License of 88-year-old doctor who works out of car in jeopardy

EDWARDS -- Carrol Frazier Landrum's newer-model, black Toyota Camry is beaten up and striped with dust and mud speckles. At a glance, it would not stick out from any other car on the roadway.

But for many in the town of Edwards' 1,034 residents and others in the metro area, that car has become a lifeline – it's the makeshift office of the 88-year-old Dr. Landrum, who is the only practicing physician in the town.

He parks in front of his old office space, which is now a completely abandoned shopping center adjacent to the Dollar General on Jackson Street. When he left his old office two years ago because of a couple instances of crime nearby, he could not find another space that suited his practice in town.

"I had my car, and I realized I could do most everything out of it that I needed to be doing," Landrum said.

His patients – around two or three a day from as far as 50 miles in every direction – will call ahead or sometimes even just park their cars beside his and explain their symptoms to him.

He assesses the symptoms and writes prescriptions, most of the time for less-serious cases like respiratory illnesses or rashes. If his patients have needs that go beyond the basic medical tools he keeps in his backseat, he refers them to more equipped doctors.

"I do this because I enjoy helping people," Landrum said while he leaned on his car. "It's basically like a house call, except in a parking lot. It's something I enjoy doing. Helping people is why I became a doctor in the first place."

A licensed Mississippi physician of 55 years, Landrum has become an establishment in Edwards, but his practice is being threatened.

The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure has pressured Landrum recently to give up his medical license, the doctor said. Landrum said he was contacted by the board because they heard he was writing prescriptions at different businesses in Hinds County.

"I met a couple people in Clinton to make their drives a bit easier," Landrum said. "After that, I got a call from the board. They want me to surrender my medical license on my own, and if I don't, I'll have to have a public hearing. They told me it would harm my reputation if it got that far."

The board's executive director, H. Vann Craig, said Thursday the board's investigations are confidential "until official action is taken," and he would not comment on a possible investigation of Landrum.

"You'll have to talk to Dr. Landrum about that," Craig said.

Landrum said the board gave him until Thursday to make the decision between surrendering the license on his own or being called in for the hearing.

"I'm not the kind of person to give up very easily, especially if I know I'm right," Landrum said. "I want to continue helping these people who need me, and I plan to fight this. I'm going to tell them I don't intend to resign."

In rural Mississippi, adequate healthcare is unaffordable for many people, and Landrum understands that. Growing up near rural Taylorsville, his own family was poor.

The 2010 census showed that the income per person in Edwards is just $12,308 a year.

The most he charges his patients is $45 a visit. If his patients cannot afford the fee, he will often waive it completely or tell them to pay him later.

"I've lived (in Edwards) all my life, and Dr. Landrum has always been my doctor," 62-year-old Leroy Mitchell said. "Edwards is a poor town. Us poor folks cannot afford to drive to Jackson or Vicksburg to go to the doctor. He isn't out for money. He's doing this because he truly loves helping us."

Beyond the financial easement of Landrum's services, his patients swear by his medical advice. Many of Landrum's patients said he treats everyone with compassion and his medical expertise is second to none.

Mitchell said that he once paid a Jackson doctor $248 for a visit in which he was prescribed medicine for a stomach problem. After that doctor's advice did not pan out, he went to Landrum.

"If it wasn't for him, I'd probably be dead," Mitchell said. "It was a regular thing, but I haven't had that stomach problem since Dr. Landrum told me what to do. He's a great doctor and we're very fortunate to have him here."

Media coverage of the medical board's pressure has captured the attention of people across the world.

An online petition has been launched to defend Landrum from the board. As of Thursday afternoon, 402 people had signed the petition to keep Landrum in business.

One man in Washington state left this comment on the petition's webpage: "What, exactly, does the state board believe this remarkable man is doing wrong? A physician's job is to treat the patient in front of them. It doesn't matter if it is in a modern office or the back of a pickup. The members of the state board should be ashamed. I believe they are nothing but cowards."

The doctor said he is trying not to think about the attention from the media or even what the board is thinking. On Thursday, the deadline he said the board gave him to decide how to handle his situation, he was parked in his usual spot waiting on patients.

"I really am hoping this gets worked out and I can continue helping the people I've come to love," Landrum said. "I'm worried about the hearing, but I hope it all works out."

Contact Adam Ganucheau at (769) 257-2995 or aganucheau@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @GanucheauAdam on Twitter.