News & Noteworthy
Our faculty and residents are dedicated not only to education and providing excellent patient care within the program, but also to serving the community at large.
Service
Our residents' volunteer work at Luke's House. Luke's House is a community-organized clinic providing free care to underserved people in the uptown area of New Orlenas. It is staffed by some of our volunteer residents every Tuesday night. Our service at Lukes House has been noted by the Times-Picayune.
Our faculty is responsible for coordinating care at the annual Rock-and-Roll Marathon medical tents. This fantastic volunteer opportunity is always a hit with residents and faculty.
Alexandra Wright (prior resident) was appointed Resident CATCH Liason-At-Large for AAP District VII in 2013-14. Her roles for the Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Program included promoting the program to pediatric residents and reviewing resident grant applications.
The LSU Med/Peds Relay Team (Betty Lo-Blais / Vilma Cervantes / Amanda England) won first place for the Female Corporate Division at the Jazz Half Marathon Run for the Children Relay Challenge in 2009.
Leadership
Aman Dulai (prior resident) was the LSU Housestaff Association Co-President for 2014-15. A Med/Peds leadership dynasty has formed within the HSA! Previous Med/Peds residents who served as Co-President include Christie Bojanowski (2013-14), Kate Brown (2012-13), Amanda England (2011-12), and Nicole Giambrone (2009-10).
Vilma Cervantes, our program coordinator, was selected for one of a few SOM Alumni Excellence Awards. Oh, and by the way, she has also completed her third Ironman Triathalon! She is amazing!
Betty Lo-Blais, our program director, served on the Internal Medicine ACGME Committee as both a member and then an Executive Member from 2010 through 2016. She was named as one of the city's best Internist and Pediatricians in 2016 and 2017 in the New Orleans Magazine. She was the local lmedical director for the Rock and Roll Marathon from 2011 through 2015 and served on the Board of Trustees of St. Paul's Episcopal School from 2010-2016. She was a recipient of the SOM's Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009, a distinction awarded annually to a clinical and basic sciences faculty member nominated by medical students, residents, and faculty.