Program Manager

Ali Teixidor

A New Orleans native, Alexandra "Ali" Teixidor was born and raised in the city, shaping a strong appreciation for community and culture. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Criminology from Louisiana State University, followed by a Master's degree in Leadership and Human Resource Development. Her academic background reflects a focus on human behavior, organizational leadership, and professional development. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending quality time with her family.

Core Faculty

Jeff Elder 

Dr. Jeffrey Elder is the Chief Medical Officer at University Medical Center and is the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Emergency Management at LCMC Health.  A Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Emergency Medicine at LSU Health Science Center, Dr Elder also serves as the EMS medical director for LCMC Health and multiple local fire departments.  Dr. Elder holds an appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Tulane University.  Dr. Elder previously served as the Director and Medical Director of New Orleans EMS, Medical Director for the New Orleans Fire Department, and Chief Medical Officer for the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.  While working with some of the best paramedics in the country, he learned how advances in prehospital medicine can drive in-hospital emergency medical care. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine with subspecialty board certification in Emergency Medical Services by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.  

 

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Sean Hardy

Dr Hardy’s experience has spanned a wide range of public safety and medical roles. He began his career in healthcare with Travis County ESD4 as a firefighter/medic following graduation from high school. During his early career in fire/rescue he held positions and certifications in swift water rescue, technical extrication, hazardous materials, and high angle rescue with TCESD4 and other central Texas emergency service groups.

He later completed medical school at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, and continued his path in emergency medicine with a residency in Emergency Medicine at the storied Charity Hospital in New Orleans. During this time, he remained active with EMS, serving duties in both field and on-line medical control for the municipal 911 response service as well as a private aeromedical transport service. He was active in the disaster response during Hurricane Katrina, remaining in the city delivering care at the downtown Charity Hospital, and later in makeshift tents and military CSH hospitals.

Following residency, he completed a fellowship in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine at LSU, with special interest in dive incident management and complicated DCS cases. He has been involved in a number of remote saturation and critical care decompression treatments, and is part of an elite fly-away decompression treatment team which treats serious decompression events across the country.

He holds academic positions with both Louisiana State University as well as Tulane University in the teaching of medical students, Emergency Medicine residents, and Hyperbaric Medicine fellows. In his 21 years with LSU, he has served in numerous leadership positions including Associate Director of Emergency Services and the Clinical Director of Emergency Preparedness, and currently as the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs for Emergency Medicine and Director of Faculty Development.

Dr Hardy has over 25 years in education, with continued emphasis on out of hospital medicine in both civilian and law enforcement/military contexts. Currently, he serves on the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technologists, where he has special focus on diver medic education and standards. He has been a national and international lecturer on management of complex diving incidents, and has authored review articles, book chapters and position papers in the areas of field emergency care, tactical medicine, and diving medicine. He cares for patients full time at University Medical Center Emergency Department and the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center. He continues his contact with prehospital medicine by serving as medical director of a non 911 ambulance service in New Orleans. He is a sworn peace officer, training with and supporting several special tactics teams in southern Louisiana, as well as a medical consultant for tactical courses in several other states. He has helped bring tourniquet and active shooter training to over 2000 officers from more than 40 departments across the country. The experience he has gained and mentorship he has received, has allowed him to become a national lecturer and expert in the field of diving medicine, lending this expertise to organizations such as NASA and the US Navy. In his off time, he continues to enjoy diving, competitive marksmanship, and martial arts.

 

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Meghan Maslanka

 

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Christopher Willoughby

Dr. Christopher Willoughby serves as Core Faculty for the LSU EMS Fellowship and as Deputy Medical Director for New Orleans EMS. He brings a diverse background in EMS, emergency medicine, critical care transport, disaster response, and medical education that spans both operational and academic medicine.

Prior to medical school, Dr. Willoughby worked as a paramedic with Frisbie Memorial Hospital in New Hampshire and the New Orleans Health Department EMS system, now known as New Orleans EMS. He earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed his Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati. He subsequently completed fellowship training in Cardiovascular Emergencies at the University of Virginia.

Throughout his career, Dr. Willoughby has remained deeply involved in prehospital and transport medicine. He has served as a flight physician with both University of Cincinnati Air Care and AeroMed at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His leadership experience includes serving as Medical Director for Delgado Community College EMS Education and the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Fire and Emergency Training Division.

Dr. Willoughby has extensive experience in disaster and federal response medicine, serving as a Medical Specialist with the Alabama Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) and participating in National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) aeromedical evacuation missions. His professional interests include cardiovascular emergencies, critical care transport, disaster medicine, EMS education, and the integration of evidence-based medicine into prehospital systems of care.