THANK YOU TO OUR LIFE SAVERS

Terrebonne General Health System honors our dedicated physicians for improving the health and wellness of the patients and families in our community and for their tireless devotion that saves lives each day!

ASSOCIATE CONSULTING:

DERMATOLOGY

Dr. Lee Grafton

Dr. Philip Neal

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Dr. Mariam Menhem

Dr. David Sisam

FAMILY MEDICINE

Dr. Kirk Dantin, III

Dr. Robert Davis

Dr. Mark Walker

INTERNAL MEDICINE

Dr. Anne Price

NEUROLOGICAL INTRAOPERATIVE MONITORING

Dr. Kevin Callerame

Dr. James Domingue

Dr. Crystal Janani

Dr. Gregory Ward

NEUROLOGY

Dr. Robin Davis

Dr. Tiffany Eady

Dr. Colin Vanhook

Dr. David Weir

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

Dr. Allen Borne

Dr. Christopher Cenac, Sr.

OTOLARYNGOLOGY

Dr. Jacques Gaudet

Dr. Nicholas Sorrel

Dr. Justin Tenney

Dr. Guy Zeringue, III

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Dr. Karl Haydel, Jr.

Dr. Jimmy Ponder, Jr.

PATHOLOGY

Dr. Tim Peterson

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

Dr. Katerina Boucek

Dr. Ivory Crittendon, III

Dr. Kamill Del Toro

Dr. Kelly Gajewski

Dr. Walter Hoyt, Jr.

Dr. Thomas Kimball

Dr. Jake Kleinmahon

Dr. James Krulisky

Dr. Diego Lara

Dr. Victor Lucas, Jr.

Dr. Scott Macicek

Dr. Jessica Mouledoux

Dr. Theodorus Mulder

Dr. Shannon Powell

Dr. Steffan Sernich

Dr. Michael White

Dr. Song Yang

Dr. Thomas Young

PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY

Dr. Fawad Khan

Dr. Isaac Molinero Rosales

Dr. Stephen Nelson, Jr

PODIATRY

Dr. Andrea Leonards

Dr. Adam Ziegenbusch

TELESTROKE

Dr. Malik Adil

Dr. Osvaldo Camilo

Dr. Louis Cannizzaro

Dr. Daniel Chehebar

Dr. Himanshu Chokhawala

Dr. Giuseppe Ciccotto

Dr. Julia Deyeva

Dr. Lauren Dunn

Dr. Ifeanyi Iwuchukwu

Dr. Muhammad Khan

Dr. Namir Khandker

Dr. Tara Kimbrough

Dr. Kim Lee

Dr. Uday Nadimpally

Dr. Mugilan Poongkunran

Dr. Joseph Tarsia, III

Dr. Gabriel Vidal

Dr. Richard Zweifler

ASSOCIATE COURTESY:

ANESTHESIOLOGY

Dr. Beau Bergeron

Dr. Scott Branting

CARDIOLOGY

Dr. Amit Amin

Dr. Bart Denys

Dr. Robert Drennan

Dr. Michael Gaglia, Jr.

