Welcome Letter - Dr. Rajiv Gala

Ochsner’s rich history of excellence in education and research is grounded in the vision of our founders. We aspire to improve the health of our communities by educating our physicians and healthcare providers in the Ochsner way and by advancing the medical science through research to develop leading-edge care.

Ochsner is a leader in medical education. Through our partnership with The University of Queensland, we train American medical students with a global healthcare perspective, and we prepare residents and fellows for practice in our 30 ACGME-accredited graduate medical education programs. We know that physicians who train in an excellent health system deliver high quality care to their patients. We have partnered with Xavier University to train physician assistants and with Chamberlin University to train nurses, and we offer other allied health programs as well. Beyond providing quality technical training in an integrated group practice, the informal curriculum at Ochsner—our compassionate dedication to the patient, innovative thinking, and proactive focus on wellness—creates a learning environment that produces superior healthcare providers who put patients first and meet their healthcare needs in a community-focused way.

Our research enterprise has 3 strategic arms: translational research, clinical trials, and outcomes and health service research. Translational research activities are conducted in association with our strategic partners at The University of Queensland and Louisiana State University Health in Shreveport. Translational and clinical trials research is focused around our 7 centers of research excellence: Transplant, Cardiovascular, Women’s Services, Pediatrics, Neurosciences, Cancer, and Orthopedics. The Ochsner Center for Outcomes and Health Service Research focuses on addressing healthcare disparities.

Ochsner brings education and research together in the Academic Division. I hope you will take some time to explore this site and learn more about the exciting work going on in Ochsner Academics.

Rajiv Gala, MD
Designated Institutional Official (DIO)