MERIDIAN, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) A top leader at Mississippi State University now has a seat on the Ochsner Rush board. David Shaw, the school’s provost and executive vice president, has joined the Ochsner Rush Health Board of Directors. Mississippi State University shared the news in a release on Tuesday.
Ochsner Rush is based in Meridian. It serves patients across east Mississippi and west Alabama.
Who Is David Shaw?
Shaw has worked at Mississippi State since 1985. He started as an assistant professor. Today, he is the school’s chief academic officer. That means he oversees the school’s classes, teachers, and degree programs.
As provost, Shaw has helped grow health care training at MSU-Meridian. The goal is to train more nurses, physician assistants, and therapists for Mississippi.
What Has Changed at MSU-Meridian?
MSU-Meridian opened two new schools. One is the School of Nursing. The other is the School of Health Professions. The state college board approved both schools in May 2024.
Also, the campus offers new degrees. These include a master’s degree for physician assistants. A physician assistant is a medical worker who can examine and treat patients. In addition, there is a fast track nursing degree. It lets people with a college degree in another field become registered nurses in about 12 months.
The state college board also approved a Doctor of Physical Therapy program in June 2025. However, the school said it could take five to six years to fully launch and earn accreditation.
The university said Shaw also helped plan health programs across the whole school. MSU said this work helps train the health care workers that Mississippi towns need.
Several local groups have helped pay for this growth. MSU named The Riley Foundation, the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Broadhead Foundation, and the Montgomery Foundation.
About Ochsner Rush and Ochsner Health
Rush Health Systems joined Ochsner Health in 2022. Now, Ochsner Rush has seven hospitals and more than 30 clinics. Its board includes local community members, a local doctor, and leaders from Ochsner Health.
Ochsner Health is a nonprofit health system in the Gulf South. It runs 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. In 2025, about 5,000 Ochsner doctors cared for more than 1.6 million people.
What This Means for Our Area
So, why does this matter to you? Ochsner Rush is one of the largest health care providers in our region. Also, MSU-Meridian trains many of the nurses and medical workers who may care for local families.
With Shaw on the board, a top MSU leader now has a role in guiding a major local health system.
Want to learn more about health care classes in Meridian? You can visit the MSU-Meridian website. For questions about the nursing program, call 601-696-2277.