Archie Manning Discusses Manning Children’s at Town Hall Meeting
Football legend and local hero Archie Manning was a special guest at the recent Town Hall meeting, hosted by Chancellor Steve Nelson, MD, to update faculty, staff and students on several important issues.
Dr. Nelson opened the meeting by addressing Manning Family Children’s and the transformational partnership between LCMC and the Manning family, which he described an “outstanding achievement for the city and state.”
Greg Feirn, President and CEO of LCMC Health, spoke warmly of the relationship between LCMC and LSU Health. Feirn noted West Jefferson Medical Center’s recent successful re-accreditation as a comprehensive stroke center, and the advancement of the cancer service line in partnership with Dr. Amelia Jernigan as they work to achieve the long-sought after NCI Cancer Center designation with LSU Health as the lead organization. He said that UMC continues to open new beds and recently had a record number of 400 patients in the hospital. He added that UMC was becoming less and less reliant on contract labor, and that none of this could happen without LSU Health-New Orleans as a partner.
He briefly touched on Ochsner’s plan to open its own children’s hospital, but said that the partnership with LSUHSC, in particular the School of Medicine, sets Manning Family Children’s apart from a pediatric hospital that is part of an adult facility. “We take care of all pediatric subspecialities,” Feirn said. “You can’t do that without an academic partner.”
Football legend Archie Manning also addressed the assembly. He said, “It bring me great joy to be aligning our family and our name to the mission of Children’s Hospital …. My hope is we can help spotlight the incredible work happening here, (and) bring resources to help further the impact that Children’s makes in the community to reach some of the most underserved children.”
“Ultimately, this is about helping create a healthier future for all of our kids,” he added.
Dr. Nelson thanked everyone involved for helping to create the LSU Health New Orleans Strategic Plan which he described as “our path and our vision for the future,” adding that “we want to be excellent in everything that we do.”
He reminded everyone that LSU Health New Orleans serves the entire state and is everywhere in the state. He talked about the programs being set up throughout the state in addition to the regional campuses, including the dental hygienist program in Alexandria. Students come from nearly every parish and 57% of practicing physicians in Louisiana graduated from the LSU School of Medicine, a number that increases to 86% when the medical school in Shreveport is added. Only 12% of Tulane Medical School graduates remain in Louisiana. 64% of all rural physicians graduated from LSU School of Medicine or the GME program. “We provide the healthcare workforce for Louisiana,” he said.
Dr. Nelson mentioned these success stories against the backdrop of declining state
investment. In 2009, LSUHSC received $113 million in state funding. Today, state funding
represents only 9% of the entire budget, making infrastructure improvements challenging.
The $114 million MEB renovation is expected to be complete in early 2026.
He acknowledged that although buildings are important, the people inside them are
more important, and that his commitment to the employees includes the newly created
Staff Senate, Chancellor awards, and $25 million investment in equity and merit raises.
He briefly mentioned recent changes in leadership and an increased focus on campus safety through more blue light emergency callboxes and a police force that has doubled in number.
He said there has been a lot of investment in research, and that investment will continue. He noted that IRB has new leadership and that they are developing new policies, procedures and workflows to promote efficiency.
He said that progress towards the NCI Cancer Center designation continues, especially related to funding and application procedures.
Dr. Nelson discussed the many accreditation processes the campus is currently undergoing, including the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which the SOM has had continuous accreditation from since inception, and the 2025 Decennial Reaffirmation Cycle by SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges).
He talked about the long-standing challenge to better share the LSU Health-New Orleans’ story. “We are an economic driver; people do not know our impact,” he said. As part of his personal effort to combat this, he is inviting key leaders to campus to provide a better understanding of who LSU Health New Orleans is and what LSU Health New Orleans does. These efforts also included the creation of an LSU Healthcare and Medical Advisory Committee to advise the governor, Board of Regents, and similar leaders on issues critical to health in Louisiana.