Ochsner Board of Councilors: Advocates in Action
Marcel Garsaud, Jr. Dean Emeritus Loyola University School of Law Ochsner Board of Councilors, Chairman
The Ochsner Board of Councilors is a group of individuals ("Councilors") serving on a volunteer basis as informed advocates for Ochsner Health System. Councilors represent a broad cross-section of the community with a wide variety of expertise. These committed volunteers agree to learn about the Ochsner mission of patient care, research, and graduate medical education and to share this knowledge with their peers. Each year, Councilors meet with Ochsner CEO Dr. Patrick J. Quinlan for a "State of Ochsner" luncheon where they learn about the Ochsner vision and receive updates on progress and new initiatives. It is said that anyone will tell you what you want to hear, but it is a good friend who will tell you what you need to hear. Ochsner asks Councilors to be those good friends who help the institution improve in every way. In addition to taking news out to the community, Councilors also bring new suggestions and perspectives back to Ochsner. This valuable exchange helps Ochsner serve patients and the community more effectively. Active Councilors may be appointed to serve on an individual Council that focuses on a particular medical specialty or a specific geographic region served by Ochsner Health System. The Councilors become highly informed through regular meetings and educational sessions, and they assist in securing philanthropic support for Ochsner programs and initiatives. Currently, there are Boards of Councilors focused on the medical specialties of Cardiology (Wilmer Freiberg, Chair), Pediatrics (Pamela Steeg, Chair), Alzheimer's (Julie George, Chair), Pastoral Care (Ann Koener, Chair), and Women's Health Services (Catherine Burns Tremaine, Chair) and on the geographic areas of Baton Rouge (Bob Breaux, Chair) and the North Shore (Gerald C. Keller, M.D., Chair).
