Mississippi Physician Health Program
P.O. Box 2548
Ridgeland, MS. 39158
Phone: (601) 420-0240
Fax: (601) 707-3794
The Mississippi Physician Health Program (MPHP) is a 501(c) (3) corporate subsidiary of the Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA), organized as a nonprofit, charitable organization. MSMA & MPHP are contractually affiliated through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure.
Dr. Earley has worked in Addiction Medicine for 36 years. He treats all types of addictive disorders and specializes in the assessment, treatment and management of healthcare professionals. As a therapist he works with patients already in recovery, providing long term therapy for those who suffer from this disease. His professional expertise extends to advocacy for professionals before agencies and licensing boards.
Dr. Earley is the Medical Director of the Georgia Professionals Health Program, Inc., the Physicians Health Program (PHP) for the state of Georgia, and the Immediate Past-President of the North American Federation of State Physician Health Programs (FSPHP). Dr. Earley is also the current President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). He is a Distinguished Fellow of ASAM and has served on the board of ASAM for over 19 years in several capacities.
Dr. Earley is the recipient of the ASAM Annual Award in 2015. ASAM describes the award as “For outstanding contributions to the growth and vitality of our Society, for thoughtful leadership in the field, and for deep understanding of the art and science of Addiction Medicine” and “for expanding the frontiers of the field of Addiction Medicine and broadening our understanding of the addictive process, through research and innovation.”
Dr. Gross went to medical school at the University of Texas at San Antonio and completed internship and residency at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she finished as Chief Resident. She is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine and has 40 years of clinical experience.
Currently, Dr. Gross is the medical director of Pathway Healthcare in Jackson, Mississippi, taking care of patients with both psychiatric and addictive disorders. Dr. Gross has written two books; and her work has been published in several genres, both lay and professional. Her latest book, 90 Ways in 90 Days, can be used alone or in treatment settings and consists of 90 days of structured recovery work for women with disordered eating. Dr. Gross is first author of the chapter on women and addiction in Addictive Disorders in Medical Populations, published by UK-Wiley-Blackwell. She edited URGES, a book on trauma treatment written by Jennifer Barbieri.
Dr. Gross was inducted into the American College of Psychiatrists in recognition of her contributions to the field and served on the ACP Editorial Committee for the Psychiatrists In-Practice Examination from 2012 to 2017. Since its inception in 2009, she has served in several capacities with Professionals Health Network (PHN), an advocacy and monitoring program for Mississippi licensed professionals with potentially impairing conditions. She is a Life Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association, a Diplomate in the American Board of Addiction Medicine and a Fellow in the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Gross is founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of SeaStar Media.
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Sledge has served as Chief Medical Officer at Cumberland Heights in Nashville, TN, since 2009.
Dr. Sledge is a graduate of Louisiana State University and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed residency training in Family Medicine and was certified by the American Board of Family Practice in 1986. In 1990 Dr. Sledge completed fellowship training in Addiction Medicine. He was certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine in 1992 and re-certified in 2002. Dr. Sledge received the designation as a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine in 1999. In May 2009, Dr. Sledge was among the first group of physicians to receive certification by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He successfully recertified with ABAM in 2012. In 2015 Dr. Sledge was awarded the title of Distinguished Fellow by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The American Board of Preventive Medicine certified Dr. Sledge in the subspecialty of Addiction Medicine in January 2020.
Dr. Sledge has served as president of the Mississippi Physicians Recovery Program and the Mississippi Society of Addiction Medicine. For several years he chaired the Certification and Eligibility Committee of ASAM, and he served on the Credentialing Committee of ABAM. In 2005, he was elected to the ASAM Board of Directors, representing Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Puerto Rico. At the Annual ASAM meeting in 2009, Dr. Sledge was installed as Secretary. He also served on the Medical/Scientific Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence. Dr. Sledge has served as Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (courtesy), Division of Addiction Medicine, at the University of Florida, while directing an Addiction Medicine fellowship program, and he is currently an Assistant Professor with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.
Dr. Edney is a board certified general Internist with subspecialty board certification in Addiction Medicine. He is a summa cum laude graduate of William Carey University and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine- Class of 1988. He then completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia.
He has practiced general primary care Internal Medicine since 1991 becoming interested in the national opioid crisis and working with patients with complications of chronic opioid use since 2013 and working in the field of addiction as a teacher and clinician. He is a former president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, a Fellow and Laureate of the Miss. Chapter of American College of physicians, and his most recent position is as the new Chief Medical Officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health.
He currently serves as the Addiction Medicine specialist for Haven House Communicare-Oxford, Warren-Yazoo Mental Health CDU-Vicksburg, RiverRegion CDU-Vicksburg, is Medical Director for Stonewater Adolescent Recovery in Oxford, and has a private practice at Medical Associates of Vicksburg. He is the husband of 36 years to Lori, has 3 adult children and two wonderful grandsons.
Jonathan Dalton has served as an Agent with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure since 2009. As the Investigations Supervisor for the Board, Jonathan investigates potential violations of the Mississippi Medical Practice Act, currently serves as the agent who oversees physician collaboration with Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and the Supervision of Physician Assistants (PAs), and he also supervises other field agents of the Board.
Jonathan holds the title of CMBI (Certified Medical Board Investigator) and certification from CLEAR (the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation) as a Certified Investigator/Inspector. Jonathan performs investigations that span the entirety of the state, and he often works with other state and federal agencies to coordinate complex investigations regarding various violations of Board regulations, state law, and federal law.
Dr. Leah Claire Bennett is a licensed psychologist with Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services, where she serves as the organization’s Clinical Operations Director. In this role, she provides clinical direction and supervision for Pine Grove’s addiction treatment programs including the Women’s Center, Legacy, Gratitude, and Next Step. Dr. Bennett also oversees Pine Grove’s professional treatment programs, including the Professional Enhancement Program, known as PEP, and Pine Grove’s Professionals Recovery Track, which is designed for the organization’s addiction treatment patients who hold a professional license.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Baylor University in Waco, TX and her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Counseling Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS.
