Thibodaux Regional Physicians

Anesthesiologists

Clel Acosta, MD

Jorge Bravo II, MD

Jared Landry, MD

Brad Rupe, MD

Cardiologists

Anil Chagarlamudi, MD

Bart Denys, MD

Aaron Gopal, MD

Ahmad Jabbar, MD

Avaneesh Jakkoju, MD

Ross Melvin, MD

Owen Mogabgab, MD

Christopher Paris, MD

Sandeep Patel, MD

Shane Prejean, MD

Mohammed Rais, MD

Douglas Rheam, MD

Akshit Sharma, MD

Kanwar Singh, MD

Craig Walker, MD

Kenneth Wong, MD

CARDIOVASCULAR & THORACIC SURGEON

Jared Gilmore Ill, MD

Dermatologists

Lee Grafton, MD

Ryan Matherne, MD

EAR, NOSE & THROAT (OTOLARYNGOLOGISTS)

Matthew Beyer, MD

Vance Broussard, MD

Jacques Gaudet, MD

David Hagen, MD

Justin Tenney, MD

Guy Zeringue Ill, MD

Emergency Medicine

Brent Tatford, MD

Family Practice

Alan Fortier, MD

Eric Gravois, MD

Kyle Guidry, MD

Endocrinologist

Lane Frey, MD

Gastroenterologists

Stephen Duplechain, MD

Charles Monier Jr., MD

Pasam Rao, MD

Justin Toups, MD

Joshua Huval, MD

Keith Landry, MD

Aimee Moran, MD

Daniel Naul, MD

William Owens, MD

Jody Plaisance, MD

Caroline Robichaux, MD

Francis Robichaux, MD

Jenny Templet, MD

General Surgeons

William Bisland Jr., MD

Mark Hebert, MD

Gynecologists

John Bloss, MD

Catherine Diebold, MD

Barry Landry, MD

Brian Marino, MD

Johnny Perez, MD, PhD

Elliot Scott, MD

Internal Medicine

Chester Boudreaux, MD

Devin Bourgeois, MD

Thomas Gregory Chaisson, MD

Seth Guidry, MD

Sunanda Kotapuri, MD

Kerry Shaver, MD

John Milek, MD Natchez Morice Ill, MD

Hospitalist

Brandon Gil, MD

Infectious Disease

James Solgnet, MD

Gayathri Talluri, MD

Raja Talluri, MD

Medical Oncologists

Gerardo Arias, MD Scott Hebert, MD

Omer Khokhar, MD Ashlsh Udhraln, MD

Nephrologists

Kevin Modisette, MD

Neurosurgeons Neurologists

Jessica Baity, MD

Tashfin Huq, MD

Allen Vander, MD

Ebony McKinnies, MD

Derek Neupert, MD

OBSTETRICIANS/GYNECOLOGISTS

Amy Ashton, MD

Nicole Prosperie, MD

Ophthalmologists

Richard Arceneaux, MD

Satish Arora, MD

Jonathan Carrere, MD

Deepak Awasthi, MD

Anne Rodrigue, DO

Christopher Rodrigue Jr., MD

Johnathan Wise, MD

Rhandi Wise, MD

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS

David Baughman, MD, DDS

Martin Duplantier, DDS

Christopher Saal, MD, DDS

Lindsay Lasseigne, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeons

Allen Borne, MD

David Elias, MD

Patrick Ellender, MD

Eric Greber, MD

Jason Higgins, MD

John Hildenbrand IV, MD

Neil Maki, MD

Pain Management

Brandon Brooks, MD

Derek Haight, MD

Luis Hernandez, MD

Elizabeth Mortazavi, MD

Ashley Peairs, MD

Jimmy Ponder, MD

Pathologists

Richard DeMoss, MD

Meggie Doucet, MD

Pediatricians

Anne Boudreaux, MD

Kenneth Cruse, MD

Christen McDaniel, MD

Nathaniel McLaughlin, MD

Physiatrists

(PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION)

