Job Description:

I have owned and operated my own Med/peds practice for 18 years.  I am looking to retire in the next year and hoping to find someone to take over my practice which is based in Lake Charles, Louisiana.   Looking for either Med/Peds trained or Family Practice trained.  I see all ages and do both inpatient and outpatient.  Call averages out to 1 week in 3, with typically seeing 1-3 patients in the hospital on call weekends.  The local hospital offers an income guarantee for the first year to help physicians get started.  If you are interested please email me at adiebreaux@yahoo.com.

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Philadelphia, Pa. – April 21, 2025 –The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) joins the global Catholic community in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, a faithful shepherd whose tireless witness to the Gospel touched the hearts of millions and shaped the moral conscience of the world. His deep concern for the sick, the poor, and the vulnerable profoundly influenced the practice of healthcare and the defense of human dignity around the globe.

As a Holy Father with a heart for healing, Pope Francis continually reminded the world that care for the sick is more than a profession—it is a vocation of compassion. He called on healthcare professionals to be “missionaries of mercy,” serving not just the body, but the whole person, created in the image and likeness of God.

“Pope Francis called us to a higher standard,” said Dr. Michelle Stanford, President of the Catholic Medical Association. “He challenged physicians, nurses, and all healthcare professionals to see Christ in the sick and to resist cultural trends that devalue life. His leadership helped reignite a sense of sacred duty in Catholic healthcare.”

Under his papacy, Pope Francis defended the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, and he consistently affirmed the Church’s unwavering commitment to a pro-life ethic. He stood firm in promoting conscience rights for medical professionals, urging respect for the deeply held moral and religious convictions that guide their care.He emphasized that true healthcare respects both science and conscience, and that human dignity must never be sacrificed for efficiency or ideology.

CMA remains committed to advancing the principles Pope Francis so boldly proclaimed: to care for the whole person, to safeguard the gift of life, and to ensure that the freedom to serve according to one’s conscience remains protected in every healthcare setting.

As we mourn his death, we give thanks for his life—a life poured out in service to Christ and His Church. May eternal light shine upon him, and may his legacy continue to inspire a new generation of faithful medical professionals.

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The Catholic Medical Association is the largest national association of Catholic healthcare professionals. CMA seeks to inform, organize, and inspire its members to uphold the principles of the Catholic faith in the science and practice of medicine.

Media inquiries, please contact: Nadia Smith Director of Communications nadia@cathmed.org www.cathmed.org.

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“Given the extensive medical studies demonstrating the risks and adverse effects of hormonal contraceptives, CMA is disappointed and concerned for the health and safety of women across the United States with this initial approval,” said Craig Treptow, M.D., President of CMA.

Supporters are already talking about this decision paving the way for additional contraceptives more potent than the ‘minipill’ and even the abortion pill to become available over the counter. And this approval comes despite some concerns by FDA scientists about the manufacturer Perrigo’s results, including whether women with certain underlying medical conditions would understand they should not take the drug like those who have or have had breast cancer, certain liver diseases, unexplained uterine bleeding or take certain medicines for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS or to control seizures.

“This shows a total lack of regard for a woman’s health to offer a hormonal contraceptive available over the counter, without medical supervision. Women should be seen by a physician to make sure a drug as potent as a birth control pill is safe for her to take. These women deserve authentic medical care,” said Kathleen Raviele, M.D., an OBGYN and member of CMA’s Board of Directors.

Over the past twenty years, a range of medical publications such as The Lancet and The American Journal of Psychiatry have reported increased risk of a wide variety of problems, including breast cancer, brain tumor, HIV transmission, and suicide, none of which are lessened with Opill even if it is a single synthetic hormone.

“More troubling are statements by the World Health Organization that classifies oral contraceptives as a Class 1 carcinogen. Even the National Cancer Institute reports increased risk of breast and cervical cancer with these drugs,” said Tim Millea, M.D., Chair of CMA’s Health Care Policy Committee.

“The social impact of this decision is dramatic. More women, particularly adolescents and young adults, will develop these adverse effects. In addition, as they will no longer need medical evaluation to receive contraceptives, the delayed and missed diagnosis of cancer and sexually transmitted infections will become common. Sex traffickers will be free to purchase OTC contraceptives for the women under their control. This is not a victory for women’s health,” added Dr. Millea.

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Recent troubling news reports claim that several hospitals and medical centers under the auspices of the largest Catholic health system in the U.S. are providing referrals for hormone interventions and puberty-blocking drugs to children, as well as conducting abortions, dispensing contraception, and performing sterilizations.

When Catholic health care institutions do not remain consistent with the Church’s social doctrine, scandal and confusion abound.

“Catholic health care is a ministry rooted in a commitment to promote and defend human dignity. When we fail to respect the sacredness of every human life from the moment of conception until natural death, we fail in our purpose and mission that has been our legacy,” said CMA President Dr. Craig L. Treptow.

Catholic health care makes up the largest group of nonprofit health care providers in the nation. Therefore, Catholic medical professionals have a responsibility to be a leading voice in the national discussion currently taking place around policies and actions that are contrary to the dignity and vocation of the human person.

“It is a legacy we must work hard to preserve despite the attacks and pressure to conform to unproven and unethical clinical practices in vogue today,” said Dr. Greg F. Burke, co-chair of the CMA Ethics Committee.

CMA is committed to helping medical professionals understand this special vocation in carrying forth Christ’s healing ministry. One way is through the high-quality annual conferences that have been inspiring and supporting such professionals for nearly a century. This year’s conference, “Be Not Afraid: Courageous Catholic Medicine,” will be held in Phoenix, Arizona. Click here for more information.

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“Given the extensive medical studies demonstrating the risks and adverse effects of hormonal contraceptives, CMA is disappointed and concerned for the health and safety of women across the United States,” said Craig Treptow, M.D., President of CMA.

