About Us

Leadership

ST. TAMMANY HEALTH SYSTEM LEADERSHIP

It all started in 1954 with a vision of a healthier community. All these decades later, that vision hasn't changed.

The members of the executive leadership team at St. Tammany Health System bring with them a variety of skills, specialties and talents, but all with the same common goal: to position and support the health system’s highly trained team of care providers so they can continue delivering world-class healthcare to the people of St. Tammany Parish through teamwork, trust, compassion, quality and innovation.

Over the years, they’ve been highly successful in that mission, as evidenced by the litany of national recognitions the health system has earned from such organizations as U.S. News & World Report, the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Quantros and more.

Even more important, though, is the recognition St. Tammany Health System receives every day from the community that willed it into existence in 1954 – and which continues to rely upon it as the region’s premier provider of healthcare.

Meet The Team

A closer look at the men and women at the helm of St. Tammany Health System (STHS).

Joan M. Coffman FACHE

President and CEO

St. Tammany Health System President and CEO, Joan M. Coffman has a demonstrated track record improving quality, safety, patient experience and operating performance, as well as passion for improving overall health and quality of life in her community while providing exceptional healthcare value in the hospitals she has led.

Prior to joining STHS in 2018, Joan served as president and CEO of HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, part of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS). HSHS is a multi-institutional healthcare system that cares for patients in 14 communities in Illinois and Wisconsin. She previously served as president and CEO of HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls, WI, joining the organization in 2008.

Originally from New Orleans, Joan worked with Tenet Healthcare Corporation as Assistant Administrator of Lindy Boggs Medical Center until 2005 when it closed due to flood damage sustained in Hurricane Katrina. She also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Louisiana Clinic, a multi-specialty physician clinic in New Orleans. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of New Orleans. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).

Sharon Toups FACHE

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

With a background in education and physical therapy, Sharon Toups brings the principles of customer service and patient experience to her work leading the operations of St. Tammany Health System as Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer.

Sharon is responsible for the ancillary and support departments, as well as leading facility enhancement projects for the hospital. Prior to her present role, Sharon rose to executive leadership of the Gulf South’s largest health system, Ochsner Health System, beginning as a physical therapist, and directing physical medicine and rehabilitative services before joining the executive team as vice president of ancillary services.

Sharon earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical therapy and education. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, president of the Women’s Healthcare Executive Network, and a member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council.

Kerry Milton, MSHA, RN

Senior Vice President / Chief Nursing Officer

After launching her career as a medicine and oncology nurse at East Jefferson General Hospital, Senior Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer Kerry Milton joined St. Tammany Health System as a telemetry registered nurse.

Through bachelor’s and master’s degrees and successive promotions in nursing management, Kerry built her executive career on patient care and sound management principles. Her roots at the bedside bring an important perspective on the value of personal attention and quality initiatives.

Kerry is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, VHA Gulf States Nurse Executive Group, Women’s Healthcare Executive Network and Louisiana Organization of Nurse Executives.

Sandra DiPietro

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Sandra DiPietro started her career as an assistant manager of financial accounting for International Shipholding Corp. before becoming a senior auditor with Ernst & Young. She then switched into healthcare in 1994 when she was hired as a senior accountant for budget and reimbursement for St. Tammany Health System. In 1995, she took over as controller and in 2014 became CFO.

Sandra teaches undergraduate and graduate level healthcare financial management at the University of Phoenix and serves as treasurer on the New Heights Therapy board of directors.

She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southeastern University and master's degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans. Sandra is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Patrick Torcson, MD

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
St. Tammany Quality Network Vice President - Clinical Integration

Dr. Torcson has been a member of the STHS medical staff for more than 20 years. While a full-time clinician he held numerous medical staff leadership roles including chief of the medical staff, chair of medical care services and chairman of credentials. Dr. Torcson was a founding member of the STHS Department of Hospital Medicine, served as the medical director for the hospitalist program and vice president/chief medical integration officer before becoming CMO.

He is a graduate of Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed his Internal Medicine training at the Ochsner Medical Foundation in his hometown of New Orleans. He also received a master of medical management degree from Tulane University.

Dr. Torcson is board certified in internal medicine and completed the first focused practice in hospital medicine recertification through the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been elected to Fellowship in the American College of Physicians and is a Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine.

