LSU has recently appointed Courtney Phillips, a former state health secretary with extensive experience in managing health care operations, to serve as a top administrator overseeing the university’s health care operations. Phillips, who previously worked for Gov. John Bel Edwards during the COVID-19 pandemic and later advised Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on health care matters, will bring her unique perspective and skills to her new role at LSU.
The LSU System includes several medical and health care graduate schools in New Orleans and Shreveport, as well as the Pennington Biomedical Center in Baton Rouge which focuses on health care research. Additionally, LSU manages a medical residency program with hundreds of doctors in training, and the last remaining state public hospital in Independence.
During her time as state health department head under Governor Edwards from 2020 until April 2023, Phillips oversaw various initiatives beyond the COVID-19 response. These included extending postpartum insurance coverage for Medicaid recipients from six weeks to one year, as well as expanding dental coverage for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Medicaid program. However, she also faced criticism for her handling of a widely publicized evacuation of nursing home residents to a warehouse during Hurricane Ida.
Phillips has not yet responded to inquiries about her new role at LSU, and the university has not disclosed details about her compensation package. It will be interesting to see how her background and experience in health care administration will impact the university’s health care initiatives going forward.
Overall, it is clear that Phillips’ appointment represents an important step forward for LSU’s healthcare operations. With her extensive experience in managing complex healthcare systems and working with government officials at all levels of government, she is uniquely qualified to lead these efforts at one of Louisiana’s most prestigious universities.
