Our Leadership

Learn More About our Leaders

Lou Fragoso, President and Chief Executive Officer

As President and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans, Fragoso is responsible for maintaining and strengthening Children’s Hospital’s position as the trusted leader in pediatric healthcare for Louisiana and the Gulf South. Fragoso manages a wide range of administrative and executive responsibilities and is responsible for day to day operations of Children's Hospital New Orleans. Prior to serving in this capacity, Fragoso worked as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer for Children's Hospital New Orleans, first joining the team in 2019. Fragoso has been instrumental in the expansion of programs at Children’s Hospital, recruitment and retention of top talent, improved access and experience. He has dedicated his career to pediatrics, serving in leadership roles at both Lurie Children’s in Chicago and Texas Children’s Hospital prior to joining Children’s Hospital New Orleans. Fragoso completed his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting at Loyola University Chicago.

John R. Nickens IV, President of Hospital Services & Chief of Pediatrics, LCMC Health

John R. Nickens IV is the President of Hospital Services and Chief of Pediatrics for LCMC Health. Nickens moved into this role after serving as the head of LCMC Health Maternal and Child Health Services and as President and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans during a period of pivotal growth and transformation, from 2018-2022. In his role, Nickens has executive oversight and responsibility for all hospital operations across the nine-hospital LCMC Health system to ensure business and growth goals are brought to life in a connected and strategic way. In the role of Chief of Pediatrics, Nickens will lead strategy and provide executive oversight for pediatric affiliations across the State. He continues to represent Children’s Hospital New Orleans in his role as Chief, and with the Children’s Hospital Association.

Nickens began his career at Texas Children’s Hospital in 1990 with management positions in revenue cycle and clinical operations. He went on to hold various administrative positions at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and then returned to Texas Children’s where he ultimately held the position of Executive Vice President. He currently serves on the boards for the Audubon Institute, Louisiana Children’s Museum, and Baylor University.

Mark Kline, Senior Vice President, Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer

In July 2021, Children's Hospital welcomed Dr. Mark Kline, an internationally recognized leader in child health, as the hospital’s Physician-In-Chief. In this role, Dr. Kline oversees Children’s Hospital’s pediatric academic medical programs and partners with both LSU and Tulane Pediatricians-in-Chief to advance academic medicine, training, and teaching at the hospital. In addition to Dr. Kline’s primary responsibility as an executive leader for Children’s Hospital, he will hold faculty positions at both LSU and Tulane, working directly with LSU Health New Orleans and Tulane University School of Medicine Deans to develop innovative, cohesive strategies to improve the future health and wellbeing of Louisiana’s children. In October of 2021, Dr. Kline's role expanded to include the title of Chief Medical Officer. A pediatric infectious disease specialist by training, Dr. Kline founded an international pediatric HIV/AIDS program, Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), a program that builds healthcare infrastructure, trains health professionals, and provides medical care and treatment to children and families across sub-Saharan Africa and in Romania. his pioneering work led to Dr. Kline’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. Additionally, Dr. Kline has been the recipient of more than $150 million in research and training grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most recently, Dr. Kline served in the esteemed roles of Physician-in-Chief at Texas Children's Hospital and Chair of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, from 2009-2020. Dr. Kline serves as Editor in Chief of Rudolph’s Pediatrics, one of the world’s most widely recognized and read medical textbooks. He has authored more than 250 articles and textbook chapters, and has presented throughout the world on a myriad of child health topics. Honors include the Association of American Medical Colleges Humanism in Medicine Award in 2002, the Medical Award of Excellence from Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2007, the Distinguished Faculty Award of Baylor College of Medicine in 2007, the Millie and Richard Brock Award of the New York Academy of Medicine in 2009, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Public Service in 2010, just to name a few.

Leron Finger, MD, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer

Dr. Leron Finger, having previously served as Associate Medical Director, was named Chief Quality Officer in 2018. Dr. Finger earned his medical degree from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his pediatrics internship and pediatric critical care residency at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. Dr. Finger is board-certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, LSU Health New Orleans. In October of 2021, Dr. Finger also took on the role of Associate Chief Medical Officer. In this capacity, Dr. Finger works in collaboration with CMO, Dr. Mark Kline and oversees medical informatics across the organization.

