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State Rep. Sam C. Mims, V (R), District 97, was recently awarded the Mississippi Rural Health Association’s ‘State Legislator of the Year Award.’  This award is presented to one lawmaker each year for his or her work to advance healthcare policy in support of rural Mississippi.

Representing Adams, Amite, Franklin, and Pike Counties, Rep. Mims understands rural Mississippi very well. Not only does he have a professional background in the healthcare field, but he has served as chair of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee for 9 years.  In this role, Rep. Mims has advanced legislation related to reimbursement for services, expansion of telehealth, growth of broadband connectivity, support of emergency management services, and greater flexibilities of hospitals and clinics.

In 2020, Rep. Mims authored and passed legislation creating a new ‘Center for Rural Health’ within the Mississippi State Department of Health. This new Center will allow efforts from the existing State Office of Rural Health and Primary Care to be magnified for obtaining grants and contracts from partner agencies. It will also allow the office to better support rural hospitals and clinics with new payment methodologies and expanded ways to treat and provide access to patients.

Rep. Mims was awarded this recognition during the Mississippi Rural Health Association’s 25th Annual Conference, which was held as a virtual conference due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“This is a very special honor for me”, Mims stated, “for I have spent the last several years doing whatever possible to improve the quality and availability of healthcare for all Mississippians, especially those who reside in the rural areas of our state. I really appreciate the Mississippi Rural Health Association’s goals and I look forward to continue to work with this important association.”