview of RURAL in community-friendly language. Following Dr. Fox’s overview of the activities of the MS Core, two Mayors who are CAB members provided their views of the potential impact of the RURAL Study in their respective communities. Dr. Mercedes Carnethon provided valuable information on COVID-19 and the vaccines; Dr. Kelly Wingerter informed participants about COVID-19 and Women’s Heart Health. Following the presentations by the guest speakers, a panel of local physicians and nurse practitioners joined the guest speakers in responding to audience questions. The event was presented virtually on both Zoom and Facebook Live. Participants were invited to wear red and to post selected pictures on Facebook. According to the last tally there were more than 400 views of the program on Facebook. You can watch a recording of the event on Facebook here.
*Dr. Mercedes Carnethon is the Mary Harris Thompson Professor and Vice Chair of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine.
*Dr. Kelly Wingerter is Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Additional Information
Check out the RURAL Study in Mississippi’s Facebook page.
To learn more about the participant experience in the RURAL Study, visit the Study Participants webpage.
If you have any questions or comments, please call the RURAL Study – Mississippi State Core at (601) 815-5697 or email fcaples@umc.edu.