HJNO Jan/Feb 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2026 57 Josh Lowentritt, MD President-Elect Medical Association of Southeast Louisiana preventive health and physician advocacy. Lindsay R. York, MD, will serve as the 2026 president of JPMS. A board-certified pediatrician with more than two decades of experience, York earned her medical de- gree from LSU School of Medicine, com- pleted her pediatric residency at Tulane, and holds a master’s in public health in tropical medicine from Tulane’s School of Public Health. She has been an active lead- er in organized medicine and statewide advocacy efforts, and will bring to her new role a strong public health perspective and a deep commitment to the children and families in our community. Emmett B. Chapital Jr., MD, will serve as the 2026 president of OPMS. A longtime New Orleans cardiologist, Chapital grad- uated from Tulane School of Medicine, is board-certified in internal medicine, car- diovascular disease, and nuclear cardiol- ogy, and is a fellow of both the American College of Cardiology and the American To join MASELA, go to masela.org/join. Society of Nuclear Cardiology. Chapital has led a distinguished career in advanced heart failure management, community cardiovascular care, and clinical educa- tion. Notably, he was among the first phy- sicians to reopen his practice after Hur- ricane Katrina, returning to provide vital cardiovascular services to the recovering community. His deep commitment to New Orleans and its patients will strengthen OPMS’s advocacy and engagement in the year ahead. As we enter 2026, our societies remain committed to advancing evidence-based medicine, supporting physicians across all practice settings, and advocating for a stronger, more equitable healthcare sys- tem. Every physician is encouraged to stay involved through membership, committee work, policy engagement, or participation in initiatives like Physicians for Preven- tion. Physicians across Southeast Louisi- ana are invited to attend the Celebration of Medicine in March 2026 at Metairie Country Club, where the 2026 officers will be installed, society awards presented, and local physicians who graduated from medical school in 1976 will be honored. For event details, visit: masela.org I look forward to another year of collab- oration, advocacy, and dedicated service to our patients and our profession. Happy New Year, and I wish everyone a joyful and safe Carnival season! n At our annual Celebration of Medicine, we honored the Louisiana State Police, New Orleans EMS, NOFD Station 29, NOPD District 8, and clinical teams from several New Orleans area hospitals for their swift and coordinated response to an unthinkable tragedy.