Ochsner Children's

07/21/2026

✨ Share the Joy. Give a Toy.

Watch as Brittany and George McGregor share the story behind WiBo-Giving, created to honor their son Everett’s joyful spirit and love of play.

https://ow.ly/9Yqs50Zllup

That same spirit lives on through Ochsner Children's Child Life Program—where toys help comfort, distract, and support children during their hospital stay.

This July, you can help continue Everett’s legacy by donating a new toy or dining at participating local businesses.

💙 One toy. One moment of joy. One meaningful impact.💙

Adventure Quest Laser Tag
Arnaud’s Restaurant
Audubon Clubhouse by Dickie Brennan & Co.
Barracuda Taco Stand
Bricks & Minifigs Metairie
The Chloe
Create & Play Club
Dat Dog Frenchmen & Magazine
Mahony's Po-boys
Mosca's Restaurant
Pippen Lane - A Children's Emporium
Sharkey's Cuts for Kids - Metairie
TANA
ZukaBaby

07/21/2026

Meet Meghan Vial Louque, MD, a board-certified pediatrician at Ochsner Children's Health Center - Luling located within St. Charles Parish Hospital. 🩺 Dr. Louque cares for kids from birth through high school.

Dr. Louque has a special connection to the community she serves, as her grandfather David J. Vial, MD, was one of the founding members of St. Charles Parish Hospital.

"It's a dream for me to be able to work and carry on the Vial family's legacy of service to our parish," Dr. Louque said. "I can say it's a dream come true."

⭐ Dr. Louque is currently accepting new patients. Schedule an appointment with her on our website: https://ow.ly/4V5h50ZqM7R.

07/20/2026

Proudly serving Slidell for more than 65 years. Through our partnership with Ochsner Health, we provide innovative, compassionate care close to home through two hospital campuses and a dedicated team committed to our community.

07/15/2026

Extended care. Extended hours. More time for your family. 💙

At Ochsner Children's, we know life with kids rarely follows a 9-to-5 schedule. That's why we're expanding our general pediatrics after-hours care across the New Orleans area, so your child can see their doctor when it works best for your family.

⭐ Ochsner Children’s Health Center - Lapalco (4225 Lapalco Blvd., Marrero, Louisiana)

🗓️ Extended evening hours Monday - Thursday until 7 p.m., with appointment availability with Nikita Patel, MD, and Michelle Mims, MD, on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Oleitha Wilson-Ruffin, MD, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

⭐ Ochsner Children’s Health Center – Metairie (4901 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, Louisiana)

🗓️ Extended evening hours began in May, with William Fernandez, MD, seeing patients until 6 p.m. Tuesday – Friday. Pediatric well-visit appointments now take place one Saturday a month, along with an additional physician to support.

⭐ Ochsner Children’s Health Center – New Orleans (1315 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans, Louisiana)

🗓️ Extended evening hours are on Tuesdays until 7 p.m. with rotating physicians. Daniela Castro, DO, and Ryan Breaud, DO, offer early morning appointments on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday starting at 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Pediatric well-visit appointments now take place every Saturday.

⭐ Ochsner Children’s Health Center - St. Bernard (8050 West Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, Louisiana)

🗓️ Extended hours include two Saturdays per month for appointments.

Ochsner Children’s is proud to be here for your family, day and night. Because when it comes to your child's health, convenience and expert care should always be within reach. Learn more about pediatrics at Ochsner Children’s here: https://ow.ly/jT1c50ZnymQ.

As the No. 1 hospital for kids in Louisiana, Ochsner Children's provides high-quality pediatric care from sick visits to surgery to transplants and more. We treat patients ages 0-18 in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the U.S. ⭐ Long live healthy kids!

07/13/2026

Join Ochsner Children's at our free Back to School Health Fair on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Ochsner Children's Health Center - New Orleans! ⭐

This free event will offer the following:

🩺 Well child check-ups and nurse visits
🏈 Sports physicals
✏️ Free school supplies
📚 Educational classes like Growing Up Girls, Growing Up Boys, safety and injury prevention, and friends and family CPR. Sign up here: https://www.ochsnerstore.org/kids.

Walk-ins available. Appointment encouraged. For more information, please call 504-842-3900.

As the No. 1 hospital for kids in Louisiana, Ochsner Children's provides high-quality pediatric care from sick visits to surgery to transplants and more. We treat patients ages 0-18 in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the U.S. ⭐ Long live healthy kids!

06/25/2026

Please join us in welcoming Kathryn Melancon, MD, to Ochsner Children's! 🩺

Dr. Melancon is a board-certified pediatrician and sees patients at Ochsner Health Center - Destrehan in Destrehan, Louisiana. Dr. Melancon provides comprehensive pediatric care for infants, children and adolescents, including well-child exams, sick visits, immunizations and more.

Dr. Melancon is passionate about building lasting relationships with her patients and their families and considers it a privilege to watch her patients grow and thrive through every stage of childhood. She believes in working together with parents to provide compassionate, personalized care and loves getting to know each family she serves.

