Ochsner Health System, Louisiana’s largest nonprofit, academic, healthcare system, has announced the addition of Dr. Victoria Smith and Kenneth Polite to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Smith is a highly accomplished medical provider and administrator, and currently serves as the Associate Medical Director for St. Charles Parish Hospital and Primary Care for the River Region at Ochsner Health System. Experienced in clinical integration and physician collaboration, Dr. Smith previously acted as Medical Director of Ochsner Physician Partners, linking more than 1,200 independent, and Ochsner-employed, physicians.
Dr. Smith is a veteran educator, and served in this capacity with Teach for America after her undergraduate graduation from Yale University, before earning her medical degree from Harvard University, and once again as Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Meharry Medical College. Dr. Smith is an active leader in a number of community organizations, including SGI-USA. Fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, Dr. Smith has a large bilingual patient population and often speaks on health promotion and disease prevention for lay audiences.
Mr. Polite, a New Orleans native, is a well-respected attorney and public servant. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center, respectively, after which he practiced white-collar criminal defense in New York City and New Orleans, followed by service as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Mr. Polite was unanimously confirmed and sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana in September 2013, and served in this position until March 2017. He currently acts as Vice President, Ethics and Compliance for Entergy Corporation.
Polite’s commitment to public service for southeast Louisiana continues and extends beyond his political appointments. He was a former board member and board chairman for both New Orleans College Preparatory Charter Schools and Breakthrough NOLA, and currently serves as a board member for Youth Empowerment Project, the Anti-Defamation League of New Orleans, and New Schools for New Orleans.
As demonstrated and accomplished professionals, Dr. Smith and Mr. Polite will join an established group of community leaders on Ochsner’s Board of Directors, invested in collaboration with the system’s executive team to make key financial, strategic, and operational decisions affecting the organization’s overall vision and future. For more information on Ochsner Health System, please visit www.ochsner.org.