Orleans and Jefferson Parish Medical Societies build collegiality with physician events

OPMS and JPMS members, prospective members and guests recently enjoyed a football ‘Watch Party’ and the ‘Health Benefits of Wine’.

To ensure they best serve the needs of members going forward, Orleans and Jefferson Parish Medical Societies recently conducted an extensive needs assessment and several intense focus groups with academic, private practice, employed and early career physicians. A topic that consistently surfaced with physicians and those in training throughout the process was the need for more networking and socializing events with peers outside of the healthcare setting. With that in mind, the two physician associations went immediately to work on planning a couple more events in 2019 to give physicians and their guests an opportunity to enjoy themselves and one another.

Left to right: James Hanemann, MD; Patrick Dares, Edward Jones; Gabe Rivera, MD, president, JPMS.

On October 20, 2019, OPMS and JPMS hosted a ‘Saints Watch Party’ in the NOLA Brewing Tap Room. The event, sponsored in part by Patrick Dares of Edward Jones, featured craft beer, food and a giant screen for physicians and guests to watch and cheer for the New Orleans Saints in their victory over the Chicago Bears.


On November 21, 2019, physicians throughout the Greater New Orleans Area and guests were invited to join OPMS and JPMS members at a special wine social titled ‘The Health Benefits of Wine’ featuring winemaker James Moises, M.D.. The event, sponsored in part by Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, took place at Oak an elegant wine bar with tapas-style dining and live music located on historic Oak Street in the Carrollton neighborhood.

Left to right: George S. Ellis, Jr., MD, president, OPMS; Laura Boykin, MD; Rayne Schexnayder, MD; Tanya Busenlener, MD, vice-president, JPMS; Juan Gershanik, MD, president-elect, OPMS; Caitlyn Saylor, MD; winemaker James Moises, MD

A New Orleans native, Dr. Moises is a practicing physician and professor of emergency medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine. In 2002, he began making wine in Oregon's Willamette Valley with his medical school classmate Mark Wahle, whose family has vineyards in that region. The first vintage was released in 2009. Today, Moises’ Vineyard & Wines is a small boutique winery, producing about 400 cases a year sold at shops and restaurants in the New Orleans area.

“I am a native New Orleanian with Mid-City roots who combines wine, food, art and medicine in a unique way,” said Dr. James Moises. “Through Moises Wines and Krewe du Bizou Wines Imports and Distribution, I support many local non-profits, all trying to make the city healthier and more vibrant.”

OPMS and JPMS members and guests sampled several of Dr. Moises’ wines and others while they socialized and enjoyed learning about Beaujolais, rosés, pinots and cabernets.

“There have been a lot of studies looking at the health benefits of drinking wine,” said Dr. Moises. “In a nutshell, it's all the antioxidants in wine that have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, of stroke, of certain types of cancer. So as a doctor it's nice to be able to tell people about wine, not just from information you're passing on but with experience now in the chemistry that goes into wine.”

More than ever before Orleans and Jefferson Parish Medical Societies are collaborating to best meet the needs of physicians and those in training throughout the Greater New Orleans Area. Leadership of the two organizations are diligently planning events throughout 2020 that will provide physicians and those in training with opportunities to get to know one another, network and share experiences. Physicians and medical students from throughout Southeast Louisiana are encouraged to follow news and updates about events and other collaborative efforts on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) and on OPMS.org and JPMS.org.