Trevor Boudreaux, MD

Todd Cowen, MD

PODIATRISTS/FOOT & ANKLE SURGEONS

Bryon McKenna, DPM

Eric Swenson, DPM

Henry Peltier, MD

Shella Pitre, MD

Plastic Surgeons

David Jansen, MD

Catherine McGee, MD

Pulmonologists

Ted Brady, DO

Brian Parker, MD

David Patten, MD

Roger Stueben, MD

Radiation Oncologists

Dani Dang, MD

Nguyen Dang, MD

Rheumatologists

Beau Boudreaux, MD

Ross Thibodaux, MD

UROLOGISTS

Radiologists

Blain Arthurs, MD

Robert Burris, MD

Gregory Dobard, MD

Jay Fakier, MD

Carlos Gimenez, MD

Ricky Miller, MD

Thomas Dukovac, MD

Katie Flower, MD

Stephanie Hughes, MD

Walter Simoneaux Jr., MD

ASSOCIATE / EMERGENCY / COMMUNITY / CONSULTING / COURTESY STAFF PHYSICIANS

ANESTHESIOLOGY

Dr. Manjit Wadhwa

CARDIOLOGY

Dr. Richard Abben

Dr. Peter Fail

Dr. William Ladd

Dr. Vinod Nair

Dr. Darrell Solet

CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY

Dr. Michael Firstenberg

DENTISTRY

Dr. Christy Marcello

Dr. Steven Marcello

Dr. Kristoffer Norbo

Dr. Murray Rabalais

DERMATOLOGY

Dr. Kristal Guidroz

EAR, NOSE & THROAT (OTOLARYNGOLOGY)

Dr. Charles Moore

Dr. Chad Simon

Dr. Nicholas Sorrel

FAMILY MEDICINE

Dr. Billy Hillman

Dr. Dirk Ory

Dr. Jarelle Scott

Dr. Roland Waguespack

EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Dr. Jeremy Benoit

Dr. Larick David

Dr. Maxime Demers

Dr. William Fletcher, Jr.

Dr. Joseph Fraiman

Dr. Brian Hilands

Dr. Kevin Kammel

Dr. Marc Labat

Dr. Carl Mickman

Dr. Steve Morgan, Jr.

Dr. Falon Perrin

Dr. Daniel Samet

Dr. Quan Shi

Dr. Michael Straney

GENERAL SURGERY

Dr. Kristi Prejeant

GYNECOLOGY

Dr. Steven Alevizon

HOSPITALIST

Dr. Murthy Muthuswamy

Dr. Bipasha Nath

Dr. Edmond Nelson, Jr.

Dr. Oleg Sinyavskiy

INTRAOPERATIVE

NEUROPHYS MONITORING

Dr. James Domingue

Dr. Crystal Janani

Dr. Joel Wolinsky

MATERNAL & FETAL MEDICINE

Dr. Tara Benjamin

Dr. Albert Diket

Dr. Robert Moore

Dr. Pamela Simmons

Dr. Marshall St. Amant

Dr. Edward Veillon, Jr.

NEONATOLOGY

Dr. Brian Barkemeyer

Dr. Raegan Gupta

Dr Michelle Knecht

Dr. Jeffrey Surcouf

NEPHROLOGY

Dr. Gregory Maidoh

Dr. Herminio Suazo-Vasquez

OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY

Dr. Judith Blaise

Dr. Craig Gauthier

Dr. Lily Hanna

Dr. Markeiya Jasper

OPHTHALMOLOGY

Dr. Arthur DelaHoussaye

OPTOMETRY

Dr. Darby Chiasson

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

Dr. John Faust

Dr. Tamara Huff

Dr. William Johnson, III

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Dr. Adolfo Cuadra

PEDIATRICS

Dr. Leslie Ber

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

Dr. Kelly Gajewski

Dr. Thomas Kimball

Dr. James Krulisky

Dr. Scott Macicek

Dr. Shannon Powell

Dr. Steffan Sernich

Dr. Song-Gui Yang

PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Jeffrey Rau

Dr. Hugo St. Hilaire

Dr. Mark Stalder

Dr. Ravi Tandon

PODIATRY

Dr. Phillip Corona

UROLOGY

Dr. Stephen Charbonnet

Dr. Haden Lafaye

BY ISABELLE GAREIS | PHOTOS PROVIDED

Healthy living is something that is close to the hearts of the Breaux family farmers of Folsom, Louisiana. Following her husband’s major health issues, Houma native Lauren Breaux began the process of researching holistic healing practices and discovered the power of superfood American elderberry— leading to their complete lifestyle change and creation of Cockeyed Farms.

The story of Cockeyed Farms began in 2011 when Lauren, a real estate agent, met her husband Brandon, a Scout Attack Helicopter Pilot stationed at Fort Polk. “Not long ago, Brandon began having serious headaches that forced him to medically retire from the military,” explained Lauren. “We went through a litany of diagnoses and medications following the pharmaceutical path. Brandon was on fourteen medications a day at one point—his resting heartbeat was at 133 bpm. That’s when we decided we needed to make a change.” Lauren went on to explain that she, her husband, and her two kids share a mantra in their home, to “always try to be their best selves,” mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and so forth. “We try to live by that mantra, so when we discovered how sick he really was–even with all the medications he was taking–we decided to grind to a halt,” Lauren explained. “We purged all the medicines and started researching a more holistic way of life. In doing that, we got him off the medications, and healed all of our lives from the inside out. In the process, we discovered the superfood elderberry.”

