FMOL Health Hosts Quality and Research Day
May 08, 2026
BATON ROUGE, La. – FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake joined with LSU Health School of Medicine Baton Rouge Campus on Thursday, May 7, to host Quality and Research Day, an annual research fair and opportunity for LSU medical students and FMOL Health residents and fellows to present their academic research and findings.
LSU kinesiology professor Neil Johannsen delivered a keynote presentation titled “Chronic Health Trajectories Across the Spectrum of Physical Activity: A Review of Sedentary, Aging, Current and Past Physically Active and Retired Athletes.” Johannsen’s work explores how movement — or the lack of it — shapes long-term health outcomes, offering insights that resonate deeply with FMOL Health’s mission to advance patient care through evidence, innovation and collaboration.
The annual event was held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in the hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute Auditorium and Lecture Hall. Hundreds of guests came out to celebrate the healthcare leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
LSU’s exclusive Championship Health Partner, Our Lady of the Lake, annually welcomes LSU medical students, as well as health system residents and fellows, to work closely with academics, medical and clinical staff in professional laboratories to perform life-changing scientific research. Mentorship supports personal development and professional success in both an FMOL Health career and an LSU Health education.
“Working in partnership with leading healthcare providers like FMOL Health allows medical students, residents or fellows a chance to gain hands-on clinical research experience, use state-of-the-art technology, and develop critical applied research and clinical skills guided by leaders in the field,” said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, chief academic officer at FMOL Health and associate professor of clinical medicine and infectious diseases at LSU Health. “They gain experience that helps them to secure top jobs, make wise career choices, and become leaders in their fields.”
Participants in Thursday’s research fair delivered poster presentations in the following categories: original research, evidence-based research, performance improvement and case report or case studies. All participants collaborated with a faculty member or a senior attending physician. Previously presented/published abstracts were allowed.
“Research internships, clinical studies and scientific projects allow LSU medical students, residents and fellows to see first-hand what scientific research entails,” said Dr. Chris Thomas, vice president and chief quality officer for FMOL Health and assistant professor of clinical medicine at LSU Health. “The research these teams perform could help change the way we practice medicine, transform patient outcomes, improve quality and ultimately save lives.”
About FMOL Health
FMOL Health is one of the largest healthcare systems based in Louisiana and is the leading healthcare provider for more than half the state’s population. The health system is a non-profit, Catholic organization sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the ministry serves patients in Louisiana and Mississippi through a network of hospitals, clinics, physicians and integrated health systems. The health system’s unified physician organization is comprised of more than 1,100 adult and pediatric primary care physicians and specialists. The system’s nine main campus hospitals include St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and Gonzales, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Heart Hospital, and Women's & Children's Hospital in Lafayette, Our Lady of the Angels in Bogalusa, and St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. For more information, visit fmolhealth.org.