Physician Assistant Students Attend Mississippi College Healthcare Summit

Third District U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper visits with people attending Mississippi College's 6th annual Healthcare Summit on the Clinton campus Tuesday.

Standing at $2.9 trillion, the state of America’s healthcare industry remains strong, and continues to grow in 2015.

Tackling the expanding industry, including the complexities of Affordable Care Act, and a wide range of wellness topics, Mississippi College hosted its 6^th annual Healthcare Summit.

More than 200 people attended Tuesday’s sessions in Anderson Hall, including MC physician assistant students like Ali Jama.

The 29-year-old Atlanta resident said the conference provided visitors with vital data about a rapidly-changing field. He seeks to be equipped with the newest information when he becomes a physician assistant.

“I want to go up the ladder and help patients more,” Jama says.

The MC School of Business-sponsored Healthcare Summit offered insights to students, Central Mississippi healthcare industry professionals and educators.

Enrolling 90 students, MC’s physician assistant program is the only one of its type in the Magnolia State. Based at the Baptist Healthplex, the 30-month program trains graduate students to work under the supervision of physicians. Working with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the Mississippi College launched the program in 2011 to help serve the region’s vast healthcare needs.

The CEO of Horizon Professional Services, Ryan Kelly left the meetings on the Clinton campus with several ideas to boost wellness initiatives at his small company in Hattiesburg.

The healthcare industry, the Mississippi College graduate said, “is complicated. It’s ever-changing, just like the weather.”

When the Affordable Care Act pushed by President Obama was enacted by Congress in 2010, Kelly sat down to read its nearly 1,000 pages. It wasn’t an easy assignment. The ACA has grown in size since then – by about 250 pages. As a result of the federal law, there are ten million more newly insured low-income Americans.

But Kelly believes changes in the ACA are needed no matter if a Democrat or Republican is elected in 2016 to succeed President Obama. “Changes will have to be made,” he said. “Some things don’t work.”

The keynote speaker at Wednesday’s luncheon, 3^rd District U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper told the audience he’s seeing plenty of medical and technology advances in Mississippi.

It’s largely a rural state with nearly three million people. Many Baby Boomers are increasing their demands for medical care as they grow older.

“We’ve all got elderly relatives,” Harper, an MC graduate, told the audience. “We have an aging population. People are living longer and have a better life.”

Despite widespread bickering between Republicans and Democrats, Harper says Congress must find ways to work on passing laws that will “make life better for patients.”

At the moment, political fighting in Washington, he said, “prohibits us from getting significant legislation done,” said the Republican serving his 4^th term in the U.S. House. “Compromise is not a dirty word.”

Looking ahead, Harper sees innovative changes to serve patients, including growth of telehealth plans. He also envisions growth in the size of the University of Mississippi Medical School enrollment so the state can produce more doctors.