Dr. Steve Nelson is chancellor of LSU Health New Orleans. After initially studying English, He graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and received his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.He completed his medical internship, residency and fellowships at Johns Hopkins Hospitals in Baltimore.
Nelson began his career at LSU in 1984 and has been in Louisiana ever since. After practicing for years as an internist and intensive care physician while also teaching as a professor, he became dean of the medical school at the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in New Orleans in 2007.
In 2021, Nelson became interim chancellor of LSU Health New Orleans. He became permanent chancellor in February 2024.
Nelson is the author or co-author of more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, seven books, 30 book chapters, and 250 scientific abstracts.
Nelson says he has two passions: writing and family. Nelson married his wife Julie 40 years ago. He has three children: David, Karen and Kevin. Her second son died when he was just 3 months old.
“When you go through this process, you realize how precious every moment you spend with your family is,” Nelson said. “My passion is to do as much as I can with my family.”
Why LSU?
I wanted to make a difference. I knew that if I stayed at Hopkins, no matter how successful I was, I wouldn’t be able to change this institution.
That’s why I came to LSU, and even though I’ve had the opportunity to leave several times, that’s why I’m staying here.
When I came to LSU, I was in nursing. Half of my time was spent caring for patients, mostly intensive care and pulmonary consults. As my career has progressed, I have become less focused on patient care.
I continue to do research. I am still an NIH-funded researcher, but I am responsible for more administrative functions. When I was dean, I had a lot of influence on what was going on in the medical school, but not so much on the other schools.
The way we treat and care for patients today is based on a multidisciplinary approach involving doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and everyone else.
The Chancellor role gives me the opportunity to have a greater influence and reach in medical education and training.
A lot of people think, “If I get sick, I can go to Texas. I can go to Alabama, or UAB, or Houston or Dallas.”
But if you’re involved in a car accident, have a heart attack or stroke, or are suffering from a serious infection, you need to go to the nearest hospital – and you can hope that the doctor, nurse, or respiratory therapist is well trained.
It is in the public interest to make sure we provide the best possible care for everyone. One of my trainees could be the doctor who looks after me if I have to go into hospital. I take that very seriously.
How many of your conversations with deans and students address Louisiana’s health needs?
Since I’ve been at LSU, I’ve probably recruited more than 500 physicians from across the country.
Why can I recruit so many people here? There are two reasons for that.
The people of Louisiana love Louisiana. If I can give doctors the opportunity to come back, that’s a big deal to me. The people of this state love this state more than any other place I’ve ever been.
They also want to make a difference. Like I said, that’s why I came here.
These are people from Harvard, Duke, Vanderbilt, Texas — outstanding institutions — who come to Louisiana because they want to make a difference. They want to have an impact on the population they serve.
When we interview the students we accept, whether at a medical school or a nursing school, we also want to find out why they wanted to pursue this profession and why they chose this path.
An important factor is her passion for caring for the disadvantaged.
What new initiatives and research are you looking forward to at LSU?
What this country needs more than anything is a national cancer institute – a cancer center.
There are none in Louisiana. There are none in Mississippi. There are none in Arkansas.
In a state where cancer is high and treatment outcomes are poor due to delays in diagnosis and access to treatment, this will be a game changer. This is something I have been passionate about doing for over a decade.
Other people have also come to realize how important this is, and all of us – Governor Jeff Landry, Governor John Bel Edwards, Senator Cassidy, Senator Kennedy and many more – have worked together to work toward this goal.
It will probably take five to seven years to reach this goal, but it is a worthwhile endeavor. This is what we need to do to improve healthcare.
When you get an NCI designation, like Houston does at MD Anderson and Alabama does at UAB, all levels of care improve as well. All boats rise and it provides better care for everyone.
It is estimated that several thousand patients leave Louisiana each year to receive cancer treatment. This is not reasonable. People should not have to leave their homes to receive cancer treatment, and not everyone can afford it.
This is my highest priority.
How has technology changed the way you work? Has it stayed the same?
Because I am an intensive care physician – and this is all about machines, electronics, tubes, breast scanners, buzzers and bells – someone asked me:
“There is so much technology here. It’s really overwhelming. What technology is your favorite?”
I said the stethoscope.
All the technology is between you and the patient. But when I put the stethoscope with my hand on the person’s chest, I connect with them as a patient. I can hear their heartbeat.
It’s so easy to distance yourself. If you go to the doctor today, you’re probably sitting there and the doctor is sitting in front of a computer.
Sometimes technology, although it can be a tremendous help, separates you from the patient.
It is this bond with the patient that is so extraordinary. That is what is so special in medicine and healthcare. I don’t think it exists anywhere else.
Patients tell you things they wouldn’t tell anyone else. It’s like a sacred bond. Sometimes I think the technology somehow doesn’t allow that. I think that’s not good.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
