Terri Lewis Appointed Vice President of Surgical and Emergency Services

Terri M. Lewis has been named Vice President of Surgical and Emergency Services for North Oaks Health System effective Dec. 24.

In her expanded role, Lewis will add oversight of North Oaks Medical Center’s Level II Trauma Center program, the emergency department and employed emergency department physicians to her current responsibilities of managing surgical services.

A veteran North Oaks leader, Lewis joined the organization as a staff RN in 1981. She was promoted to head nurse of the surgery unit in 1984, and with the 1985 opening of the same day surgery unit, she handled developing policies and procedures, hiring staff and devising the quality improvement plan for the new area. In 1993, Lewis was promoted to vice president of surgical services and gained responsibility for all peri-operative services. In 2008, anesthesia services were added to the surgical services division.

In her various roles, Lewis has been an integral part of the design and operation of the expanded inpatient and outpatient surgical and anesthesia areas at North Oaks. She helped to facilitate the successful launch of the EPIC electronic health record in 2013. Her focus on safety and patient experience resulted in the division exceeding infection prevention goals, as well as significant and sustained gains in patients’ ratings of their care. In addition to mentoring an expert leadership team, she lectures on professional development for nurses in the ever-changing world of health care.

In recognition of her performance excellence, Lewis was named director of the year in 1995 and received the Continued Excellence Award in 2011.

Lewis earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University. She is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Association of Operating Room Nurses and the Tangipahoa District Nurses Association.

“My career at North Oaks has allowed me to grow as a medical professional and follow my passion for helping others. I am beyond thrilled by this opportunity,” Lewis affirms.

The North Oaks Medical Center Level II Trauma Center provides immediate, lifesaving care for injured patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for Region 9 of the state, which includes Tangipahoa, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany and Washington parishes. Trauma/critical care surgeons and specially trained nursing teams are available in-house 24/7 to treat trauma cases, including, but not limited to: falls, motor vehicle crashes and sports injuries. Emergency medicine physicians, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, ophthalmologists, radiologists, as well as ear, nose and throat surgeons also provide coverage.