Water Valley’s Tonya Eubanks elected Mississippi Health Care Association president

Water Valley now has a seat at the top of Mississippi’s long-term care table. Tonya Eubanks has been elected president of the Mississippi Health Care Association’s Board of Directors for the 2026-2028 term, giving Lafayette County and North Mississippi a direct line into the state’s biggest nursing-home and assisted-living organization.

That matters well beyond one title. The association says it was established in 1953 and is Mississippi’s oldest and largest group representing nursing homes, personal care and assisted-living homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities for the Intellectually Disabled. It is also the state affiliate of the American Health Care Association, and MHCA says about 17,000 residents rely on member facilities. Another association guide says its leadership represents about 85% of Mississippi’s long-term care facilities, which makes the president’s role one that can help shape advocacy, training and policy priorities that reach smaller communities like Water Valley and Oxford.

Eubanks’ elevation comes as Mississippi providers continue to face pressure from staffing shortages, especially in rural areas where recruiting nurses and keeping beds open can be harder than in larger cities. That shortage is not separate from policy in Jackson. The Mississippi Division of Health Facilities Licensure and Certification licenses and regulates hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and other specialized care settings, while the Mississippi State Department of Health’s minimum standards for nursing homes took effect in January 2023. Reimbursement decisions from the Mississippi Division of Medicaid also remain a constant concern for long-term care operators trying to cover payroll, keep services available and meet compliance demands.

For Lafayette County families with aging relatives, the question is practical: where care is available, how quickly it can be found, and whether facilities can keep enough staff on hand to serve them. Eubanks’ new role does not change state policy by itself, but it does put a North Mississippi leader in the room when MHCA sets its agenda on workforce shortages, licensing issues and long-term care access. In a region that depends on hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers and home-health providers, that kind of influence can ripple well beyond Ridgeland or Jackson and into the daily care choices made in Water Valley and Oxford.