Dr. Emilio Russo named as Department Head for Family Medicine

We are pleased to appoint Dr. Emilio Russo as Department Head for Family Medicine effective November 15th. He will follow Dr. James Campbell who has admirably led the department as Interim Head through very challenging times. We are extremely grateful for Dr. Campbell’s service in this capacity and his longstanding commitment to the School of Medicine.

Dr, Russo is a graduate of LSUHSC School of Medicine and he was a member of the inaugural class of Rural Scholars Track students. He completed a rural Family Medicine residency in Spokane, Washington and he has also completed a HRSA Leadership Fellowship. He joined the Family Medicine faculty in 2008 and has served as Program Director for the Bogalusa rural Family Medicine residency since 2013. In 2019 he became the department’s Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs. Dr Russo has committed his career to the realization of more equitable community health outcomes, particularly for those in our most at risk and diverse communities. Prior to joining the residency in Bogalusa, he spent 5 years practicing in vulnerable New Orleans neighborhoods as a member of the National Health Service Corps.

Dr. Russo has an interest in disease prevention and has served as co-investigator of numerous regional trials of health screening in the primary care setting. He also has a longstanding interest in Global Health. In 2015 he developed a Global Health and Social Medicine elective rotation in which he supervises interprofessional students and residents in rural Peru. He serves as Chair of the LSUHSC Committee on International Educational Programs. He serves on numerous other school and hospital committees and we are excited that he will serve the school and the Department of Family Medicine in this new leadership capacity. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Russo.