Brandon’s research unveiled that the overwhelming majority of elderberry products are made with dehydrated berries that are imported from Europe. While all elderberries are good, he found that American elderberries are best, and embarked on a journey that has taken him all over the United States, allowing apprenticeship opportunities at farms learning firsthand about this incredible super fruit. As Brandon traveled across the country learning about the benefits and intricacies of growing fresh, American elderberry, it became clear to the family what their next step was. In spring of 2018, Cockeyed Farms was born, becoming the first commercial American Elderberry Farm in the state of Louisiana. The property the Breaux family purchased in Folsom already had 500 healthy, vibrant, beautiful blueberry bushes, and the family started clearing farmland to plant their 2,000 elderberry trees. “We are regenerative farmers, so we do not ever use any harmful chemicals or pesticides,” said Lauren. “We are pursuing our farm from a very natural, sustainable angle. So it was a lot of extra hard work to get started, but worth it.” Cockeyed Farms currently grows mainly blueberries and elderberries, and uses those fruits to make several different creamed honeys and syrups. Their products can be found on their website, or locally at Boutique Dominique and Bourgeois Meat Market.

Lauren explained that the most challenging part of the whole process of beginning Cockeyed Farms was educating herself and her family on the major differences between European elderberries, and the more scarce American elderberries. “We realized, through our research, how few elderberries are grown in America,” she said. “I was ordering dehydrated elderberries from Europe to make syrup for my kids when I began to learn that American elderberries are significantly healthier. American elderberries have more antioxidants and do not contain naturally occurring cyanide, for example. Learning that difference was huge for us,” she shared. Lauren explained that she and Brandon began to partner with American elderberry farmers in the midwest, particularly to learn about the extensive research into American elderberry that was being conducted at the University of Missouri. “Brandon actually went and interned on several different farms to continue our research,” she said. “He was able to harvest the American elderberry cuttings that we actually have in our own orchard. Elderberries do grow naturally here, but most of the time, they are actually the European strain of elderberry—something that someone has eaten or dropped and just continued to grow. I have been working with elderberries for seven years and still can't tell the difference in the wild between American and

European!” she said with a laugh. “So it was very important to us to go to these farms in the midwest and assure ourselves that what we would be growing at Cockeyed Farms was true, American elderberry. It helps us feel more honest and transparent with our customers.”

Lauren continued by saying that one of the best parts of running Cockeyed Farms is the ability to educate the after seeing first hand how farming helped my husband following his retirement from the military, we want to help other veterans and community members find their purpose in this life as well.” public and provide the community with good, home-grown products. “There is a lot of misinformation out there,” she said. “There are a lot of local companies who say they have a Louisiana product—it may be made here, but it is not grown here. Once you realize that food is your fuel, it is so important to know your farmer. I am an educator at heart and love having the opportunity to dispel myths and replace it with correct information—it has been so gratifying to me.” However, the most rewarding part of the whole process was watching her husband’s health regenerate. “I'm going to get emotional talking about this,” she said. “But I have watched Brandon come back to life. He is a different person. When I see him get in the dirt, work with his hands, and reap the fruit of this amazing product, it is all worth it. I have seen him become the best version of himself, and I know in my heart that we prolonged his life.

Brandon, after losing his career in the military, has shown my children that they can do hard things.”

Lauren hopes Cockeyed Farms will continue to provide for the community, not just health-wise, but to help others set up a healthier and more sustainable future. “We have partnered with the Farmer Veteran Coalition, which is meant to encourage veterans to support themselves through agriculture,” she said. “We were able to mentor veterans on how to grow American elderberries, find land, cultivate soil, and more. Just as we got our cuttings from elderberry farms in the midwest, we are giving our cuttings to veterans to begin their own farms. Particularly after seeing first hand how farming helped my husband following his retirement from the military, we want to help other veterans and community members find their purpose in this life as well.” Cockeyed Farms has brought not only the Breaux family, but the community at large comfort, joy, and health during its five years of flourishing. As the family likes to say, “The greatest wealth is health!” POV

Nicholls State University student Rodney Woods is turning his passion into a lifestyle and career. The 23-year-old Thibodaux native is a vegan, herbalist, and entrepreneur who sells his own homemade recipe for speciality teas on his Etsy shop "Duke's Apothecary," all while running a successful photography business, "Visuals By Duke."