Dr. Ahmad Jabbar

Dr. Christopher Paris

Dr. Mohammed Rais

Dr. Ujjwal Rastogi

Dr. Akshit Sharma

EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Dr. Richard Miles

HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY

Dr. Robert Gamble

NEONATOLOGY

Dr. Lisa Barbiero

NEPHROLOGY

Dr. James Modisette

PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION

Dr. Monica Benson

RADIOLOGY

Dr. Syed Akbar

Dr. Sandeep Amesur

Dr. Asif Anwar

Dr. Suzanne Aquino

Dr. Kristen Ashby

Dr. Shameem Azizad

Dr. Daniel Baker

Dr. David Bass

Dr. Troy Belle

Dr. Robert Berger

Dr. Michael Berven

Dr. John Boardman

Dr. James Brull

Dr. Dennis Burton

Dr. Mark Camens

Dr. Courtney Carter

Dr. Lillian Cavin

Dr. Corey Chopra

Dr. Francis Cloran

Dr. Bhavika Dave

Dr. Elizabeth Dubovsky

Dr. Kenneth Edgar

Dr. Dhawal Goradia

Dr. Rashmi Hande

Dr. James Haug

Dr. Laura Hotchkiss

Dr. Lisa Hughes

Dr. Miriam Hulkower

Dr. Vitaly Izgur

Dr. Feras Jalab

Dr. Perry Kaneriya

Dr. Russell Kosik

Dr. Cynthia Oberfelder

Dr. William Phillips, II

Dr. Asti Pilika

Dr. Teppe Popovich

Dr. Paul Ramirez

Dr. William Randazzo

Dr. Avez Rizvi

Dr. Richard Rossin

Dr. William Rusnak

Dr. Faranak Sadri Tafazoli

Dr. Dishant Shah

Dr. Shree Shah

Dr. Masood Siddiqui

Dr. Kimberly Taylor

Dr. Qazi Uddin

Dr. Thomas Vanderjagt

Dr. Charles Westin

Dr. Anthony Willis

UROLOGY

Dr. Thomas Dukovac

Dr. Katie Flower

Dr. Stephanie Hughes

Dr. Walter Simoneaux, Jr.

WOUND CARE

Dr. Luis Arencibia

ASSOCIATE SUBSPECIALTY:

ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

Dr. Robert Haydel, Jr.

GENERAL SURGERY

Dr. Brian Marino

MATERNAL AND

FETAL MEDICINE

Dr. Joseph Biggio, Jr.

Dr. Roberto Calix

Dr. Sherri Longo

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

Dr. David Baughman

Dr. Martin Duplantier

Dr. Christopher Saal

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Dr. Michael Haydel

PEDIATRIC

OPHTHALMOLOGY

Dr. Horatio Eustis, Jr.

Dr. Rachel Fuerst

PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Mark Stalder

RADIATION ONCOLOGY

Dr. Bahman Daneshfar

Dr. Sheldon Johnson

Dr. Kenneth Lo

COMMUNITY AFFILIATE STAFF:

FAMILY MEDICINE:

Dr. Danielle Angeron

Dr. Joseph Garcia

NOT PICTURED:

EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Dr. Bradley Blasiar

Dr. Phillip LeBas

Dr. Philip Paulk

HOSPITAL MEDICINE

Dr. Murthy Muthuswamy

The unique team of women at Care and Comfort OB-GYN are providing one of a kind care to women in our community, guiding them through every stage of life. Their speciality private practice offers a multitude of services including routine exams, birth control, STD screenings and treatment options, low and high risk pregnancies, abnormal pap smears, hormone replacement therapy, weight-loss services, as well as aesthetic services including Botox, Xeomin and Venus Freeze skin tightening.

The primary team at Care and Comfort includes Dr. Michelle Andre, Certified Nurse Midwife Laura Shaver, and Nurse Practitioner Shelly Matherne. Drawing from years of professional experience, as well as personal experiences as women, there is a distinctive difference in care.

Dr. Michelle Andre has been practicing medicine for almost 16 years, and is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics/ Gynecology. In her practice, she enjoys the opportunity to speak with and educate women of all ages about their sexual health. As a member of NAMS and ISSWSH, Dr. Andre continuously updates her awareness of treatments for menopause and perimenopause symptoms, sexual dysfunction, and obesity. nurse with a specialty in obstetrical and gynecological care. Providing expert care during labor and delivery, and after birth is a specialty that makes her unique. Laura delivers her patients in a hospital setting and treats each family with compassion and respect for the safest, healthiest, and most satisfying experience.

Nurse Practitioner Shelly Matherne has over 15 years of experience in labor and delivery, including 12 years of practice in the OB/GYN setting. She is passionate about teaching, and loves empowering women through education. In addition to working at Care and Comfort, she is employed at Nicholls State University in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, where she teaches Maternal/Child Nursing, leading students to care for women during childbirth on labor and delivery.

Certified Nurse Midwife Laura Shaver has over 15 years of experience in Labor and Delivery, as well as a Certified Nurse Midwifery degree. As the only certified nurse midwife in the area, Laura is an advanced practice

No matter what stage of life you're in, the team at Care and Comfort has the expertise to guide you through it. At Care and Comfort the patient always comes first. POV

Finding the right doctor is an important step in maintaining your heart health. When choosing a cardiologist, there are many things consider, such as specialty, education, experience, location, languages and more. At top of mind, you want to receive the very best care for your needs and have access to advanced diagnostics and treatment.

