For the first time, a DO is president-elect of the Mississippi State Medical Association

The Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) has elected Katherine Pannel, DO, to serve as its 158th president-elect, signifying a historic milestone, as Dr. Pannel is the first doctor of osteopathic medicine to hold this position within the association.

Dr. Pannel is a board-certified psychiatrist and the medical director for Right Track Medical Group in Oxford, Mississippi. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM).

‘Honored and humbled’

“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been elected as president-elect of the Mississippi State Medical Association,” Dr. Pannel said. “It is an incredible privilege to be the first osteopathic physician to hold this position. While this distinction is a source of pride, I am confident that I will not be the last. Our state is home to many dedicated and outstanding osteopathic physicians who are making extraordinary contributions to health care every day.”

Dr. Pannel is a dedicated advocate for physicians and patients, committed to improving health care in Mississippi and beyond. She actively serves on various boards and committees, including the Mississippi Physician Health Monitoring Program and the Mississippi Rural Physician Scholars Program.

Dr. Pannel played a key role in the passage of a Mississippi law decriminalizing fentanyl test strips, signed by Governor Tate Reeves in 2023, and advocated for HB231, a bill requiring substance abuse education in schools, which became law in 2023. Her efforts have also taken her to Washington, D.C., where she provided congressional testimony on mental health and the fentanyl crisis.

Recognition

In recognition of her work, Dr. Pannel has received numerous awards, including the AOA’s Excellence in Advocacy Award, the Dr. James C. Waites Leadership Award, the Mississippi Healthcare Hero Award and the Mississippi Osteopathic Association’s Excellence in Advocacy Award, as well as recognition as a Mississippi Top 50 Under 40 honoree. She is also the recipient of several accolades bestowed by the MSMA.

Her community-driven initiative, Crocheting for a Cause, earned her the One in a Million Award in 2020 for her work creating fidget sleeves for patients with dementia. Most recently, she was honored with the Woman Physician of the Year Award at the Women in Medicine gala on Aug. 8, 2024.

Dr. Pannel has authored numerous articles on mental health for a variety of publications, including The DO, KevinMD, the New York Times and Better Homes and Gardens.

In her role as president-elect of the MSMA, Dr. Pannel plans to continue her advocacy work for mental health. She also intends to focus on physician autonomy and safeguarding patient care.

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