St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan M. Coffman, FACHE, has been named chair-elect of the Louisiana Hospital Association Board of Trustees, placing her in line to serve as chair of the statewide organization representing Louisiana hospitals and healthcare systems.
Coffman’s leadership position was announced at the LHA’s annual membership meeting July 20. She will serve alongside newly seated LHA Board Chair Edgardo J. Tenreiro, president and CEO of Baton Rouge General; and Immediate Past Chair Michele Kidd Sutton, FACHE, president and CEO of North Oaks Health. Coffman will become chair following the 2026-27 term.
The appointment adds to Coffman’s growing record of leadership at the state and national levels. In addition to her role at St. Tammany Health System, she is serving a three-year term on the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and is immediate past chair of the Vizient Southern States Board of Directors. She also chairs the St. Tammany Corporation Board, serves on the Northshore Business Council Executive Committee and was appointed to a three-year term on the United Way of Southeast Louisiana Board.
Established in 1926, the Louisiana Hospital Association advocates on behalf of hospitals and healthcare systems across the state and supports its members through advocacy, education and services. Coffman’s LHA leadership comes at a significant moment for the organization, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026.
“As we celebrate our 100th anniversary, the LHA thanks our new and returning board members for their strong leadership,” LHA President and CEO Paul A. Salles said. “For a century, the Louisiana Hospital Association has worked to strengthen healthcare across our state, and the leadership of our board remains critical to advancing that mission by protecting access to essential healthcare services, supporting a strong healthcare workforce, and improving health outcomes for Louisianians.”
The LHA also elected Jaf Fielder, president and CEO of Willis Knighton Health, as treasurer; and Tina Haynes, CEO of Claiborne Memorial Medical Center, to a two-year term as a trustee. Six additional trustees were reelected to two-year terms:
- Lee J. Chastant III, CEO of West Feliciana Parish Hospital in St. Francisville
- E.J. Kuiper, DPT, FACHE, president and CEO of FMOL Health in Baton Rouge
- Scott W. Prouty, CEO of Allegiance Health Management in Bossier City
- Sean Wendell, CPA, executive chairman of the Beacon Behavioral Partners Board of Directors in Baton Rouge
- Monte A. Wilson, regional market president and CEO of CHRISTUS Health Central and Southwest Louisiana in Alexandria
- Kemp Wright, senior vice president of Priority Hospital Group in Bossier City
The LHA Board of Trustees works to advance the association’s mission of strengthening healthcare across Louisiana, including efforts to protect access to essential healthcare services, support the healthcare workforce and improve health outcomes statewide.