Daniel Edney, MD, State Health Officer for Mississippi, Announced as Next ASTHO President

Edney plans to focus presidency on maternal and infant health, rural health and promoting the important work of states and territories

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) named Daniel Edney, MD, as the organization's 84th president. Dr. Edney, state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health, succeeds Manisha Juthani, MD, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. 

Dr. Edney brings more than three decades of clinical experience and public health leadership to the role. Since becoming Mississippi's state health officer in 2022, Dr. Edney has led efforts to strengthen the state's public health system and improve the health of its residents, which includes initiatives focused on maternal health and chronic disease prevention.

"It has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to serve alongside my fellow state and territorial health officials through ASTHO," says Daniel Edney, MD, ASTHO president and state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health. "Our nation's public health leaders face increasingly complex challenges, but we also have tremendous opportunities to strengthen our public health system through collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to improving the health of every community. I am honored to serve as ASTHO president and look forward to working with my colleagues to advance policies and partnerships that support a healthier nation." 

"It is a real privilege to welcome Dr. Edney as ASTHO's next president," says ASTHO CEO Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH. "He brings a remarkable depth of experience—not only as a visionary state health leader guiding Mississippi through critical public health milestones, but also as a frontline clinician deeply committed to tackling complex challenges like the opioid crisis. His dedication to patient care, combined with his fierce advocacy for the health of communities, makes him an extraordinary choice to lead ASTHO. I look forward to working hand in hand with him as we continue to advance and strengthen public health for communities across the nation."

Dr. Edney joined the Mississippi State Department of Health in 2021 as its first chief medical officer before becoming deputy state health officer and later state health officer in August 2022. Prior to entering public service, he spent more than three decades practicing internal medicine in Vicksburg. 

A board-certified physician in internal medicine with a subspeciality in addiction medicine, Dr. Edney earned his undergraduate degree from William Carey University and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Virginia before returning to Mississippi, where he has practiced primary care since 1991.

Throughout his career, Dr. Edney has championed efforts to address substance use disorders, drawing on his frontline experience during the opioid crisis. Since 2013, he has focused on treating substance use disorders and supporting recovery efforts throughout Mississippi. 

Dr. Edney has served as president of the Mississippi State Medical Association and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a Laureate of the Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Physicians and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Puthiery Va, DO, director for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention will serve as ASTHO president-elect.

ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.

SOURCE Association of State and Territorial Health Officials