Dr. Harrell is originally from Lake Charles, LA. Much like many other people from this area, he grew up hiking, swimming, and fishing on the Calcasieu River and the other waterways surrounding this area. His parents were both educators within the public school system and were also the choir directors for their church. Many of his favorite memories from his childhood revolve around singing in the choir with his family and spending time with members of his faith community.

Upon graduation from high school he attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He subsequently attended Texas A&M for medical school and elected to return home to Lake Charles for his residency training in Family Medicine. It was here that he found a passion for Sports Medicine after assisting with sideline game coverage for various high school and collegiate events. For this reason, he elected to pursue and eventually complete a Sports Medicine Fellowship with the Baton Rouge General Primary Care Sports Medicine Program.

He unsuccessfully attempted to escape the family business of education and began his teaching career in Graduate Medical Education with the residency that trained him—LSUHSC-N.O. in Lake Charles. Life would eventually lead him back to Baton Rouge where he became the Associate Program Director for the Sports Medicine Fellowship that previously trained him. He later became the Program Director for the Baton Rouge General Residency Program.

Although he loved his time in Baton Rouge, family would eventually call him home to Lake Charles. He currently teaches once again within the LSUHSC-N.O. program in Lake Charles and serves as the Associate Program Director in this residency program. He still enjoys singing in the choir and spending time with his extended family. He feels blessed to be a part of the formation of so many young physicians in our state. But he feels most blessed to be able to spend time with his wife, Lauren, and his three children: Emma, Louis, and David.

Dr. Harrell will be forever grateful for the help of so many people throughout his journey within medicine. He looks forward to serving as the President of the LAFP this year, and humbly asks for your prayers for support and guidance. He believes the future is extremely bright for the LAFP and asks for continued blessings upon its members and its endeavors.

Dr. Shaw, A native of Opelousas, received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Southern University A&M College and his Medical Degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed his Family Medicine Residency training at the Baton Rouge General Family Medicine Residency Program, and also completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship at LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. He has been a faculty member for the Family Medicine Residency Program for 13 years and currently serves as the Program Director for Baton Rouge General’s Family Medicine Residency and Sports Medicine Fellowship Programs. Board Certified in Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Sports Medicine, Dr. Shaw also serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve and is a team physician for Southern University and LSU.

Dr. O’Neal is the Program Director of the Family Medicine Residency in Monroe. Before transitioning to academic medicine, she enjoyed working in the private sector for 2 decades. Dr. O’Neal has also served as a full-time Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, Emergency Department, core faculty for Department of Family Medicine, Assistant Clerkship Director for the third-year medical students, and Associate Program Director, Department of Family Medicine. 

Dr. Brown was accepted into both the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program Scholarship (RIMSAP) and the Rural Medical Education Program (RMED) which carried obligations to return to Illinois to practice for at least 5 years.  He also a recipient of the Illinois Department of Public Health Scholarship for the last 3 years of his medical school training, and it also had a service obligation for him to return to Illinois to practice.  After practicing in Illinois for 9 years and serving the medical needs of the residents of St. Joseph, Tuscola, and his hometown of Arthur, he returned to the Bayou State and has no plans to leave.

He is currently a partner at the Brian Clinic in Alexandria and Chief Deputy Coroner of Rapides Parish.  While practicing in Illinois he served on the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians’ Public Health Committee and the Practice Transformation Committee.  He quickly established connections with the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians shortly after returning to Louisiana.  He has served at the Committee level, and he has served as District 8 Director, Vice President, President-Elect, and President of the LAFP.

District 1 Director: Brandon Page, MD - New Orleans, LA
District 1 Alternate: Ronnie Slipman, MD - New Orleans, LA
District 2 Director: Luis Arencibia, MD, FAAFP - Mandeville, LA
District 2 Alternate: Ralph Cortes-Moran, MD, FAAFP - Metairie, LA
District 3A Director: Jack Heidenreich, MD - Raceland, LA
District 3A Alternate: Camille Pitre, MD - Larose, LA
District 3B Director: Amanda Phillips-Savoy, MD, FAAFP - Lafayette, LA
District 3B Alternate: Zeb Stearns, MD - Eunice, LA
District 4 Director:  Joe Nida, MD, FAAFP - Minden, LA
District 4 Alternate: Cara Permenter, MD - Shreveport, LA
District 5 Director: Euil Luther, MD, FAAFP - Monroe, LA
District 5 Alternate: Rhiju Poudel, MD, Monroe, LA
District 6A Director: Jason Schrock, MD - Baton Rouge, LA
District 6A Alternate: Ubaid Abbasi, MD - Baton Rouge, LA
District 6B Director: Brian Callihan, MD - Hammond, LA
District 6B Alternate: Emilio Russo, MD, FAAFP - Bogalusa, LA
District 7 Director: Jason Fuqua, MD - Sulphur, LA
District 7 Alternate: Danette Null, MD - Lake Charles, LA
District 8 Director: Brian Picou, Jr., MD - Natchitoches, LA
District 8 Alternate: Micah Pippin, MD - Alexandria, LA
Directors at Large Director: Jody George, MD - Lake Charles, LA
Alternate District Director at Large: Dianna Phan, MD - New Orleans, LA