Jasmin Chapman, MD honored by peers

By Alice Thomas-Tisdale

JA Publisher Emerita

Dr. Jasmin Chapman, CEO, Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, is the 2026 recipient of the National Association of Community Healthcare Centers (NACHC) Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented by Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP and Felix Valbuena Jr., MD during the Community Health Institute (CHI) & Expo in Las Vegas August 16–18. 

Appointed in 1998, Dr. Chapman is the first female and first dentist to lead one of the oldest and largest federally qualified health center networks in the state. She has received wide acclaim for her leadership, including being named Jackson Advocate Woman of the Year in 2022. 

“Dr. King once asked one of life’s most persistent and urgent questions, ‘What are you doing for others?’ That question has been the compass of my life,” admitted Dr. Chapman. “I accept this award knowing that no one arrives at this moment alone. I accept this award standing on the shoulders of great visionaries who transformed healthcare in Mississippi and across this nation. I had the incredible blessing of following the legendary work of Dr. Aaron Shirley, Dr. James Anderson, and Dr. Robert Smith, whose unwavering belief that healthcare is a human right forever changed countless lives and inspired generations of health care leaders. Their courage, vision, and commitment paved a path that I have simply been honored to continue.” 

She also thanked her family and “incredible team at Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center…you are the heartbeat of our mission. Every day you restore hope, improve lives, and remind our patients that they matter.”