Originally from Natchitoches, Louisiana, Dr. Melancon earned her bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in Monroe, Louisiana, before completing medical school at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. She then completed her pediatric residency through LSU Health Sciences at Manning Family Children's in New Orleans. Dr. Melancon is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Melancon enjoys spending time with her husband, son and dog Simba.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Melancon to Ochsner Children's! 😊💙

⭐ Dr. Melancon is currently accepting new patients. Schedule an appointment with her on our website: https://ow.ly/mybY50ZgQCj.

Kathryn Melancon, MD, specializes in Pediatrics at Ochsner Health in Destrehan, LA

06/23/2026

We're excited to welcome Veronica Lewis, MD, to Ochsner Children's! 🩺

Dr. Lewis is a pediatrician at Ochsner and sees patients at Ochsner Children’s Health Center – New Orleans and Ochsner Health Center – Lake Terrance in New Orleans, Louisiana. She specializes in comprehensive pediatric care for infants, children and adolescents, including well-child check-ups, vaccinations, sick visits and more.

A native New Orleanian, Dr. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans in 2002. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2006. She completed a pediatric internship and residency at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans in affiliation with Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans in 2010. Dr. Lewis is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Lewis enjoys traveling, engaging in local community service activities and spending time with family.

Welcome to the team, Dr. Lewis! 💙

⭐ Dr. Lewis is currently accepting new patients. Schedule a well-child visit or sick visit with Dr. Lewis on our website: https://ow.ly/Klwa50ZfRQI.

Veronica Lewis, MD, specializes in Pediatrics at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, LA

06/22/2026

Welcome to Ochsner Children's, Taylor Durand! 🩺⭐

Taylor Durand, MSN, FNP-C, is a certified family medicine nurse practitioner at Ochsner Children's and sees patients at Ochsner Health Center - Lapalco. She specializes in pediatric primary care, providing comprehensive care for children and adolescents from birth through age 19.

Taylor earned her master’s degree in nursing with a specialty in family medicine from Herzing University in Metairie, Louisiana, in 2024. She is board-certified in family medicine by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Taylor completed her clinical experience locally, serving the greater New Orleans area. She has also earned a Master of Science in physiology at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2018. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners to stay updated on medical advancements.

Taylor is dedicated to addressing the medical needs of her patients while understanding individual concerns and goals. She has been an Ochsner employee since 2018, working in various roles in pediatric primary care, therapy and wellness and neonatal intensive care. She began practicing as a family nurse practitioner in 2025.

Taylor is currently accepting new patients. Schedule an appointment with her on our website: https://ow.ly/19Jg50Zfsgp.

06/19/2026

What is sickle cell disease? And how does Ochsner Health and Ochsner Children's support patients with sickle cell?

Let's hear from Laura Finn, MD, a hematologist at Ochsner, to learn more. 💙

06/18/2026

Ochsner Children’s is excited to enter a new phase of growth in our pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program! 💙

This expansion reflects Ochsner Children’s commitment to building one of the Gulf South’s most comprehensive pediatric heart centers while increasing access to lifesaving, highly specialized care for children and families across the region.

As part of this growth, the program is expanding its surgical team with the hiring of Dilip Nath, MD, who is slated to begin in July, and Thaniyyah Ahmad, MD, and Martina Barbic, MD, who are slated to join the team in September, increasing Ochsner Children’s ability to care for patients with complex congenital and acquired heart conditions. The program is also strengthening peri operative care with supplemental coverage from pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist Karen Thompson, MD, further supporting safe, high quality outcomes across the most complex cases.

Ochsner Children’s is also enhancing its pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) with the addition of Mark Clay, MD, who will serve as medical director beginning in July, and Asha Nair, MD, enhancing care for patients requiring advanced postoperative support.

In pediatric cardiology, the program has added significant subspecialty expertise and regional reach with the addition of Mary Mehta, MD; Adeola Awujoola, MD; Jesus Jaile, MD; and Ketaki Mukhopadhyay, MD. These physicians expand capabilities across areas such as interventional cardiology, fetal cardiology and community-based care, while strengthening access for families in key regions including Baton Rouge, Monroe, Lafayette and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Together, these additions reinforce Ochsner Children’s comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to heart care, which spans diagnosis, surgery and recovery.

“This is a pivotal moment of growth for our pediatric heart program,” said Vincent “Butch” Adolph, MD, chief medical officer for Ochsner Children’s. “We are expanding not only our team, but the breadth of services and access we can provide, ensuring more children across our region can receive world-class heart care close to home.”

💙 Read more here: https://ow.ly/fcLe50Zeq74.

⭐ Learn more about pediatric cardiothoracic surgery here: https://ow.ly/1zge50Zco6O.

As the No. 1 hospital for kids in Louisiana, Ochsner Children's provides high-quality pediatric care from sick visits to surgery to transplants and more. We treat patients ages 0-18 in Louisiana, Mississippi and across the U.S. ⭐ Long live healthy kids!