CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NEW ORLEANS EXPANDS PEDIATRIC SURGERY DIVISION

Two prominent pediatric surgeons to join Children’s Hospital New Orleans this summer as the hospital expands specialized surgical services for children across the state of Louisiana and the Gulf South.

NEW ORLEANS – With the opening of the all new, 57,000 square foot Surgery Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans in April also comes the expansion of the team of pediatric surgeons who provide life-changing, and lifesaving care for children across the region. The addition of Mary Brandt, MD and Jessica Zagory, MD to the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Hospital will ensure that kids in Louisiana continue to have access to highly specialized pediatric surgical care.

“To support the growth of surgical services at Children’s Hospital, we are pleased to announce two outstanding pediatric surgeons, Mary Brandt, MD and Jessica Zagory, MD, will be joining David Yu, MD and Fabienne Gray, MD in the Department of Pediatric Surgery this summer,” says Ellis Arjmand, MD, MMM, PhD, Surgeon in Chief, Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Mary Brandt, MD joins Children’s Hospital in June as Professor of Surgery with Tulane University School of Medicine, after most recently serving as Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics, and Medical Ethics at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Brandt completed medical school and general surgery residency at Baylor, followed by a fellowship in pediatric surgery at the University of Montreal Sainte-Justine Hospital. She returned to join the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine where she has a distinguished record of accomplishment, including service as Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Senior Associate Dean of Medical Education, and Program Director for General Surgery.

In her tenure at Texas Children’s Hospital, Dr. Brandt’s experience includes leadership roles in the bariatric surgery program, liver disease research network, anorectal malformation clinic, and the biliary atresia research consortium. Dr. Brandt also has an outstanding record of service to the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Surgeons, American Board of Surgery, American Pediatric Surgery Association, and the American Association of Medical Colleges. She is nationally known for her many contributions in pediatric surgery, and she has received numerous awards and honors for service, education, and humanism in medicine.

Jessica Zagory, MD, will also join Children’s Hospital later this summer, as Assistant Professor of Surgery with LSU School of Medicine. She joins Children’s from her current position as Clinical Fellow in Pediatric Surgery at University of Texas Southwestern/ Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Dr. Zagory completed her residency training in General Surgery at LSU, spending time at Children’s Hospital during her training.

In addition to residency and clinical fellowship training, Dr. Zagory has completed a research fellowship in pediatric surgery at the University of Southern California / Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She has an outstanding record of accomplishment during training, with an impressive publication record and recognition for excellence in teaching, in research, and for outstanding clinical performance. At Children’s Hospital New Orleans, her areas of clinical focus will include hepatobiliary disease and trauma.

“Children’s Hospital New Orleans is thrilled to welcome Mary Brandt, MD and Jessica Zagory, MD to our growing department of Pediatric Surgery,” said John R. Nickens IV, President and Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “We have invited some of the nation’s top physicians in pediatric surgery to join our mission and are thrilled that they have accepted the challenge as we expand these vital services for children across the state and region, led by David Yu, MD, as Children’s newly appointed Chief of Pediatric Surgery.”

With the growing department, David Yu, MD, a long-standing member of the medical staff at Children’s Hospital, has accepted the position of Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Hospital. Since joining the medical staff at Children’s Hospital in 2013, Dr. Yu has demonstrated outstanding service to the hospital, and to patients under his care, including his role as Interim Chief of the Pediatric Surgery for the least several years.

After attending Tulane University for undergraduate and medical school at, Dr. Yu completed residency training in General Surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine. He has completed two prestigious research fellowships, one at the National Cancer Institute and another at Boston Children’s Hospital. Following a fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at the University of Alabama, he returned to New Orleans in 2013 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center. In 2019 he was promoted to Associate Professor at LSU. Dr. Yu is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine.

Dr. Yu serves as Associate Program Director for the LSU General Surgery residency program, and as Division Head for Pediatric Surgery at LSU. He is also the Children’s Hospital Site Director for both the LSU and the Tulane General Surgery residency programs, and he is an active member of numerous university and hospital committees. Dr. Yu is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a member of the American Pediatric Surgery Association.

“Dr. Yu’s contributions to Children’s Hospital extend far beyond his titles and roles,” says George Bisset, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “Through all of his endeavors - clinical, educational, and administrative - he has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the mission of the hospital, to the patients and families he cares for, and he has emerged as an outstanding leader.”

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About Children’s Hospital New Orleans

Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 229-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 400 physicians trained in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana and in Southern Mississippi, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. Children’s Hospital offers primary care services at 15 convenient locations throughout Southeast Louisiana and remotely via its Virtual Care app. Children’s Hospital is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans and West Jefferson Medical Center. Learn more at chnola.org.