North Oaks Health System Honors 2019 Providers of the Year

Exceptional dedication to serving others, leadership, performance excellence and community involvement are among the accolades received by Dr. A. Gayden Robert, Jr., and Nurse Practitioner Kevin Mixon as North Oaks Health System’s 2019 Providers of the Year.

Robert is an emergency medicine physician with the North Oaks Medical Center Emergency Department, and Mixon, who practices with New Leaf Psychiatry & Counseling Center, treats patients, age 16 and older, with a variety of mental disorders.

Each year, the Medical Executive Committees for North Oaks Medical Center and North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital select a physician and midlevel provider from nominations submitted by health system employees, volunteers and providers.

Nominations for Robert noted his kindness, consideration, calming presence and ability to nurture the potential in others. North Oaks Physician Group Practice Supervisor Daniel Tanner counts himself fortunate to have benefitted from Robert’s influence.

Tanner, who began his North Oaks career as a patient care tech in the Emergency Department, recounts, “I always felt that Dr. Robert valued me as a team member, but no more so than the day he asked me if I was in school. I was hesitant to tell him ‘no,’ out of disappointment in myself, but I was honest and told him that I was not. I had stopped my studies because I was worried math would hold me back. In hearing this, he pulled me aside and told me that he saw talent in me and that not getting my degree would be a shame for so many people who could benefit from having a great leader. Dr. Robert imparted wisdom to me on many other occasions, but his words on this day were the most impactful.”

Tanner continues, “Because of Dr. Robert, I ultimately decided to return to college and will soon earn a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management with honors. I believe that life is about impacting those around you in a positive way, and Dr. Robert does this by seeing the potential in others. I am where I am today because he believed in me.”

Robert has belonged to the North Oaks medical staff since 1995. No stranger to leadership roles, he served as North Oaks Medical Center chief of staff in 2017. He also belonged to the Emergency Room Steering Committee for many years and the Professional Practice Evaluation Committee since 2018 when he presided as chairman.

Certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and American Board of Pediatrics, he earned his medical degree through Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He went on to complete an internship and residency through Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A second residency was completed at the former Earl K. Long Memorial Hospital in Baton Rouge.

Mixon joined North Oaks Physician Group as a nurse practitioner with New Leaf Psychiatry & Counseling Center in 2006.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mixon earned a master’s degree in Nursing through the University of South Alabama in Mobile. He is certified as a family psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Nominations for Mixon point to the mutual respect he shares with fellow providers and community agencies. As an example, Mixon regularly presents continuing education units for North Oaks Health System social workers on a variety of mental health topics.

Another nomination states, “Kevin is always ready to lend a helping hand and answer staff and patient questions. We depend on his knowledge and assistance in developing safe discharge plans for patients and appreciate the diligence with which he carries out consults.”

Other nominations praise his “excellent communication skills” and “diligence with consults and progress notes.” They also recognize his humility and genuine care for each and every patient.

The 24-hour Emergency Department at North Oaks Medical Center is located at 15790 Paul Vega, M.D., Drive.

New Leaf Psychiatry & Counseling Center is located at 15770 Paul Vega, M.D., Drive in Suite 202 of North Oaks Office Plaza on the North Oaks Medical Center campus. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

To learn more about North Oaks emergency and mental health services, call North Oaks Public Relations at (985) 230-6647.