KCU alumna makes history as first-ever osteopathic physician to serve Mississippi State Medical Association as president-elect

The Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) announced the historic election of Kansas City University (KCU) alumna Katherine Pannel, DO, as its 158th president-elect. Dr. Pannel, a distinguished psychiatrist and medical director for Right Track Medical Group in Oxford, Mississippi, is the first Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine to hold this prestigious position in the association's history.

Dr. Pannel, a board-certified psychiatrist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, has an exemplary record of service and leadership in both her professional and volunteer roles. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Delta State University before graduating from  KCU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2007. She completed internships and residency at University of Arkansas for Medical Science and University of Alabama at Birmingham where she honed her skills in psychiatric care.

As a dedicated advocate for physicians and patients alike, Dr. Pannel has served MSMA in numerous capacities, including as District 3 trustee and chair of the MSMA Board of Trustees. Her leadership extends beyond state lines as an alternate delegate to the American Medical Association. Additionally, Dr. Pannel holds significant positions within the American Psychiatric Association, the Mississippi Psychiatric Association, the American Osteopathic Association and the Mississippi Osteopathic Medical Association.

Dr. Pannel's commitment to improving health care in Mississippi is evident in her active participation in various boards and committees, including the Mississippi Physician Health Monitoring Program and the Mississippi Rural Physician Scholars Program. Her volunteerism also extends to her community, where she serves on the Board of Advisors for First Commercial Bank of Mississippi.

Her efforts to address mental health issues have been recognized nationally, with accolades such as the 2022 American Osteopathic Association’s Excellence in Advocacy and Public Policy Award, the Dr. James C. Waites Leadership Award, the Mississippi Healthcare Hero Award, and recognition as a Mississippi Top 50 Under 40 honoree. Dr. Pannel is also the recipient of the MSMA Doctor of Distinction award, the MSMA Community Service Award, and the Mississippi Osteopathic Association’s Excellence in Advocacy Award in 2022. Her community-driven initiative, Crocheting for a Cause, earned her the One in a Million Award in 2020 for creating fidget sleeves for dementia patients. On August 8, 2024, she received MSMA’s Woman Physician of the Year Award at the Women in Medicine gala.

Dr. Pannel's influence extends beyond Mississippi, having penned numerous articles on mental health issues published in outlets such as KevinMD, the New York Times and Better Homes and Gardens. She has provided congressional testimony in Washington, D.C., on mental health and the fentanyl crisis and has been a leading voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising awareness and spearheading initiatives to support public health efforts.

In her role as MSMA president-elect, Dr. Pannel aims to continue her advocacy for mental health, physician autonomy and patient care. She has already been instrumental in championing legislation to add and fund a psychiatry scholarship for the Mississippi Rural Physician Scholarship Program and the creation of an Alzheimer’s and related dementias caregivers’ program. Dr. Pannel was instrumental in getting the law decriminalizing fentanyl test strips signed by the governor in 2023. She also authored a resolution in the Mississippi State Medical Association House of Delegates, which led to her work with Mississippi State Representative Sam Creekmore to get HB231 passed in 2023, requiring substance abuse curriculum in schools.

Dr. Pannel resides in Oxford, Mississippi, with her husband of 20 years, Dr. Richard Stephen Pannel, and their three children. Together, they exemplify the spirit of dedication and service that Dr. Pannel brings to her new role as MSMA president-elect.

The Mississippi State Medical Association is the largest physician advocacy organization in Mississippi, representing nearly 5,000 physicians and medical students. Since 1856, MSMA has been a trusted health policy leader and professional development resource for physicians, representing the unified voice of physicians statewide on state and federal health care issues while providing information needed to navigate health care legislation and regulatory changes.