Patrick Breaux, M.D.
118th President, OPMS

Introduction of Dr. Breaux given by Dr. Floyd Buras, Jr., President-Elect, LSMS at the 2005 Medicine & Mardi Gras Ball, Jan. 7, 2005.

Soon we will install Patrick Breaux as the 118th President of Orleans Parish Medical Society. Most of us know Pat well, but I thought you'd be interested in some of his vital statistics and his prior leadership experiences which have produced our new President.

Pat was born in Lafayette, Louisiana on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. He attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana where he received a Bachelor of Science degree. Recognizing his interests in medicine at an early age, he chose to attend Tulane Medical School. (This is why Pat and I share a love for the Green Wave.) He did his internship and residency at Charity Hospital of New Orleans in internal medicine, and completed a fellowship in Cardiology in 1975. He is in the private practice of internal medicine/cardiology with the Internal Medicine Group, now known as IMG Healthcare, where he splits his practice hours between New Orleans East and Chalmette.

His interest in the challenges facing medicine in general and cardiology specifically have prompted Pat to be involved in many professional organizations, and to serve on the staffs of many area hospital medical staffs.

His tireless energy and commitment to the profession, along with his can-do attitude have made him the person that organizations have turned to for visionary leadership. In addition to serving in leadership positions in the New Orleans Academy of Internal Medicine, ACP/ASIM, American Society of Echocardiography, the Musser-Burch Society, he is presently the Governor of the American College of Cardiology, Louisiana Chapter, which includes serving on that organization's Board of Governors at a national level. In OPMS and LSMS, Pat has been a delegate for many years to the annual meeting, a member of the LSMS Subspecialty Committee, on the Council of Governors for OPMS since 1997, and on the Board of Directors since 2001.

All of these activities earned the front cover shot on the most recent "Top Docs" issue of New Orleans Magazine, which is distributed all over the nation. This notoriety has definitely not gone to his head, as he has truly earned this opportunity to lead our organization at a time when we have real opportunities to maximize.

On a personal note, it's my observation that Pat is an excellent physician, mentor, and leader, and we are fortunate to have him as our new President. It is also my observation that he has a deep love and respect for family, and he knows how to balance the personal and professional responsibilities so that he can reap the rewards of both.

While I have shared some of Pat's vital statistics, no where on his CV does it say how much FUN Pat is, and how much enjoyment he gets out of life. At a time when physicians are pressured and constantly challenged, and often frustrated to the point of negativity and desperation, Pat has a positive attitude toward medicine and our medical association that is needed to move us forward during 2005. He knows how to put people to work and channel their energy, so this will indeed be an exciting and productive year for OPMS. Please help me congratulate the 118th president of OPMS, our "Top Doc" for 2005, Patrick Carroll Breaux.