COVINGTON – St. Tammany Health System cut the ribbon Friday on a new family medicine clinic in north Covington that, in addition to expanding access to medical care for local residents, will educate the region’s next generation of family medicine physicians as part of the health system’s first-in-the-region Family Medicine Residency program.
“With one snip of the scissors today, St. Tammany Parish and the rest of the Northshore just got significantly healthier,” St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan Coffman said. “The realization of years of work and planning, this clinic is a sterling embodiment of our commitment to serving the community, as well as a symbol of the power of the partnership between St. Tammany Health System and Ochsner. What a blessing.”
“The St. Tammany Health System/Ochsner Family Medicine Residency Program is giving local families in our community access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare, by providing an integrated and holistic approach to their care,” said Dr. Timothy Riddell, Chief Executive Officer of Ochsner Health's Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast Region (NSMGC).
“By opening the region’s first residency program for family medicine physicians, Ochsner is also continuing our legacy of excellence as the region’s leading academic healthcare system. As a family physician, I know firsthand that it is critical that we address the state’s physician shortage by training the next generation of clinicians in areas needed most.”
Located at 17240 Heartbeat Circle, near the intersection of U.S. 190 and Louisiana 25, the St. Tammany Physicians Network North Covington Clinic is an 18,000-square-foot, purpose-built facility that includes onsite X-ray, lab draws and physical therapy capabilities.
In addition to longtime local physicians including Dr. Christopher Foret, Dr. Gabrielle Givens and Dr. Catherine Pechon – who are already seeing patients – beginning July 1 the clinic will be home to the inaugural class of residents in the newly established St. Tammany Health System/Ochsner Family Medicine Residency Program.
They are:
- Dr. Meghan Castillo (Lincoln Memorial DeBusk).
- Dr. Marlie Giardina (VCOM Monroe).
- Dr. Mary Grimmett (William Carey).
- Dr. Ashlin Hinojosa (LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans).
- Dr. Mohamed Hussein (Cairo University).
- Dr. Madison Lambert Dronet (VCOM Monroe).
Dr. Lisa Casey will oversee the ACGME-accredited residency program as its director.
“Our clinic marks a tremendous health opportunity for the families of St. Tammany Parish,” Dr. Casey said. “Simply put, the mission of the program is to train residents and to take exceptional care of our patients. As Family Medicine physicians we care for their wellness just as much as we care for their illness. We do this by focusing on ‘whole-person’ care and creating strong and continuous relationships with patients and families. In supporting this program in such a robust way, St. Tammany Health and Ochsner have reinforced their commitment to this community and to positively impacting the landscape of healthcare for generations to come. It is truly a privilege to be part of it.”
“This isn’t just another healthcare clinic,” St. Tammany Health System Chief Medical Officer Patrick J. Torcson said. “Family medicine is the Swiss Army Knife of medical disciplines, and its practitioners boast expertise in a variety of fields to effectively and compassionately care for the whole family, from newborns to seniors. The opportunity to better our community by bringing this level of expertise into it is as exciting as it is important.”
This collaboration is the latest milestone in the decade-long partnership between St. Tammany Health System and Ochsner Health, as they unite their missions of providing trusted community healthcare and quality physician education.
The program’s mission is to increase the physician workforce in St. Tammany Parish, and thus improve access to care. In a 2024 report, the Association of American Medical Colleges projected that physician demand will grow faster than supply, leading to a projected total shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Without growing programs like this one, Louisiana is projected to rank third nationally for a shortage of physicians by 2030, according to a Human Resources for Health analysis.
The St. Tammany Health System/Ochsner Family Medicine Residency Program addresses the objectives of both St. Tammany Health System’s Healthier Northshore and Ochsner’s collaborative community outreach initiatives. The health systems share goals of building healthier communities through collaboration, by bringing resources to underserved communities; better understand the impact of health and social conditions; utilizing data, technology and innovation to improve outcomes; and investing in Louisiana’s economic growth and workforce.
To learn more about the St. Tammany Health System/Ochsner Family Medicine Residency Program visit www.sttammany.health/medresidency.
To learn more about eligibility requirements or to apply for the residency program, visit education.ochsner.org.
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About St. Tammany Health System
St. Tammany Health System is the heartbeat of its community, caring for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork; it will strengthen the health of its community with compassion, innovation and partnership. St. Tammany Health System is recognized for quality, safety and patient experience by Healthgrades, Leapfrog, Quantros/CareChex, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report.
St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1 is an independent service district delivering world-class health care close to home to best serve patients and families in west St. Tammany and surrounding areas. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS receives no tax funding. StTammany.health
About Ochsner
Ochsner Health is the leading not-for-profit healthcare provider in the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. For 12 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Ochsner as the No. 1 hospital in Louisiana. Additionally, Ochsner Children’s has been recognized as the No. 1 hospital for kids in Louisiana for three consecutive years. Ochsner inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through a combination of standard-setting expertise, quality and connection not found anywhere else in the region. In 2023, Ochsner Health cared for more than 1.5 million people from every state in the nation and 65 countries. Ochsner’s workforce includes more than 38,000 dedicated team members and over 4,700 employed and affiliated physicians. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.
About the partnership
St. Tammany Health System and Ochsner Health work together in partnership to improve our community’s health and quality of life, today and for the future. Together, we represent the most complete system of care, aligning west St. Tammany’s top two independent health leaders behind the common goals of improving access, expanding specialty care and making care affordable.