Understanding Your Condition

The first, and likely the most, important factor in choosing a cardiologist is understanding the type of care you need based on your risk factors and conditions. Each cardiologist is trained to treat cardiovascular disease and conditions like high blood pressure and cholesterol. But if you have a specific condition, such as an arrythmia, a valve leak, or heart failure, you may benefit from seeing a specialist. Let’s look at some of these subspecialties.

Interventional Cardiology

Like cardiologists, interventional cardiologists diagnose and manage heart disease. What differs is that interventionists use catheters to perform minimally-invasive procedures on the heart and blood vessels. Angiograms, stents and other interventions fall under this category. Most CIS physicians are trained in these types of non-surgical procedures.

Peripheral Vascular Disorders

Cardiovascular disease not only affects the heart, but the arms and legs as well. Leg pain, cramping, numbness, discoloration or ulcers can be indicators of these conditions. Drs. Mohammad Rais, Akshit Sharma and Ahmad Jabbar treat these diseases in Thibodaux.

Heart Rhythm Disorders

Cardiac electrophysiologists, or EPs, are cardiologists who have additional medical training in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders. Think of an electrophysiologist as an electrician that fixes the heart's electrical function whereas a cardiologist acts as a plumber, treating the vascular function of the heart.

Valve & Structural Heart Disease

Diseased valves and structural or congenital defects are another cardiovascular subspecialty. Damaged valves may leak, needing repairs or replacements. Structural or congenital conditions, such as holes in the heart or septal defects, also require expert diagnosis and treatment.

Heart Failure

Due to the complex nature of heart failure, patients with this disorder may benefit from seeing a heart failure specialist. Patients who have both congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease often have what is called a chronic total occlusion, or CTO. This is when an artery becomes 100% blocked and special techniques and wires must be used to open the blockage. Dr. Owen Mogabgab specializes in CTO treatment.

LOCATION & PHYSICIANS

The CIS cardiologists in Thibodaux practice at 1320 Martin Luther King Drive, behind the Family Doctor Clinic. Most diagnostic procedures, including ultrasounds and scans, are done in the clinic. Vein procedures are performed in the office as well. Further procedures are performed at the CIS Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gray or at your local hospital.

CIS physicians in Thibodaux include Drs. Bart Denys, Sandeep Patel, Mohammed Rais, Owen Mogabgab, Akshit Sharma, and Ahmad Jabbar. All are trained in interventional cardiology, but scan the QR code below to learn more about their specialties and interests. In addition to English, Dr. Bart Denys speaks Dutch and Dr. Ahmad Jabbar speaks Arabic. For patients with electrophysiology or structural heart/valve needs, Drs. Kanwar Singh and Shane Prejean provide support.

Prevention Is Key

Heart checkups should be a part of your wellness plan even if you are healthy. "To have a long and healthy life, find the problem before it finds you,” said Dr. Denys. “We have the tools to see what your risk is. With that knowledge, we make a plan together of what needs to be changed to lower your risk. When we save a heart, we save a life.” POV

As an interventional pain practice that relieves pain in a non-surgical manner and without the use of habit-forming drugs, the philosophy at Headache & Pain Center is treating pain through opioid-free options and minimally invasive procedures. Patients are treated through various methods including healing injections, neutralization of nerves, freezing of nerves or electrical stimulation of nerves.

Taking an individualized approach to caring for patients, Jimmy N. Ponder Jr., M.D. and his staff begin with a thorough examination of what may have led to the pain, and a determination of what factors may be contributing to worsening the pain. The center’s ultimate goal is to help people to return to normalcy and beloved activities that may have been hindered by struggles with pain.

“We get to improve those areas of their lives where the pain was limiting their lifestyle. For instance, if someone enjoys gardening, and they can’t do it because of the pain that they’re experiencing...when we’re able to relieve that pain, we can return some of that function,” Dr. Ponder says.

Caring about each individual, and their unique situation makes Headache & Pain Center stand out according to Mimi Wilson, Licensed Occupational Therapist and Physician’s Assistant.

“By listening to each patient, and trying different treatments, until one is found to restore their individual activities, is how we treat each patient,” Mimi explains.

Dr. Ponder explains that the staff at Headache & Pain Center makes the center unique, “We are a patient centered health care facility,” Dr. Ponder shared. “We still answer the phone when people call. We’re not looking at a computer screen when we see our patients, we’re talking directly to them.” Nurse Practitioner Paige Pipsair shares, “I enjoy listening to patient’s stories and learning about them because I think it helps me to provide more personal care. I strive to treat all of my patients as I would want my family members to be treated within the healthcare system.”

