Transforming Rural Health Outcomes through Partnerships: Bridging Gaps in Research, Workforce, and Technology
Panelists include Julie F. Hagan (LDH), Lee Mendoza (LDH), Eric Griggs, MD (Access Health Louisiana), and Tina Stefanski, MD (LDH).
Moderator: Henry Chu, PhD, Executive Director, Informatics Research Institute, Professor, School of Computing & Informatics, UL Lafayette
Dr. Chu received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. from Purdue University. Before being appointed the Executive Director of the Informatics Research Institute at UL Lafayette, he was the School of Computing and Informatics Director from 2011 to 2014 and an assistant dean of sciences from 2009 to 2011.
His technical interests are machine vision, machine learning, and software development. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Louisiana and a proud member of the Theodore Roosevelt Association. Dr. Chu is committed to research that solves real-world problems. Federal and state agencies have sponsored his work. He has supervised 20 doctoral dissertations and jointly holds a U.S. patent in user interface technology with his colleagues and students. Dr. Chu and his students are eager to apply what they learn to improve our communities. They recently collaborated with Miles Perret Cancer Services to develop a mobile device app to help cancer patients organize information during their treatments.
Eric D. Griggs, MD, “Doc Griggs”, Access Health Louisiana
“Doc Griggs” is the health and wellness awareness persona of Eric D. Griggs, M.D., a New Orleans-based Community Medicine Doctor and Health Educator who has dedicated his professional life to raising health and wellness awareness in communities, nationally and internationally. In addition to being recently appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, he also serves in the same capacity at the LSU School of Medicine and the Xavier University College of Pharmacy. He maintains a continued role as Director of Community Medicine at Access Health Louisiana, a Federally-Qualified Health Center. Dr. Griggs proudly serves as the founder and Executive Director of the Doc Griggs Foundation, a community-driven, student-activated, and professionally mentored organization that promotes community health by empowering the community to ‘Get Checked. Get Fit. Get Moving!® Dr. Griggs currently serves as the chapter president of the 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans and is proudly a member of the national 100 Black Men of America’s Health and Wellness Committee, where is serves as the national COVID-19 Chair and spokesperson. In 2020, the world was affected by the global pandemic of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Since then, Doc Griggs has become a local, state, national, and international figure in explaining the risks, exposure, care, prevention, and treatment strategies against COVID-19. He remains consistently vigilant, adamant, and intentional in providing up-to-date information and opportunities for testing and vaccinations to the community. Through community town hall meetings, news media outlets, animations, policy support, in-person events, community health clinics, and more, Dr. Griggs has stood steadfast. In an ever-changing world of uncertainty, Dr. Griggs has proven a trusted voice of calm and reliable, evidence-based information for the community as the world continues to strive for a new sense of ‘healthy normal.’
Julie Foster Hagan, Executive Director, Office of Rural Health
Transformation and Sustainability (ORHTS)
Julie Foster Hagan became executive director for the LDH Office of Rural
Health Transformation and Sustainability in December 2025. She helped lead the state in completing the grant application for this $50 billion program. This application resulted in a grant award of $208,374,448 for the first year, which will be used to help fund activities related to workforce development, technology innovations, innovative care, sustainable access, and making rural residents healthy again.This effort will involve buildingpartnerships in rural communities to ensure sustainable healthcare
outcomes during and beyond the grant period. Julie has worked for LDH more than 27 years in several leadership roles, including Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary, administrator of North Lake Supports and Services Center, and program manager of the statewide OCDD Resource Centers. The Louisiana Chapter of AAIDD honored Julie for the 2000-2023 Louisiana Historic Recognition Project, for helping to transform the intellectual/developmental disabilities field in Louisiana. She has served as a member-at-large on the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) since 2022 and has been a member of the its National Policy Workgroup since 2019. Julie was appointed as a voting member to the National Advisory Council for Individuals with Disabilities in Disasters in 2022. Julie obtained a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education degree in speech/ language pathology and a Master of Business Administration in healthcare administration from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.
Lee Mendoza, Ph.D., Director – Bureau of Health Informatics at Louisiana Department of Health – Office of Public Health
Lee Mendoza is a healthcare, research, and technology professional with more than 30 years of experience. Dr. Mendoza has served as an educator and researcher, and has taught a wide range of health-related and technology courses. He is also a professional software developer, having developed software products for healthcare practice management, electronic medical billing, and educational experience tracking. He is currently the Director of the Bureau of Health Informatics in the Office of Public Health at the Louisiana Department of Health, where he serves as co-director of the Office of Public Health’s Data Modernization efforts. Dr. Mendoza and his health informatics team conduct overdose surveillance, provide clinical decision support for the parish health units, and produce a wide array of analytics and data products and tools, including the state’s Health Report Card and the Louisiana Opioid Data and Surveillance System. Lee also serves as adjunct faculty of the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University.
Tina Stefanski, MD, Regional Medical Director, Office of Public Health Region 4
Tina Stefanski, M.D., serves as Regional Medical Director for the State of Louisiana, bringing extensive experience in public health leadership. Their background reflects a strong focus on community health engagement and regional medical direction.
As Regional Medical Director, Tina oversees healthcare operations and guides medical staff, contributing to the state’s public health initiatives. Their work involves directing regional healthcare initiatives and managing public health programs, ensuring the delivery of essential medical services across the region.
Prior to this role, Tina served as Medical Director for The Acadian Region at the Office Of Public Health, where they directed healthcare services and implemented public health strategies. Their involvement extended to the Lafayette Parish Medical Society, where they chaired the Physicians’ Health and Public Health Committee, promoting public health awareness and advocating for community health needs. Briefly contributing as a Board Member at the Louisiana Emergency Medical Unit, Tina supported emergency medical assistance and disaster response efforts.