North Oaks Medical Center Physicians Appoint 2023 Medical Executive Committee

Ten area physicians have been appointed to serve on the North Oaks Medical Center Medical Executive Committee for 2023. These officers were selected by their peers as liaisons between North Oaks medical staff and the North Oaks Health System Board of Commissioners.

Pulmonologist Justin Fowlkes, M.D., who was last year’s chief of staff-elect, is serving as chief of staff for 2023. He joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2017 as part of North Oaks Pulmonology Clinic in Hammond. Fowlkes earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine in New Orleans. Through LSU Health Sciences Center (HSC) in Baton Rouge, he completed an Internal Medicine residency as chief resident and a Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship. He is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal, Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine. In 2020, Fowlkes was honored by his peers as one of six North Oaks Health System’s Providers of the Year, based on nominations from North Oaks employees, volunteers and providers and his work on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Otolaryngologist D’Antoni Dennis, M.D., is serving as chief of staff-elect, previously serving on the committee as surgery department chairman in 2018 and 2019. Dennis has been a provider with North Oaks Physician Group since 2013 as a member of North Oaks ENT & Allergy Clinic. He earned his medical degree through LSUHSC in Shreveport. He completed an internship and residency in Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) through LSUHSC in New Orleans. He is board-certified in Otolaryngology by the American Board of Otolaryngology. In 2021, Dennis was honored by his peers as North Oaks Health System’s Provider of the Year, based on nominations from North Oaks employees, volunteers and providers.

Members-at-large are Urologist Brad Lake, M.D., and Nephrologist S. Tahseen Rab, M.D.

Lake is a member of Northshore Urological Associates and earned his medical degree from LSUHSC in New Orleans. He completed an internship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and a residency at Washington University in St. Louis/Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He is board-certified in Urology by the American Board of Urology.

Rab earned his medical degree from Sind Medical College at the University of Karachi in Pakistan. He is fellowship-trained and board-certified in Nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He completed an internship and residency through Atlantic City Medical Center in New Jersey. In 2008, Rab was honored by his peers as North Oaks Health System’s Provider of the Year, based on nominations from North Oaks employees, volunteers and providers.

Family Medicine Physician Scott Picou, M.D., is serving as family practice chairman. Picou earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in True Blue, Grenada. He carried out his internship and residency through the LSU Rural Family Medicine Residency Program at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa. He joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2015 with the Internal Medicine Clinic of Tangipahoa. In 2021, he was vice chairman of family practice, and in 2019 and 2020, he served in the capacity of member-at-large. In 2018, he was a Professional Practice Evaluation Committee member. He is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Hospitalist Rainier Batiste, D.O., is serving a second year as medicine department chairman. She joined the North Oaks Medical Center staff in 2017 and earned her medical degree from William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She completed an Internal Medicine internship and residency through Danville Regional Medical Center in Virginia and is board-certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine.

Obstetrician and Gynecologist Jaime Edwards, M.D., is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is serving as obstetrics & gynecology and pediatrics chairman. As a member of Magnolia Obstetrics and Gynecology, she earned a medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport and completed an internship and residency through the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Austin.

Trauma Surgeon Michael Fahr, M.D., FACS, who joined the North Oaks Trauma team in 2016, is again serving as surgery department chairman. He earned his medical degree through LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed an internship and residency in General Surgery through the University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Chattanooga. A fellowship in Surgical Critical Care followed through LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery in Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. Since 2016, he has served on the Trauma Program’s Mortality and Morbidity Committee.

Emergency Medicine Physician John Krieg, M.D., with North Oaks Medical Center, is serving as the 2023 emergency department chairman for a third year after fulfilling the role in 2021 and 2022. He previously served as vice chairman in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He also belonged to the Bylaws and Credentials Committee in 2020. A member of the North Oaks medical staff since 2015, Krieg earned his medical degree through LSUHSC in New Orleans. He completed an internship and residency through LSU’s Emergency Medicine program at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Professionally, he belongs to the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and American College of Emergency Physicians. He is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Nurse Practitioner Lori Mayers is serving as advanced practitioner appointee. Mayers joined the North Oaks medical staff in 2001 and became a member of the North Oaks Physician Group in 2012 as a nurse practitioner with North Oaks Pulmonology Clinic in Hammond. Mayers earned her bachelor and master’s degrees in Nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University. She graduated from the University of South Alabama in Mobile with a second master’s degree in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care as a nurse practitioner. She is board-certified as an advanced practice registered nurse, adult nurse practitioner and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and American Nurses Credentialing Center. In 2021, she was honored by her peers as North Oaks Health System’s Advanced Practitioner of the Year, based on nominations from North Oaks employees, volunteers and providers.