Rodney is a major in Studio Arts at Nicholls State University with a concentration in photography, and remembers his passion for art beginning at a young age. "I used to watch my mom use her camera and take photos, and I got interested by playing with the camera she had. I knew from then I wanted to take pictures," explained Rodney. "I used to walk from school or walk downtown and just take pictures of anything and everything. I would even ask strangers if I could take their pictures," he chucked. "I got my own equipment and things really started to pick up from there. I would take pictures of my siblings, myself, and all the sudden, people were asking me if I could take pictures for them." Rodney explained that he began studying art through courses online and eventually decided to study photography in college and turn it into a business. "My photography company, Visuals

By Duke, started in 2018 and has been flourishing ever since then," he explained. Visuals By Duke explores portraiture, street photography, studio fine art, senior portraits, and more. His photography has been featured in Vogue Italia, has won countless awards at Nicholls State University, and has been featured in four solo exhibitions. "I would say the most rewarding part of my career as a photographer so far has been a recent exhibition I did called 'This Land,' " said Rodney. "It really pushed me to talk about injustices and the African American experience throughout history. I created a body of work that took a lot out of me emotionally but I was extremely proud of it." 'This Land' was on display recently at Nicholls State University.

However, photography is not the only entrepreneurial pursuit Rodney is currently working on—the local student is a practicing herbalist and even sells some of his creations on his Etsy shop, Duke's Apothecary. "My interest in herbalism began at an early age, same as photography," he said. "I was never the type of person who liked traditional medicine. Even when I was sick or had a headache, I never wanted to take medicine for it—there were even times I would go to the doctor and get prescribed medicine and nothing would work for me. It got to the point where it was concerning," he continued. "It really opened my eyes to the fact that I, personally, shouldn't be taking pills, which initially inspired me to look into herbalism." Rodney explained that he found a book on herbalism and began to research online the best ways to make homemade medicine. "I am also an artist, so I suffer from insomnia. That's when I had my turning point," Rodney said. "I really began to experiment with one insomnia tea for years until I got it right." His homemade insomnia tea, Sweet Dreams, is currently his best selling product on Etsy.

"I feel really good about putting my product out there, because I feel like I am able to help people all across the world who may be suffering from insomnia and feel medicine doesn't help," Rodney said. His insomnia tea is also stocked in Anela’s Yoga and Wellness Center in Houma, and will soon be in several stores across the Lafayette area. "This journey has taught me that people are more likely to turn to herbalism because it is so natural and healthy. Even though it may not be an alternative to modern medicine, it is a really great way to help heal yourself." His interest in herbalism now stretches beyond his creation of Sweet Dreams tea for insomnia, and into other aspects of his own physical wellbeing such as memory, brain function, and more. "I study and study and study until I know what different ingredients to put together to help my body," said Rodney. "And everyone's body is different, which makes herbalism so interesting. Whenever I am helping people, I try to learn as much about them as I can and what they need so I can make the best blend for them."

In conjunction with his interest in health and herbalism, Rodney decided to undertake the challenge of becoming vegan to benefit his personal health and wellbeing in 2018. "It is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life," he chucked. "It is mentally challenging. I've thought about going vegan so many times, and the back and forth was a real battle." He explained that what finally pushed him to journey into veganism was that in March of 2018, he had multiple members of his family pass away—all due to preventable health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. "I saw that as a sign to eat cleaner so I wouldn’t develop these same avoidable issues," he said. "Ever since I went vegan, my health has been wonderful. My inflammation is gone, I have more energy, I am more focused, and I rarely get sick or have chronic pain. That, combined with the herbalism, has helped me a lot." Rodney is still learning more veganism alongside herbalism, and even grows his own fresh food in a garden.

This interest in clean, fresh vegetables and herbs began to mesh with his’ passion for photography as he began photographing his harvests and the meals he makes. "For me, photography, cooking, and herbalism go hand in hand—because food is truly art," said Rodney. "Being able to use color theory, lighting, and thinking of my plate as a canvas really brings out my creativity. Plating food is like painting and is a really beautiful art form." Rodney also uses his photography and artist eye to help photograph pictures of his herbalist tea and herb mixtures for his Etsy shop. Although Visuals by Duke does not often feature his garden-to-table meals, his Facebook page is overflowing with pictures of his healthy lifestyle and the continuation of his pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.

Rodney is currently planning to go to grad school following his graduation in December 2023 for herbalism, and then potentially attending another graduate program to pursue a masters in Fine Arts. "As I continue with my studies, I am just going to keep researching and practicing herbalism, veganism, and photography as much as I can and growing both my businesses," he said. "And, hopefully help people along the way learn how to lead healthy, natural, and artistic lifestyles!" POV

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