Over the past twenty years, a range of medical publications such as Lancet and the American Journal of Psychiatry have reported increased risk of a wide variety of problems, including breast cancer, brain tumor, HIV transmission, and suicide.

“More troubling are statements by the World Health Organization that classifies oral contraceptives as a Class 1 carcinogen. Even the National Cancer Institute reports increased risk of breast and cervical cancer with these drugs. Cavalier approval of these drugs for OTC sale seemingly ignores these conclusions,” said Tim Millea, M.D., Chair of CMA’s Health Care Policy Committee.

“If fully approved by the FDA, the social impact of that decision would be dramatic. More women, particularly adolescents and young adults, will develop these adverse effects. In addition, as they will no longer need medical evaluation to receive contraceptives, the delayed and missed diagnosis of cancer and sexually transmitted infections will become common. Sex traffickers will be free to purchase OTC contraceptives for the women under their control. This is not a victory for women’s health,” added Dr. Millea.

“This shows a total lack of regard for a woman’s health to offer a hormonal contraceptive available over the counter, without medical supervision. Women should be seen by a physician to make sure a drug as potent as a birth control pill is safe for her to take. These women deserve authentic medical care,” said Kathleen Raviele, M.D., an OBGYN who is on CMA’s Board of Directors.

Lester Ruppersberger, D.O., who like Dr. Raviele is an OBGYN and former President of CMA, said “This FDA decision to make powerful hormonal contraceptives as over the counter medications is an egregious affront to the health and welfare of all women of childbearing age who may avail themselves of these risky and potentially life threatening and cancer causing medications. We strongly oppose this decision on the basis of risk vs. benefit as applied to all medically professionally prescribed medications.”

Earlier this week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a recommendation that women should be checked for breast cancer at age 40, rather than the previous 50. With the potential availability of OTC contraceptives and the recognized risk of breast cancer, such a recommendation would be necessary to save women’s lives.

The provision of OTC contraceptives is a decision based on convenience. America’s women deserve a decision that is focused on their best interests.

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Bella Health and Wellness, a member of CMA, is a Catholic healthcare clinic and asserts in its case that the law “targets clinics that have a religious duty to help all pregnant women in need, including those who decide to continue their pregnancies after willingly or unwillingly taking the abortion pill.”

“We commend the courage that Bella Health and Wellness displays as it fights to stand up for what is right for women, as well as to protect the religious liberty and conscience of health care providers in Colorado and beyond,” said Craig Treptow, M.D., CMA President.

CMA also commends Becket Law, which represents Bella Health and Wellness.

“We support and echo Becket’s mission which states in part that it ‘exists to defend the free exercise of all faiths’ and pray for justice as this case moves through our court system,” said Tim Millea, M.D., Chair of CMA’s Health Care Policy Committee.

CMA and its expert membership, which is comprised of more than 2500 health care professionals, stands with Bella Health and Wellness as it urges the federal court to “strike the law down and uphold its right to serve women who choose to continue their pregnancies.”

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The lawsuit, filed by Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (of which CMA is a founding member), was argued by attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom in Amarillo, TX.

“The FDA’s approval of these dangerous chemical abortion drugs stands in direct violation of the right to life and inherit dignity each of us has from the moment of conception,” said Craig Treptow, M.D., CMA President.

ADF released a statement on April 7, sharing in part:

“By illegally approving dangerous chemical abortion drugs, the FDA put women and girls in harm’s way, and it’s high time the agency is held accountable for its reckless actions,” said ADF Senior Counsel Erik Baptist, who argued before the court (https://adfmedia.org/press-release/adf-court-protect-women-girls-dangerous-chemical-abortion-drugs) on March 15. “Pregnancy is not an illness, and chemical abortion drugs don’t provide a therapeutic benefit—they can pose serious and life-threatening complications to the mother, in addition to ending a baby’s life. The FDA never had the authority to approve these hazardous drugs or to remove important safeguards. This is a significant victory for the doctors and medical associations we represent and, more importantly, the health and safety of women and girls.”

Dr. Michael Parker, OBGYN, Immediate Past President of CMA and CMA’s board representative at Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, said “These types of drugs not only put our patients’ health in jeopardy, but they directly violate our Hippocratic oath to ‘do no harm,’ by taking the lives of the pre-born child.”

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“We commend the USCCB for its prudent effort in establishing important moral criteria and echo the need for ethical discernment as technology continues to advance,” said Craig Treptow, M.D., CMA President.

“Furthermore, CMA and its more than 2500 expert members maintain that biological identity is of paramount basis for treating patients,” added Dr. Treptow.

In its doctrinal note, USSB wrote in part that “careful moral discernment is needed to determine which possibilities should be realized and which should not, in order to promote the good of the human person,” stressing the concerning “range of technological interventions advocated by many in our society as treatments for what is termed “gender dysphoria” or “gender incongruence.”

“The USCCB reinforces the Church’s teaching that ‘the human person, body and soul, man or woman has a fundamental order and finality whose integrity must be respected’ and surgical or chemical interventions to feminize or masculinize the body ‘do not respect the fundamental order of the human person,’” said Michelle Stanford, M.D., Vice President of CMA and pediatrician.

Dr. Michelle Cretella, CMA member and former executive director of the American College of Pediatricians endorsed the doctrinal note publicly, saying it “is in line with both the best science and the ancient medical ethics principle of ‘first do no harm.’”

Dr. Cretella stressed that these types of technological manipulations

“disrupt normal healthy processes and physically destroy normal function of healthy body systems.”

“While we welcome technology and all of the good it can do for science and medicine, we must maintain moral integrity and ensure we are using it in line with our conscience,” said Dr. Treptow.

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