Katie Queen, MD, has served our ministry for five years.
Dr. Queen was referred to work for Our Lady of the Angels by Raghubir Mangat, MD, chief of pediatrics. She stays working with the ministry because she loves being a part of an organization that has service and compassion at its core.
“FMOLHS has also been very supportive of my professional growth as I transitioned to becoming an obesity medicine specialist,” says Dr. Queen.
Since 2018, Dr. Queen has worked at Our Lady of the Angels as a general pediatrician in the pediatric clinic, nursery and hospital. She earned her Board Certification in obesity medicine in 2020 and began her role as the medical director of the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Weight and Nutrition Center. She is Vice Chief of Staff for Our Lady of the Angels Medical Staff and serves on several FMOLHS committees including pharmacy and therapeutics, education and community benefit.
Her favorite part of her job is seeing newborn babies and getting to know a new family. “I love getting to see my patients grow over the years, and feeling like I am a part of their family,” she says.
Bogalusa Strong
“Our Lady of the Angels in Bogalusa is a special place to work because you can feel the energy of healing as you walk in the halls,” Dr. Queen says. “People smile. Everyone knows each other. It feels good to be a part of a community that cares.”
Dr. Queen also loves attending the FOCUS Franklinton Bogalusa Strong community meetings and getting to know the people and organizations in the community. “There are a lot of good people doing great work, and I love learning about it and being able to connect my patients to those resources,” she says.
A Fond Memory
“Once I was on call and had to rush out of piano practice with my three girls, drive to Bogalusa, help the team to resuscitate a newborn boy,” Dr. Queen recalls. “We stabilized him onto a ventilator, and then my daughters and I stood outside and waved goodbye to the helicopter as it took him to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge. That little boy came in recently for his 3-year-old wellness visit and he is doing amazing. The memory of us waving to his helicopter still makes me smile.”
Listening Heals
Listening plays a big part in Dr. Queen’s life.
“When I am intentional about slowing down and listening to my patient and families, the diagnosis and treatment is much easier to get to than if I try to rush things,” she says. “Often, it is what patients are not saying and their energy that clues me into other struggles like mental health, food insecurity, or financial stress — all of which can affect health. I always try to make sure patients leave with more than they came with, whether that is a diagnosis or a community resource or just a feeling that we care.”
Making the Healthy Choice, the Easy Choice
Dr. Queen is currently focusing on making progress at the state level to try and reduce the rates of childhood obesity in Louisiana.
“We are number three in the country, and I realize that treating one patient at a time will likely not fix this enormous problem,” she says. “I’m interested in public health and changing policy that can help make the food and physical environment one where the healthy choice is the easy choice.”
Her time with our ministry is the longest she’s been with one healthcare organization.
“I feel like I am just getting started,” Dr. Queen says “Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health has so much potential to change the future for children in Louisiana. As long as we can continue to keep the patient at the center of everything that we do, then I’m here to stay.”
Dr. Queen is proud to offer the children of Washington Parish the excellent healthcare they deserve.
“My patients teach me as much, if not more, than I teach them” she says. “Even though I’ve been a doctor for 10 years, I am still learning every day,” she says.
During October, our health system celebrates team member anniversaries, recognizing those who have achieved milestone years of service within our organization. We will be featuring team members across our ministry all month long!
