Dr. Thomas Dobbs, former Mississippi State Health Officer and current Dean at the John D. Bower School of Population Health, shares candid insights from the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the early fears of system collapse to evolving views on masks, vaccines, and misinformation, Dr. Dobbs reflects on what Mississippi got right—and what still needs work. The conversation spans everything from rising syphilis cases and tuberculosis to food deserts, obesity, autism research, and the social determinants of health. It’s an honest and enlightening look at the systemic challenges and hopeful possibilities facing public health in the South.