Ellis Arjmand, MD, MMM, PhD, Surgeon-In-Chief

Dr. Ellis Arjmand was appointed Surgeon-in-Chief of Children's Hospital in January, 2019. Dr. Arjmand provides oversight of all surgical service lines and is responsible for developing and implementing a strategic vision for the continued growth of high-quality surgical services. Dr. Arjmand is nationally known for his expertise in healthcare quality improvement and health economics, and for his research related to pediatric hearing impairment. Prior to joining Children's Hospital, Dr. Arjmand served as Chief of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Texas Children’s Hospital, and Professor of Otolaryngology and Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. Arjmand also previously served as Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine where he was director of the Ear and Hearing Center and Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He earned his bachelor's degree, medical degree and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. Dr. Arjmand completed his otolaryngology residency and pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis Children's Hospital. He also holds a Master of Medical Management (MMM) degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Samir El-Dahr, MD, Pediatrician-In-Chief

Dr. Samir El-Dahr joined Children’s Hospital’s executive team in January, 2019 as the second Pediatrician-In-Chief, representing Tulane University School of Medicine and its pediatric academic medical program. Dr. El-Dahr received his medical degree at Aleppo University School of Medicine in 1982. He completed his residency in Pediatrics at the Medical Center of Delaware in 1986, followed by a fellowship in Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Virginia. Dr. El-Dahr joined the Section of Pediatric Nephrology at Tulane in 1990 and is currently the Jane B. Aron Professor of Pediatrics and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine, and Section Chief of Pediatric Nephrology. Dr. El-Dahr is actively involved in laboratory research and has served on several study sections at the National Institute of Health, where he currently holds funding related to mechanisms of kidney development. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs. Dr. El-Dahr is an active clinician with an interest in pediatric hypertension and transplantation.

Jessica Cahill, CPA, Chief Financial Officer

Jessica Cahill, CPA serves as Chief Financial Officer for Children's Hospital New Orleans, overseeing all financial aspects of the hospital, including accounting, budget management, financial planning, reimbursement, and revenue cycle. Prior to assuming the role of CFO, Jessica served as Vice President, Finance and Analytics at Children’s Hospital. A Miami native, she moved to New Orleans in 2000 and completed her Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree at the University of New Orleans. She joined Children’s in 2013 as the Hospital’s Controller, after a career in public accounting where she managed audit engagements in the health care industry. Jessica works closely with Accounting, Financial Planning & Analysis, Revenue Cycle, and Materials Management to oversee the financial aspects of the Hospital.

Jonathan Brouk, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer

Jonathan Brouk serves as Chief Operating Officer at Children's Hospital. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Children’s Vice President of Strategy and Business Development and has been a member of the hospital’s leadership team since 2016. Before joining Children’s, Brouk practiced corporate law in the healthcare group of a large national law firm headquartered in Chicago and a regional firm based in New Orleans, focusing primarily on hospital-physician alignment strategies, population health initiatives, and associated regulatory matters. Brouk earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, cum laude, from Tulane University and earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago, where he was awarded a Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy Fellowship.

Lindsey Casey, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer

​ In her role as CNO, Lindsey serves as the executive over all practice areas of nursing, will support the organization’s strategic priorities, and serves as executive leader over the hospital’s journey to achieve Magnet® Designation, the highest designation in nursing excellence. She also serves as the service line executive for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and Neonatology, two of Children's Hospital’s signature programs. Lindsey previously served as Children’s Hospital’s Assistant Vice President, Hospital Operations, bringing her strong clinical background to lead hospital-based services, including lab, pharmacy, radiology and rehabilitation services. Born and raised in South Louisiana, and a wife and mother to three children, Lindsey began her career at Children's in 2001 as a Nurse Tech in the PICU. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from LSU Health New Orleans, she worked as a bedside caregiver for ten years before rising to the role of PICU Director. Lindsey served in this capacity for five years while simultaneously earning her Master's of Science in Nursing degree from Loyola University New Orleans. She then took on the role of Senior Director of Critical Care with oversight of the CICU, NICU, PICU, Emergency Department, ECMO program, Respiratory Therapy, and advanced practice providers. In 2018, Lindsey transitioned to her current role of Assistant Vice President, Hospital Operations which allows her to bring her clinical background to lead the hospital's support departments.

Scott Macicek, MD, Chief Experience Officer

Dr. Scott Macicek serves as Chief Experience Officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans and sees patients as a Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist. A native of Lafayette, Louisiana, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He attended medical school at LSU Health New Orleans and then completed residency training at Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Macicek then completed fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric electrophysiology. Before moving back to Louisiana, he remained on staff at Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Macicek is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric cardiology, and adult congenital heart disease. Additionally, he is certified as a pediatric electrophysiologist by the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners.