On May 31, 2024 during the VCHS President's Banquet, Dr. Brian Parker '98 was honored as our 2024 Alumnus of the Year.

Dr. Brian Parker is a 1998 Vandebilt Catholic graduate who currently resides in New Orleans, LA. While in high school, Brian was involved in many clubs including Chess Club, Latin Club, Campus Ministry, National Honor Society and was a member of the Vandebilt Catholic Regiment, as well as the football and track teams. He was voted Homecoming King, as well as Most Intelligent his senior year. He was also a member of the first VCHS Quiz Bowl team to win a state championship.

After high school, Brian attended Louisiana Tech University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (summa cum laude.) He continued his school involvement at the collegiate level participating in the Band of Pride Marching Band, Jazz and Wind Ensembles and holding the Vice President title in the Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Service Fraternity. He was also Treasurer of the Alpha Eta Mu Beta Biomedical Engineering Honor Society. After his undergraduate studies, he attended medical school at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Shreveport, LA and graduated Doctor of Medicine in May 2008.

His medical training included a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center and a residency in Internal Medicine at Ochsner Clinic Foundation, where he received the Outstanding Resident Award in 2009.

As a visiting fellow at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, under the LSU Health Sciences Center Global Pulmonary Exchange Program, Brian presented on two significant topics in March 2014. These included “Hepatic Hydrothorax and Hepatopulmonary Disease” and “Life-Threatening Angioedema: Mechanisms and Treatment,” both delivered to the Department of Pulmonary Medicine. During his time in Vietnam, he also spent time at the Hanoi School of Public Health and presented “Experiments in Tobacco Taxation: Following the Money in the United States” to the Department of Graduate Education faculty and students.

At Thibodaux Regional Health System, Brian serves as a Physician specializing in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Since August 2015, he has held the position of Medical Director of the Critical Care Unit and, since November 2021, the Medical Director of Pulmonary Medicine. Additionally, he is the Head of Process Improvement and Care Transformation for Acute Respiratory Failure and Pneumonia. He has also been on the Medical Executive Committee since December 2021, and has been serving as the Chief of Medical Staff since December 2023.

Brian also holds the position of Medical Director at St. Joseph Hospice in Thibodaux, LA, a role he has been in since April 2018. Concurrently, he is also an Adjunct Professor and Medical Director for the Department of Cardiopulmonary Care Science at Fletcher Technical Community College in Houma, LA.

Brian has attended numerous conferences and specialized training programs including the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego, CA, the American College of Chest Physician International Conference in New Orleans, LA, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Conference in Atlanta, GA, and the Health Catalyst Analytics Summit in Salt Lake City, UT. Additionally, he completed the EBUS and Advanced Diagnostic Bronchoscopy training in Cambridge, MD and participated in the Health Catalyst Accelerated Practices Program in Salt Lake City, UT. Most recently, he attended the Mayo Clinic Multidisciplinary Update in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Paradise Valley, AZ.

Brian is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians, American Thoracic Society, and the Louisiana Thoracic Society. He has also been published in the Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society and was a fellow delegate at the American Thoracic Society Hill Day in Washington, D.C.

At the request of Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Brian was the Physician Representative for the State of Louisiana at the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2022.

Outside of work, Brian and his wife, Jamie enjoy spending time with their two children, Jude (9) and Elle (5). Brian enjoys music and sports. Although he doesn’t play trombone much anymore, he still enjoys attending concerts and festivals, as well as collecting and listening to old vinyl records. He is an avid Saints fan and attends games as much as he can.