Dr. Amanda Logue, Chief Medical Officer for Ochsner Lafayette General, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss Ochsner’s new General Surgery Residency Program.

Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the surgical residency program received nearly 600 applications for three coveted spots. The 5-year surgery program is expected to grow, training a new class of three residents per academic year, wth the inaugural class beginning July 1, 2024. Ochsner is also pursuing accreditation of Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Transitional Year Programs.

On April 16, 2024, Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, the region’s only Level 2 Trauma Center, celebrated the launch of its new General Surgery Residency Program, which will begin July 1, 2024.

Located inside the new, recently constructed tower at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, the completed Graduate Medical Education space will be 17,115 square feet. Phase 1 includes eight resident sleep rooms, a resident lounge, classrooms, rounding rooms and lactation rooms. Phase 2 will house numerous simulation labs and additional classroom space.

Ziad Ashkar, MD, will serve as the Designated Institutional Official (DIO), ensuring the program meets the rigorous accreditation standards set by the ACGME. Dr. Dennis Eschete will serve as the Program Director for General Surgery. About 25 surgeons will be rotating, with the core group of teaching physicians being Dr. Willard Mosier, Ochsner Lafayette General’s head of trauma, Dr. Jason Breaux, Dr. Michael Horaist and Dr. Racheed “Joe” Ghanami.

The new residency program is both a strategic response to the escalating physician shortage and a model for innovative care solutions leading to increased patient access. In a 2024 report, the Association of American Medical Colleges projected that physician demand will grow faster than supply, leading to a projected total shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Moreover, Louisiana is projected to rank third nationally for a shortage of physicians by 2030, according to a Human Resources for Health analysis.

Speaking of the physician shortage being experience here and nationwide, Dr. Amanda Logue shared that 140,000 patients came through Ochsner University Clinics in 2023. “It’s a huge volume, there’s a huge need for more physicians.”

Ochsner Lafayette General’s new surgery residency program doesn’t replace its ongoing partnership with LSU School of Medicine’s at University Hospital & Cinics; it complements it. Dr. Logue stated, “The reality is there’s a critical need for more physicians, which is why we started our own program in addition to the existing one. This program also signifies our deep commitment to advancing medical education and addressing the dire need for surgeons in our healthcare system.” Importantly, data shows that most physicians practice within 70 miles of where they trained, so Ochsner hopes that Lafayette will be a compelling place for their residents to start their medical careers.

The goal of the program is not only to provide top-tier educational opportunities, such as training at the region’s only Level 2 Trauma Center, but also to inspire innovation and compassion among the residents. The residents will learn to navigate the complexities of healthcare delivery with a patient-first approach, having the opportunity to take part in cutting-edge research and be at the forefront of developing new surgical techniques.

Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s top healthcare educator of physicians. Annually Ochsner and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals. It currently offers 33 Acreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education programs, training over 330 residents and fellows each year.

Dr. Logue is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Clinical Informatics, having completed her undergraduate training at LSU in microbiology, and medical training at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. She completed her residency training and chief resident year at University of Tennessee in Memphis in internal medicine. Married with three children, ages 16, 14, and 10, Dr. Logue grew up in Baton Rouge. She has worked with Ocshner Lafayette General for 15 years, and as Chief Medical Officer since October 2019, having previously served as Medical Director of the Hospitalist team, on the Information Systems team, and Chief Information Medical Officer.

Dr. Amanda Logue loves Lafayette’s culture, university, and family-friendly environment. When she was hired by then-Lafayette General’s CEO, David Callecod, she says, “I knew at the time that Lafayette General had an intention to make it a good place to work, to receive care. I wanted to be a part of that. So I came on as a Hospitalist.” As Ochsner Lafayette General’s Chief Medical Officer fifteen years later, she still makes rounds as a way to keep her clinical skills sharp, and to stay connected with the nurses, techs, housekeeping, and other staff.

We thank Dr. Amanda Logue for her medical service to our community and wish Ochsner Lafayette General and its incoming residents the best of success in transforming our region’s medical education landscape.

Sue Ford (Esther) and Dan Duval Part 5 Area 51 and Wormwood (16+)