Jackson Attorney Barry Powell and four other honorees were recognized for their contributions to health care through their leadership and vision in reducing health disparities and improving health status of Mississippians. The Mississippi Primary Health Care Association and its 20-member Community Health Centers, in their joint mission to provide access to affordable and quality health care for all Mississippians, recognized these outstanding leaders at their annual Legislative Luncheon on January 19, 2017.

Highlighting the awards luncheon was the presentation of the 2017 MPHCA Legacy Award to Attorney Barry Powell of Jackson, MS. Attorney Powell has consistently stood up for the poor and underserved and not only in the healthcare arena. Now retired, Atty. Powell practiced law for more than 45 years. He is a graduate of Yale University and Vanderbilt University School of Law.

His creative legal plan to assist Dr. James Anderson, Dr. Aaron Shirley and Dr. Robert Smith in establishing a health center for the poor in Hinds County against political opposition was to submit two applications under different names with the one filed by the trio of black doctors as a decoy.

This led to the decoy application being rejected. The second application for Central Mississippi Civic Improvement Association, which included language to operate a health center, was approved with the help of three Northeast Jackson women as co-signers of the application. This approval led to what we now know as Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center.

Receiving the 2017 James L. “Jim” Bean, Jr. Health Care Leadership Award was District 39 Senator Sally Doty. Senator Doty is the Senator for Copiah, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Walthall Counties.

District 96 Representative Angela Cockerham was awarded the 2017 Jamie Whitten Award. Rep. Cockerham represents Adams, Amite, Pike and Wilkerson Counties.

The 2017 MPHCA Health Care Leadership Award was presented to District 112 Representative John Reed. Rep. Reed serves in Jackson County.

The 2017 MPHCA Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing a lifetime of support for Community Health Centers in Mississippi and outstanding support for the health center movement, was given to District 97 Representative Sam C. Mims, V. Representative Mims serves Adams, Amite, Franklin and Pike Counties.

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