January 2026 | Vol. 7, No.1

‘They made me feel … so loved’ 

Sometimes the most meaningful feedback arrives without polish or pretense – just honest words, offered, well, from the heart.



We recently received a reminder of that in the form of a brief note from a patient who took a moment to share with us her experience while at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. It was short on details but long on gratitude:


“My experience here was amazing and top-tier,” it read. “My team was outstanding. They made me feel so comfortable and so loved, even though I was here all alone. … I cannot wait to be able to have my child here. Thank you so much for everything.”


It is the kind of feedback that stops us in our tracks, not because it is long or eloquent but because it is deeply felt. In just a few sentences, it speaks to comfort in a moment of vulnerability, to care that eased fear, and to a team whose compassion made someone feel less alone.


It is also a reminder that the work happening across our health system every day is not measured only in procedures, outcomes or timelines. It is measured in how people feel when they walk through our doors – and, just as importantly, how they carry that experience with them afterward.


This edition of From the Heart is rooted in that same spirit. It is about the quiet moments, the small gestures and the colleagues whose care makes a lasting difference – often without ever knowing just how much.


We hope you enjoy it, and we thank you, as always, for choosing St. Tammany Health System with your family’s healthcare.

Community Checkup 


St. Tammany Health System is starting 2026 with a bang, including being named one of the best maternity hospitals in the nation, as President and CEO Joan Coffman shares in her latest video address to the community.

STHS launches diabetes prevention program for prediabetics, other at-risk patients

With an estimated one in three American adults living with prediabetes, St. Tammany Health System’s Diabetes Education Department has announced a new initiative aimed at helping patients reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.


PreventT2 is a free program designed for adults who have been diagnosed with prediabetes or who are at increased risk for developing the condition. It focuses on sustainable lifestyle changes shown to prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.


The first session is scheduled for Jan. 19 from 10 to 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Covington (16333 Louisiana 1085).


On the move


STHS’s Northlake Surgical Associates has a new home, having relocated to 728 W. 11th Ave. in Covington – just a block from its former home across the street from the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Emergency Department. Its phone number remains unchanged at (985)892-3766.

Winner, winner


St. Tammany Quality Network has announced Dr. Karmynah Helaire as the recipient of the Northshore organization’s Medical Director’s Award for the fourth quarter of 2025, in recognition of her spearheading the development of the St. Tammany Health System Refill Clinic.

Simply the best


St. Tammany Health System has again been ranked among the best places to work in the New Orleans metro area by CityBusiness magazine. The 2025 honor is the fourth consecutive year the health system has been included on the publication’s annual Best Places to Work list.

Do you feel lucky?


On Thursday, March 12, the St. Tammany Health Foundation’s annual Get Lucky! Golf Tournament will return to Beau Chene Country Club for its 15th anniversary edition, bringing golfers, sponsors and supporters together for a day of great shots, great food and an even greater cause.

Tune in, St. Tammany


With the dawn of the new year, we launch a new season of “Northshore Healthbeat” – and who better to get 2026 started than St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan Coffman? In this first episode of our third season, we chat with Joan about the year that was and, just as importantly, the priorities shaping the year to come.

Parenting Center class schedule


Since 1987, the Parenting Center at St. Tammany Health System has been providing local parents and children the tools they need to grow as a family through an array of programs, from parenting and babysitting classes to playdates and a variety of socialization events.

Cancer Center class schedule


As part of its mission to treat the whole patient, St. Tammany Cancer Center, A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center, hosts free monthly classes on a variety of topics – from meditation to tai chi to music therapy and more – for diagnosed cancer patients.

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