Nine area physicians have been selected by their peers to serve on the
North Oaks Medical Center Medical Executive Committee for 2019. These officers will serve as liaisons
between the North Oaks Medical Staff and North Oaks Health System
Board of Commissioners.
Serving as Chief of Staff is
Anesthesiologist Michael Cordone, MD. He is a graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans
and fulfilled his internship there. He completed his residency through
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He served as Chief of Staff
Elect in 2018 and chaired the Surgery Department from 2016 to 2017. Certified
by the American Board of Anesthesiology, Cordone joined the North Oaks
medical staff in 2008.
Chief of Staff Elect is
Cardiologist James Parker, MD, FACC, FSCAI. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine
in New Orleans. He completed an internship, residency and cardiology fellowship
through the LSU Health Sciences Center, also in New Orleans. He is certified
by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular
Disease and also is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and
the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. He joined
the North Oaks medical staff in 2010 and went on to serve as member-at-large
on the North Oaks Medical Center Medical Executive Committee from 2015
to 2016. In 2014, he served on the hospital’s Bylaws & Credentials
Committee.
Members-at-Large entering their first year of a two-year term are
Urologist Jay Heintz, MD, and
Family Medicine Physician Scott Picou, MD.
Heintz earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine
in New Orleans and completed his internship and residency through the
University of Maryland in Baltimore. He is certified by the American Board
of Urology and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2012.
Picou earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School
of Medicine in True Blue, Grenada. He carried out his internship and residency
through the LSU Rural Family Medicine Residency Program at Our Lady of
the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa. He joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2015.
Departmental chairpersons entering their second year of a two-year term
are as follows:
Family Medicine Physician Smitty Smith, MD, will serve as Family Practice Chairman. He earned his medical degree from
LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed his internship and
residency through LSU Health Sciences Center in Bogalusa. He is certified
by the American Board of Family Practice and joined the North Oaks medical
staff in 2014. He served on the Bylaws and Credentials Committee in 2017.
Hospital Medicine Physician Wonestta Collins, MD, will serve as Medicine Chairman. She joined the North Oaks medical staff
in 2015 and earned her medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New
Orleans. She carried out her internship and residency through the University
of Alabama in Montgomery.
Obstetrician and Gynecologist Brian Ashford, MD, who is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology,
will serve as Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics Chairman. He
earned his medical degree from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans,
where he also completed an internship and residency. Ashford, who joined
the North Oaks medical staff in 2010, has served on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics
Committee since 2014.
Ear, Nose and Throat Physician D’Antoni Dennis, MD, who joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2013, will serve as Surgery
Department Chairman. He earned his medical degree through LSU Health Sciences
Center in Shreveport. He completed an internship and residency in otorhinolaryngology
(ear, nose and throat) through LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.
He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.
Emergency Medicine Physician Brandon Cambre, MD, will serve as Emergency Medicine Chairman. He earned his medical degree
from LSU in Shreveport and completed an internship and residency through
the LSU emergency medicine program at the former Earl K. Long Memorial
Hospital in Baton Rouge. Cambre, who is certified by the American Board
of Emergency Medicine and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2005,
was the Emergency Medicine Committee vice chairman for the hospital’s
Medical Executive Committee in 2017. Cambre’s other leadership roles
include service on the hospital’s Emergency Medicine Steering Committee
in 2009 and the Bylaws and Credentials Committee (2014 vice chairman and
2015-2016 member). Cambre also represents hospitals with more than 100
beds on the Regional Commission of the Louisiana Emergency Response Network
(LERN) for Region 9.
For more information about North Oaks Medical Center, contact North Oaks
Public Relations at (985) 230-6647. To find a physician, click
here or call the North Oaks Physician Referral Line at (985) 230-DOCS (3627).