The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure on July 16 took several procedural actions across its disciplinary docket: it agreed to stay the case against Dr. James Leslie Henderson pending resolution of related federal litigation, granted continuances in two other matters, recorded the voluntary surrender of Dr. Rommel Asaguara’s medical license and approved an investigative subpoena referenced as 2025060.

Board counsel asked the board to hold the Henderson matter in abeyance while federal court litigation over due-process claims proceeds. Paul Barnes explained that if the board were to re-litigate the due-process question here it would require hearing testimony from roughly 20 witnesses; staying the case preserves both the licensee’s rights and the board’s ability to proceed once federal litigation concludes. The board voted to stay the matter.

The board also granted an additional continuance in the case of Dr. Mary T. Jacobson at the request of her attorney, citing insufficient service before the prior meeting; staff represented the matter will be rescheduled for the September meeting. A first-request continuance was also approved for Dr. Ardarian DeRise Gilliam Pierre after staff confirmed service and the licensee’s request to prepare for hearing.

Separately, staff reported that Dr. Rommel Asaguara agreed last Friday to surrender his Mississippi medical license and not to seek reinstatement; staff said the surrender has been reported to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) databank and published on the board’s website. The board noted no further action was required on that case.

In executive session, the board approved investigative subpoena number 2025060, a staff motion recorded by board members in closed session and announced after the meeting returned to open session.

Why it matters: The stay in the Henderson case preserves the board’s ability to address due-process allegations after parallel federal litigation concludes and reduces repeated continuances at future meetings. The surrender and subpoena approvals finalize administrative steps in active investigations and enforcement work.

What the board did not do: These were procedural and scheduling actions; the board did not adjudicate the underlying merits of the Henderson claim or the other cases while the matters were stayed or continued.