Meetings
 
Agenda Item
Docket No. 22-549
 
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RE:
Advisory Opinion request regarding the Regional Medical Director for Region 3 of the Louisiana Department of Health's Office of Public Heath working for Chabert Medical Center as an emergency room physician.
Facts:
Dr. Eric Brooks is employed with the Louisiana Department of Health's (LDH) Office of Public Health (ODH) as the Regional Administrator/Regional Medical Director (RA/RMD) for LDH Region 3, which consists of the parishes of Assumption, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Mary and Terrebonne.

As the RA/RMD for Region 3, Dr. Brooks' duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: (1) Supervising the regional staff including regional parish and contract personnel located in the Regional Office public health delivery sites and WIC sites throughout the region; (2) Supervising the medical clinical aspects of all public health programs in the region and serving as the regional medical contact for central office staff for all programs including but not limited to reproductive health family planning and STD HIV maternal child health immunizations Children s Special Health Services and Tuberculosis; (3) Assuming the medical clinical leadership role for the Rapid Response Team in the region regarding communicable disease outbreak investigations bioterrorism activities and emergency preparedness activities; (4) Serving as the LDH OPH lead over all emergency preparedness activities in the region in consultation with the Assistant Secretary, State Health Officer, OPH Medical Director, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Preparedness and Health Protection, the Bureau of Community Preparedness, and the Bureau Director for Regional and Clinical Operations; and, (5) Supporting and coordinating medical services with the Louisiana Medicaid Program and Louisiana Medicaid managed care entities as part of the LDH OPH Program.

    Dr. Eric Brooks is seeking to provide health care services as an ER Physician to patients at Chabert, as an employee of South Louisiana Medical Associates (SLMA) on a part-time basis, outside of his work hours with LDH.

    Chabert is owned by Hospital Service District No. 1 of the Parish of Terrebonne and managed by Ochsner Health System. Dr. Brooks would be compensated for his services by SLMA for hours worked at an hourly rate equal to what he received when he previously worked for SLMA full-time.



    Law:
    La. R.S. 42:1111C(1)(a) provides that no public servant shall receive any thing of economic value for any service, the subject matter of which: (a) Is devoted substantially to the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the agency of the public servant and in which the public servant has participated.
    Recommendations:
    Adopt proposed Advisory Opinion.
    Assigned Attorney: Mallory Guillot
     
     
    ATTACHMENTS:
    Description:
    2022-549 - AO
    2022-549- Email from Eric Brooks