From the Heart: A regular dose of news and notes from St. Tammany Health System

December 2025 | Vol. 6, No.11

Merry and bright, Northshore-style

Ah, December. This month of celebration always has a way of sneaking up on us, all glittery and aglow, and this year is no exception at St. Tammany Health System. Across our campuses, the season is coming to life with twinkling lights, cheerful decorations and that unmistakable buzz of togetherness that makes the holidays on the Northshore truly magical.

It is a season of giving, gratitude and connection, and our community is celebrating in full. Nowhere is that more evident than at St. Tammany Parish’s Holiday of Lights, which STHS is proud to support as this year’s presenting sponsor. By year’s end, thousands of families will have strolled along Koop Drive to enjoy the lights, music and merriment, and it is an honor to take a lead role in such a beloved Northshore tradition.

At our flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital, the spirit is just as bright. Colleagues are leaning in to the reason for the season, caring for our patients with the same compassion and excellence that define us year-round. In the midst of the season’s bustle, their warmth and dedication truly shine through – the true “lights” of St. Tammany Health System.

As we move through this final month of 2025, may we all take a moment to appreciate the joy this season brings. From our family to yours, here’s to a December filled with purpose, celebration and a little extra sparkle (read: eggnog).

Scroll on for a dose of good news from our digital newsroom, and thank you as always for trusting St. Tammany Health System with your family’s healthcare.

Happy holidays!

Community Checkup

For the 20th consecutive grading period, St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital has earned an “A” grade for patient safety, continuing a streak that now stretches a full decade. Learn more about that best-in-Louisiana distinction, and other STHS highlights, in President and CEO Joan Coffman’s latest message to the community.

Watch

STHS maternity care celebrated nationally

The New Family Center at St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of the nation’s Best Hospitals for Maternity Care, further bolstering the health system’s position as the premiere destination for maternity care on the Northshore.

It is one of only two Louisiana hospitals, and the only St. Tammany Parish hospital, to earn the honor.

In addition to being named a High Performing Hospital for maternity care, which recognizes hospitals that meet high standards for patients with uncomplicated pregnancies, the health system received the publication’s new Maternity Care Access designation, reserved for institutions providing quality care to regions that would otherwise be maternity deserts.

Reindeer games

St. Tammany Health System on Monday celebrated the members of the all-volunteer St. Tammany Hospital Guild with its annual holiday party, a lighthearted gathering at the main campus of St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

And MORE reindeer games

An early dose of holiday cheer recently descended on St. Tammany Cancer Center, a campus of Ochsner Medical Center, brightening the holidays of dozens of diagnosed cancer patients and their families.

2025 Toy Guide

Are you looking for the perfect toy to gift a special child in your life this holiday season? Our annual toy guide has landed, arranged by intended age group, as selected by the parenting experts at the St. Tammany Parenting Center.

Tune in, St. Tammany!

As Baby Boomers continue to enter their golden years at a record pace, many of their Gen-X children are struggling with the new, unexpected caregiver role thrust upon them. The thing is: It doesn't have to be a surprise, as we learn in the latest episode of “Northshore Healthbeat,” the official podcast of St. Tammany Health System.

Miracle on South Tyler Street

Do you remember where you were when last January’s historic snow began coming down? For many of the dedicated medical professionals at St. Tammany Health System, the answer is easy: They were at work, determined to care for the community no matter what Mother Nature threw at us. Given that our latest issue of Heart to Heart is our last of the year, it felt only appropriate to put it front and center.

Browse the issue

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