About Us
Founded in 2007, the New Orleans Fellows Program is one of thirteen currently active Schweitzer program sites across the U. S. dedicated to developing a pipeline of emerging professionals who enter the workforce with the skills and commitment necessary to address unmet health needs. New Orleans Schweitzer Fellows are students competitively chosen from graduate and professional degree programs in universities throughout the Greater New Orleans area. Fellows come from a variety of academic disciplines and work tirelessly to improve health equity in their communities.
Our Impact
Since 2007, 128 Schweitzer Fellows have provided over 25,000 hours of service across Greater New Orleans. Partnering with 63 community-based organizations, these Fellows have addressed a wide variety of unmet health needs by creating and carrying out yearlong projects with direct service at their core. Fellows seek to address all areas of health, defined by the World Health Organization as a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.”
Our Team

Program Director
Chelsey Leruth, MPH
Mailing Address: 2701 Airline Dr., Ste. K #140, Metairie, LA
T: (617) 406-9262
director@asfnola.org
Advisory Board
Jessica Allen, MPH (Chair)
Chief of Staff, Propeller
Chayan Chakraborti, MD
Vice Chair for Education, Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine
Shelina Davis, MPH, MSW
Chief Executive Officer, Louisiana Public Health Institute
Tekeda Ferguson, PhD, MPH, MSPH CHES
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology, LSU Health Sciences Center
Cecile “Cele” Gordon, JD
Randi Kaufman, DrPH
Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Systems Management, LSU Health Sciences Center
Anjali Niyogi, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine
Claire Reuter, PharmD, BCPS*
Clinical Pharmacist, Ochsner Medical Center – Specialty Pharmacy
Isis Smith, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director of Community Health Clerkship, Tulane University School of Medicine
Thomas “TJ” Stranova, ScD, MHA
Assistant Clinical Professor, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Ashley Wennerstrom, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Director, Louisiana Community Health Worker Institute, LSU Health Sciences Center
Donna Williams, DrPH
Associate Professor of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, LSU Health Sciences Center
LaKeisha Williams, PharmD, MSPH
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Clinical and Administrative Sciences, Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy
Adi Nadampalli, MD* (Honorary Member)
Doctors without Borders
Elizabeth Fontham, MPH, DrPH (Honorary Member)
Dean Emeritus, LSU School of Public Health
*Denotes Fellow for Life
Our Sponsors


In-kind Contributor