Christopher Ford, SHRM-SCP

Senior Vice President - Human Resources

Christopher Ford joined St. Tammany Health System in September 2022 with nearly two decades of human resources experience in the healthcare sphere. As senior vice president of Human Resources, he oversees the second-largest workforce in St. Tammany Parish, in addition to guiding the health system’s recruitment efforts.

Ford, a native of Indianapolis, is a Senior Certified Professional of the Society for Human Resources Management. He earned a bachelor of science in Business Administration from Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Currently, he is pursuing a master of jurisprudence, with a focus on labor and employment law, from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, with an expected graduation date in 2023.

Midge Collett RN, JD

Vice President - Corporate Compliance

As an attorney and registered nurse, Midge Collett brings a unique perspective to her work as St. Tammany Health System’s Vice President of Legal Affairs/Chief Compliance Officer.

Previous to her affiliation with STHS, Midge was a staff attorney with Lemle & Kelleher in New Orleans and East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, an adjunct faculty member with University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., and a registered nurse with Baton Rouge General Medical Center.

Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed Midge to the Louisiana Emergency Response Network. She is a member of the Louisiana Hospital Association Legislative Regulatory and Policy Council, Louisiana State Bar Association and Louisiana Society of Hospital Attorneys.

Craig Doyle

Vice President - Chief Information Officer

Craig Doyle has served as director of Information Systems at the hospital since January 2012, where he is responsible for IT tactical operations, strategic planning, resource management, budget and project management. Prior to joining STHS, he served as division chief information officer for Hospital Corporation of America’s Delta Division.

Craig has served on the Louisiana Healthcare Quality Forum’s health information technology committee since 2010 and is a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems and Society. He also serves on St. Scholastica Academy’s school board as executive committee treasurer and capital campaign operational chairman.

Craig has a bachelor’s degree of science in business administration majoring in quantitative business analysis from Louisiana State University and a master's degree in business administration majoring in quantitative business analysis with a concentration in healthcare management from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Jack Khashou M.Ed, MS

Vice President - St. Tammany Quality Network
St. Tammany Cancer Center - Administrator

Jack Khashou has served as STQN executive director since January 2014 and as administrator for the cancer center since March 2015.

He has more than 20 years of healthcare experience in various executive roles for Tenet Health Care and Ochsner Health System. A majority of his executive experience has come in hospital and ambulatory operations as well as in strategy and business development.

Jack has a master's degrees in Human Performance and Health Promotion as well as Health Care Management from the University of New Orleans. He holds an undergraduate degree in Human Performance and Health Promotion with a concentration in Exercise Physiology.

He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Michael Hill MD

Vice President - Quality and Utilization Management Chief Quality Officer
St. Tammany Quality Network Medical Director

Dr. Michael Hill provides leadership and direction for planning, organizing and coordinating the mission of creating a successful St. Tammany Quality Network and works to advance quality of care and service at STHS.

He also is responsible for assisting in the development of physician relationships across this same network, for stimulating the growth of the organization and providing leadership in medical management by working through and with network physicians. He is seen as technical and mentoring resource to physicians.

Dr. Hill has been a physician in Louisiana for close to 30 years and cared for patients in more than 10 hospitals during that time. He has held several committee and administrative roles along the way and he has been elected to the Medical Executive Committee of three different hospitals and was the board chairman for IMG Healthcare for more than seven years.

Dr. Hill received a bachelor's degree from the University of New Orleans and a medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center. After an internship and residency in internal medicine at Charity Hospital of New Orleans, where he was named Chief Resident, he went on to complete a fellowship in infectious disease in the LSU Department of Medicine.

Kelly M. Rabalais FACHE

Vice President - Communications and Strategy

Kelly Rabalais joined the St. Tammany Health System team in January 2020 after serving as executive counsel and then chief administrative officer for former St. Tammany Parish President Patricia P. Brister. A major accomplishment was her leadership in developing Safe Haven, a comprehensive behavioral health campus in Mandeville. She leads strategy and communications on behalf of St. Tammany Health System. She has a master’s in Health Administration and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Kelly is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and currently serves as an elected member of the Louisiana State Bar Association Board of Governors. Kelly holds the designation of a Health Law Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization and she is accredited in Public Relations by the Public Relations Society of America. She is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She obtained her undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University.

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