Proud to offer several minimally invasive outpatient treatment options such as Vertiflex, VIA Disc, and Kyphoplasty. The Vertiflex procedure is utilized for patients suffering from spinal stenosis. Kyphoplasty is used to treat a spinal compression fracture that could have been caused by osteoporosis or cancer. VIA Disc is for pain from degenerated discs.

With technology at their fingertips, Dr. Ponder and his staff still enjoy personal relationships, and conversations with patients. Visit the Headache & Pain Center family, and allow them to help you live a pain free life, and get back to your normal daily activities as quickly as possible. POV

Dr. Joseph M. Garcia is a native of Houma and graduate of Vandebilt Catholic High School, and is proud to be home providing primary care and sports medicine services in our community.

“During medical school I found myself gravitating towards primary care because the physicians I was shadowing had extensive relationships with their patients. I love to talk, so having conversations, and getting to know someone comes naturally,” said Dr. Garcia. “I decided to specialize in sports medicine because I've played sports my whole life, and I thought what better way to practice medicine than in a field of my interest.”

Following his residency, at Louisiana State University in Alexandria, Dr. Garcia completed his fellowship in Primary Sports Medicine at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. During this additional year of training in primary sports medicine, Dr. Garica was taught the art of the physical exam, allowing him to be very thorough with his patients.

Through strong relationships with local physical therapists, as well as the SLMA hardworking physicians at SLMA. Working for SLMA allows my patients access to these talented physicians in a timely manner. I can make referrals with a simple phone call to one of my colleagues,” he shared. network of physicians Dr. Garica takes pride in extensive patient care. “There are so many very knowledgeable, and very

The best advice Dr. Garcia offers his patients is to focus on a healthy lifestyle. “A healthy lifestyle is one of the foundations of primary care, but it can also help prevent injuries going forward,” he said.

While Dr. Garica helps typical athletes, he often helps industrial athletes as well. “Industrial athletes are the hard working construction workers in our community. While they are not scoring touchdowns or hitting home runs, they are doing physical activity, heavy lifting, and repetitive motion that puts strain on their bodies. There are a lot of chromic issues that I treat that are not sports issues at all, they are musculoskeletal problems that I can help fix,” Dr. Garcia explained. POV

At Houma Health and Wellness, Windy Adams practices lifestyle medicine, taking a different approach to healthcare. Windy addresses her patient’s issues by identifying the root cause as she learns about her patient’s diet, exercise and sleep habits, social connectivity and stress. As a nurse practitioner, Windy chose this field of work because of the challenges it provides, and the diverse opportunities to do meaningful work.

“I treated liver disease in South Louisiana for 10 years, and this is a disease primarily related to lifestyle choices. I became passionate about helping people make better choices. This ranges from avoiding substances to eating healthier. My mentor Dr. Andrea Espinoza suggested that I look into getting lifestyle medicine certified. I feel like God took over from there,” Windy shared.

With a focus on prevention, she encourages patients to find out why they have a particular issue or diagnosis. “I love helping to determine the contributing factors to medical problems, and addressing each of the six pillars of health: sleep, physical of the box, and this doesn’t always include traditional Western medicine,” Windy said. With a pharmacist and board-certified endocrinologist on staff as well, the team at Houma Health and Wellness is prepared to address a variety of needs in a variety of ways including IV therapy, cryotherapy, infrared sauna, massage therapy, red light therapy, normatec compression, and microneedling. activity, social connectedness, nutrition, stress management, and substance abuse avoidance,” she said.

In addition, Houma Health and Wellness promotes physical activity right next-door at Houma Health and Fitness with barre classes, Zumba, TurnUp, spin, Boot Camp, and Pilates reformer classes.

At Houma Health and Wellness, healthcare is not one size fits all. With individualized patient care based on many personalized factors, custom treatments are as unique as each patient. “We like to think outside

If you’re ready to improve your health and wellbeing, and exceed your healthcare goals, Houma Health and Wellness can guide you down the path of wellness. Whether that be through lifestyle medicine consultations, fitness classes, or with IV vitamin infusions, Windy is ready to help you to navigate the road to true healing. POV