Dr. Gabrielle Givens returns to practice medicine where it all started: at St. Tammany Health System

'I could be wrong, but I really, strongly believe we are the friendliest people on Earth,’ St. Tammany Health System’s Dr. Gabrielle Givens said. ‘You know, there’s no place like Louisiana.’ (Photo by Tim San Fillippo / STHS)

By Mike Scott, mscott@stph.org

When Dr. Gabrielle Givens recently joined the team at St. Tammany Health System as a family medicine practitioner in its Mandeville clinic, it wasn’t just the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It was a homecoming.

As a native of Franklinton, she’s no stranger to the Northshore. But neither is she a stranger to St. Tammany Health System.

“I knew about St. Tammany because that’s where I received my own medical care growing up,” she said.

In fact, her doctor at the time – Dr. Christopher Foret of St. Tammany Health System’s Folsom clinic – wasn’t just her family doctor. He became a mentor to her.

“Dr. Foret was big on my journey,” Dr. Givens said. “As soon as I showed interest in medicine, he directed me toward family medicine, saying he thought I’d really enjoy it, which I do. And as soon as he knew I was going into family medicine, he said, ‘Come work for St. Tammany. It’s a great place to work.’”

That interest in medicine started early for Dr. Givens. Although there are no other physicians in her family, she declared her intent to become a doctor as a child.

After attending Bowling Green School in Franklinton, she headed to Mississippi for college and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts for med school. After that, she did her clinical rotations in Atlanta and lived for a time in Maine.

Having racked up her share of frequent flier miles, she jumped at the chance to join St. Tammany Health System.

When asked why, she didn’t hesitate.

“The people,” she said. “I could be wrong, but I really, strongly believe we are the friendliest people on Earth. You know, there’s no place like Louisiana.”

(Not far behind is the region’s famous food. “Everybody else just thinks they have good food,” she said.)

As a family medicine practitioner, she sees patients from ages 2 and up, which means each day brings an endless array of situations for her to tackle. That guarantees that no two days will be alike.

“With family medicine, I get to take care of everyone and everything, really. It’s such a variety,” Dr. Givens said. “Every day is different. It brings its own challenges. That’s what I enjoy: Not knowing what the day will bring.”

She added: “I also like getting to develop relationships with people and getting to help them in times of need.”

Away from work, you’re likely to find her spinning choice classic rock selections from her vintage vinyl record collection or just hanging out with her friends – or with her three dogs, Chloe, Koda and rescue dog Snow, all American Eskimos.

(“My little fluffballs,” she calls them.)

But the best part is that, after all this time, she’s back home among her neighbors on the Northshore.

“I’ve always enjoyed the Northshore,” she said. “I always knew I would settle here.”

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Dr. Givens is currently accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment with her, call 985-898-4001 or visit stph.org/schedule-now online.