For Janie Lepine, BSN, RN, CNOR, her 45-year career at Our Lady of the Lake extends a family legacy dating back to her mother. As a young nurse, Lepine chose Our Lady of the Lake to start her career because she was inspired to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her mother, Marjorie Perdue, was a…
On a recent afternoon, Mia and Trent Boudreaux chatted about their family while their four-month-old son Ryland relaxed after a nap. Their older son, 8-year-old Tanner, was at school, where he is thriving after a summer growth spurt. It might sound like an average day, but the Boudreauxes went through weeks where they didn’t know…
Kathy Belt started her career at St. Francis Medical Center 45 years ago because she enjoyed helping people. Today, her passion for others remains constant as she plans to continue in her role as long as she is physically and spiritually able. Career Growth Kathy Belt works as a supply coordinator for the LogisticsONE team…
Breast health demands ongoing awareness and diligence. Sweekriti Adhikari, DO, medical oncologist hematologist with Our Lady of Lourdes J.D. Moncus Cancer Center, shares valuable insights on breast cancer, its risk factors and proactive strategies for your breast health. Multiple Diagnoses: Uncommon But Not Impossible Three-time cancer survivor Trudy Malbrough stands as a testament to human…
In 1994, Trudy Marlbrough faced a battle that shaped her: a diagnosis of breast cancer. Although she experienced 25 years of remission, her cancer has returned twice in recent years. Trudy has received care throughout her journey from Our Lady of Lourdes J.D. Moncus Cancer Center. The Initial Battle At age 24, Trudy had just…
For Ellen King, RN, St. Dominic Hospital has been a second home. She feels blessed to have worked there for 40 years. A lot has changed at St. Dominic’s since 1983, the year King started working as a young nurse. While she can’t quite remember her first day, the feeling of friendliness, encouragement and helpfulness…
Lynn Weaver’s job in medical records looks much different than it did in 1978, but she is invigorated by the opportunity to continuously learn and be challenged by her job 45 years later. Weaver works as a clinical documentation improvement specialist at St. Francis Medical Center, where she has worked since 1978. Weaver began her…
No one ever needed to tell Rose Marie Fife to get an annual cancer screening. Her mother died of breast cancer at 74, so she consistently includes mammograms into her annual routine. But in 2006, her doctors found a lump indicating stage 1 breast cancer. She was 52 at the time and opted to have…
Being able to access exceptional healthcare close to home is important for Elliana, a 5-year-old Kindergartener in Lafayette who’s been through a lot in her young life. At her 20-week anatomy scan, Jessica Cavalier learned that Elliana had spina bifida, a complex condition that happens when a baby’s spine and spinal cord don’t develop properly…
Serving as a respiratory therapist at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital for more than nine years, Terra Taylor, RRT, chooses to do this important work in Bogalusa. “This is where I wanted to be,” Terra says. While she did her clinicals at other facilities, she felt called home. “I want to be a part…
Chase Ryals, CNMT, has been a nuclear medicine tech at St. Francis Health for about two years, and in that time he’s experienced encouragement and career growth he hadn’t imagined was possible. “I’ve worked at other healthcare facilities in other cities, but since I’m from here I felt a calling to come back home,” Chase…
For Renee Bujol, PT, SCCE, Cert. Mdt, Cert. DN, her career as a physical therapist has been entirely at Our Lady of Lourdes Health. Renee started as a staff physical therapist and is now the outpatient rehab coordinator for Our Lady of Lourdes Outpatient Therapy Clinic. Over the years she’s witnessed not only the evolution…
Physician practice manager Kala Fernandez-McCartney shares her Spanish roots and the influence it has had on her life. Fernandez-McCartney has been a part of our health system for nine years and serves as a physician practice manager in Livingston. She manages a large family medicine clinic with nine providers. Combining the Spanish and American Cultures…
Anna Garcia Bernal, MD, is a first year LSU rural family medicine resident physician at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa. Dr. Bernal and her family are originally from Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, and have resided in the U.S. for 40 years. Dr. Bernal shares what National Hispanic Heritage Month means to her, “Traditionally,…
Many people struggle with their weight and experience fluctuations in weight gain and loss. For people who have tried a variety of weight loss and dieting tactics with disappointing results, or people who suffer from chronic conditions that lead to weight gain, bariatric surgery can provide amazing benefits. We spoke with Aimee Hymel, MD, a…
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 1 in 3 adults are overweight and about 1 in 11 are struggling with severe obesity. For people who have tried a variety of weight loss and dieting tactics to no avail, or people who suffer from chronic conditions that contribute to weight gain, bariatric surgery can…
For Terry Broussard, “throwing a promise at a problem” was his way of staring cancer in the face and showing his determination to fight on. His promise was that he would overcome stage 4 renal cell cancer — a type of cancer that starts in the kidney — and that through his faith he’d be…
Gabriela Ruiz, MD, is a physician resident with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital. Dr. Ruiz joined the ministry in 2022 as a part of the pediatric residency and is now in her second year of training. “I always loved science in general, but medicine drew me in because I enjoy the puzzle patients…