Medical Center Physicians Elect 2024 Medical Executive Committee

Ten area providers have been elected to serve on the North Oaks Medical Center Medical Executive Committee for 2024. They were selected by their peers to serve as liaisons between the hospital’s medical staff and Administration, and the North Oaks Health System Board of Commissioners.

Otolaryngologist D’Antoni “Tony” Dennis, MD, is chief of staff. Honored as the health system’s Physician of the Year in 2021, he previously served on the Medical Executive Committee as Chair of the Surgery Department in 2018 and 2019. Dr. Dennis joined the North Oaks Physician Group practicing with North Oaks ENT & Allergy Clinic in 2013. He earned his medical degree through Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in Shreveport. He then completed an internship and residency in otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) through LSUHSC in New Orleans. He is board certified in otolaryngology through the American Board of Otolaryngology.

Emergency Medicine Physician John Krieg, MD, is Chief of Staff-elect. For the past three years, he served as Chair of the Emergency Department. Before that, he was Vice Chairman of the department from 2018 to 2020. Board certified through the American Board of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Krieg also was a member of the hospital’s Bylaws and Credentials Committee in 2020. He earned his medical degree through LSUHSC in New Orleans and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2015. Dr. Krieg completed both an internship and residency through LSU’s emergency medicine program at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

Entering the second year of their terms as members-at-large are Urologist Brad Lake, MD, and Nephrologist S. Tahseen Rab, MD.

Dr. Lake previously served on the hospital’s Bylaws and Credentials Committee in 2021 and 2022. He practices with Northshore Urological Associates and earned his medical degree from LSUHSC in New Orleans. He completed an internship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and a residency through Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He is board certified in urology through the American Board of Urology.

Dr. Rab earned his medical degree from Sind Medical College at the University of Karachi in Pakistan. He is fellowship trained and board certified in nephrology through the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Rab completed an internship and residency through Atlantic City Medical Center in New Jersey, and a fellowship through LSUHSC in New Orleans. In 2008, Dr. Rab was honored as Physician of the Year for the health system.

Family Medicine Physician Hugo A. “Rowdy” Valdes, MD, begins a two-year term as Family Practice Chairman. For the past 14 years, Dr. Valdes represented his peers as a member-at-large on North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital’s Medical Executive Committee. Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, he is a graduate of the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. Dr. Valdes completed both an internship and residency at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and joined the health system’s medical staff in 1999.

Hematologist and Oncologist Georges Tanios, MD, begins a two-year term as Chairman of the Medicine Department. He is certified by the American Board of Hematology, American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Oncology and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2022 in practice with North Oaks Hematology & Oncology Clinic. Dr. Tanios earned his medical degree and completed both a residency in internal medicine and fellowship in hematology and oncology through Lebanese University Faculty of Medical Sciences School of Medicine in Beirut. Stateside, he completed a second residency in internal medicine through East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City. He then completed a second fellowship in hematology and oncology at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Elected to a second two-year term by her peers, Jaime Edwards, MD, is an obstetrician and gynecologist, and serves as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Pediatrics. Board certified through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Edwards is a member of the Magnolia Obstetrics and Gynecology team of providers and earned her medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. Dr. Edwards then completed both an internship and residency through the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Austin.

General Surgeon Daniel Linarello, MD, begins a two-year term as Chairman of the Surgery Department. A fellow of the American College of Surgeons and board certified through the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Linarello has served on the North Oaks medical staff for 22 years and has practiced with North Oaks Surgical Associates since 2022. His previous medical staff leadership roles include membership on the Bylaws and Credentials Committee in 2023, the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee in 2008, and the Surgery Steering Committee in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Dr. Linarello earned his medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He then completed both an internship and residency in general surgery through Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans.

Emergency Medicine Physician Brandon Cambre, MD, returns as Emergency Department Chairman, having served in this capacity in 2019 and 2020. Dr. Cambre earned his medical degree from LSUHSC 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. Dr. Cambre is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2005. Previous leadership roles also include Chief of Staff (2022), Chief of Staff-elect (2021) Vice Chairman of the Emergency Department (2017), Emergency Medicine Steering Committee member (2009), Bylaws and Credentials Committee Vice Chairman (2014 and member [2015 – 2016]). In addition, Dr. Cambre represents the Louisiana Hospital Association for hospitals with more than 100 beds on the regional commission of the Louisiana Emergency Response Network for Region 9.

Nurse Practitioner Lori Mayers begins her second year as advanced practitioner appointee. She joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2001 and became a member of the North Oaks Physician Group in 2012, as a nurse practitioner with North Oaks Pulmonology Clinic. Mayers earned both her bachelor and master's degrees in nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. She then graduated from the University of South Alabama in Mobile with a second master’s degree in adult-gerontology acute care as a nurse practitioner. She is board certified as an advanced practice registered nurse, adult nurse practitioner and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and American Nurses Credentialing Center. In 2021, she received North Oaks Health System’s Advanced Practitioner of the Year Award.

North Oaks Medical Center is a level II trauma center and primary stroke center with 330 beds. The hospital is located at 15790 Paul Vega, MD, Drive in Hammond.

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