STHS salutes past chiefs of staff with wall of honor

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Wednesday, April 17, 2024

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STHS salutes past chiefs of staff with wall of honor

Mike Scott, mscott@stph.org

Northshore physicians who have served as chief of staff at St. Tammany Parish Hospital gather for a group photo on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, following the unveiling of an installation honoring those men and women who have held the position since the hospital's 1954 founding. (Photos by Mike Scott / STHS)

Dr. Andrew Baier, left, and his father, Dr. Charles Baier, unveil an installation at St. Tammany Parish Hospital honoring its former chiefs of staff. The younger Baier is the current chief of staff, and his father served in the position in 1990.

In a nod to its 70 years of caring for the community, and in recognition of the men and women who led the way, St. Tammany Health System leadership on Wednesday morning unveiled an installation on the main campus of St. Tammany Parish Hospital honoring the dozens of doctors who have served as the hospital’s chief of staff over the decades.

The three-panel installation, located in the hospital’s administrative hallway, lists the names of every chief of staff who has served at St. Tammany, starting with Dr. H.E. Gautreaux – who held the role from 1954 to 1959 – to Dr. Andrew Baier, who currently holds the position.

In between are the names of some 59 others. Seventeen of them were in attendance at Wednesday's ceremony, which at times felt as much like a reunion as it did a celebration of the Northshore medical community.  

“A lot has changed in the medical profession since 1954 and the days of Dr. Gautreaux,” said Dr. Patrick Torcson, the health system’s current chief medical officer and himself a past chief of staff. “We now have electronic health records, genomic medicine, robotic-assisted surgery and artificial intelligence. What has not changed is that physician leadership.”

Dr. Torcson, who spearheaded establishment of the wall, went on to acknowledge that the installation is not exclusively about the past.

“This display will serve as a tribute and an inspiration to all of the physicians who practice at St. Tammany Health System to recognize their knowledge, skill and dedication in serving patients, the health system and this very unique and special community,” he said.

Fittingly, the wall was unveiled by Dr. Baier and his father, Dr. Charles Baier, whose name also appears on the wall as a former chief of staff.

In addition to listing the chiefs of staff, the installation – funded by donations to St. Tammany Hospital Foundation – includes a panel containing the names and photos of the health system’s current Medical Executive Committee, as well as a panel expounding on the significance of the contributions of those men and women named thereon.

“This is truly a momentous occasion to us as we celebrate our 70th anniversary,” health system President and CEO Joan Coffman said. “What a testament to the efforts of the Medical Staff and the culture of excellence that exists here today. We have truly become a regional destination for healthcare because of that excellence.”   

Scroll down for more photos from Wednesday's event.

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