As we prepare to vote on Nov. 8, one issue has risen to the forefront: Jobs. We have double-digit unemployment in our state. People want legislators and statewide officials who will be champions of economic development, taking action to put Mississippians back to work.

I’ve been practicing medicine in Vicksburg for 28 years. I love taking care of the people of Warren County and the surrounding area. This community means a lot to me as I know it does to all of our residents. We all want to see a thriving local and state economy.

Though economic development and health care are often treated as separate policy issues, jobs and health care actually go hand-in-hand. Physicians are partners with all employers, as economic development depends on a healthy workforce. But we are also employers ourselves.

When a new doctor locates in a Mississippi county, he or she creates about 30 jobs and $3 million in output and wages. Further, graduates from the state’s medical school have a $3.3 billion total impact on the state’s economy every year. Simply put, physicians are an economic boon to Mississippi and its communities.

So to whoever is elected on Nov. 8: If you want to create jobs, consider your local medical doctors. Physicians don’t just provide care to our patients, we also provide jobs. Support pro-medicine policies because they are pro-job policies.

Geri Weiland, MD

Vicksburg