Board of Directors

OFFICERS

Frederick P. Cerise, M.D., M.P.H.
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS

Chair, BHGH

Dr. Frederick Cerise was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana
Department of Health and Hospitals by Governor Kathleen Babineaux
Blanco in January 2004. Dr. Cerise is leading Louisiana’s effort to
develop a comprehensive plan to reform health care.
Prior to taking the job as Secretary, Dr. Cerise served as administrator
of Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge. He is an internal medicine
physician and spent the previous 13 years of his career both teaching
medical students and treating uninsured patients in the state’s public
hospital system.
Dr. Cerise received an undergraduate degree in science from the
University of Notre Dame in Indiana and a graduate degree in medicine
from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
He completed both his medical internship and residency at the
University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham. Dr. Cerise later
received a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University.

Lourdes Kadair, Secretary

.
.Ralph J. Stephens, CPA, JD, ABV

Treasurer, BHGH

Ralph J. Stephens, CPA, JD, ABV is a Tax Director with Postlethwaite & Netterville.  Ralph joined the firm in 1981.  Prior to joining the firm, he practiced law. 

Ralph’s areas of concentration include income and estate planning, succession planning, business consulting, and litigation support. His clients include general and mechanical contractors, engineering and manufacturing firms, health care organizations, not-for-profit organizations, retailers, finance companies, and professional services firms. 

Ralph has been in the public service arena since he began his career nearly 25 years ago.  His public service contributions include long-term commitments to more than 20 community and civic organizations serving disadvantaged segments of the population

Meg Gerald, Executive Director

Audra Ray, Program Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lisa Gray Adamek

Rick Bourgeois

Sister Judith Brun, C.S.J.

Paula Pennington de la Bretonne

Norman A. Deumite

Daniel T. Fontenot, MD

Alice Greer

Tommy Hodson

Jim Hundemer

Francis Jumonville

Ben Kleinpeter

Brother Barry Landry

Johnny Mann

Ann Zedlitz Massengale, MD

Sherri McKay

John E. McLachlan, Jr., MD

Patricia B. McMurray

P.J. Mills

Donald N. Minor

Paul A. Minorini

Horace L. Mitchell, MD

Walter A. Morales

Troy Rembert

Trey Trahan

Chris Valluzo