Board Members

 

Current Members of the Board

  

Oday Lavergne, Jr, PT
Chairman

Oday Lavergne, Jr. was reappointed to the board on July 17, 2023 by Governor John Bel Edwards.  Oday graduated from the Physical Therapy program at Louisiana State University, New Orleans and has been a licensed PT in the state of Louisiana since 1978. He holds certification in functional nutrition for chronic pain. He is the founder and CEO of Agilus Health, an outpatient clinic that customizes individual recovery plans, using the most state-of-the-art technology and practices to get patients performing better than ever. Oday is eager to serve as a board member of the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board.

Term Expires July 16, 2026


Kathryn Brittain, PT, DPT, MBA
Secretary/Treasurer 

Kathryn Brittain was appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards on September 7, 2018 for a three-year term. Kathryn received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Duke University Medical School where she held multiple offices including serving on the medical school board of directors.  She also received her MBA from Texas Woman’s University and has been instrumental working with organizations in developing programs for quality improvement, strategic planning, and business development. Further, she served as CEO of a startup technology company and was responsible for the development of best practice guidelines specific to managing spine related pain. Kathryn’s primary interest is a combination of utilizing her clinical depth of knowledge with the business models of cost analysis and quality improvement as it relates to medical intervention best practice and assessment of long term outcomes. Currently, Katie continues to serve primarily in the role of administrator in managing quality improvement, business development, and as a resource for best practice in the diagnosis and treatment of complex orthopedic patients. In addition, she volunteers as the Louisiana Physical Therapy Association (LPTA) Policy and Payment Committee Chair, member of the Louisiana Department of Insurance Health Care Commission, member of the Department of Insurance Pharma and Healthcare Costs Work Group, and she served on the 2017 Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy national physical therapy exam standard setting task force.

Term Expires September 06, 2024


Dr. Meredith A. Warner, M.D., M.B.A.
Board Member

Dr. Meredith Warner is a board certified Orthopedic surgeon, fellowship trained in complex foot and ankle reconstruction, practicing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr. Warner started her private practice Warner Orthopedics and Wellness in April 2013 and is an expert in general orthopedic medicine, care of the injured worker, the treatment of complex foot and ankle injuries and the non-operative treatment of the spine. Prior to arriving in Baton Rouge, she served as a Major in the United States Air Force with two deployments; she served in Iraq and Afghanistan performing combat surgery. Dr. Warner also performed surgery on a disaster relief mission to Haiti in January 2010. Upon her arrival to Louisiana, she entered into the executive MBA program at Louisiana State University and completed her degree in the winter of 2010. Dr. Warner is committed to offering her patients an accurate diagnosis and comprehensive treatment plan in order to get them back to the most functional and best life possible.  Dr. Meredith Warner graduated with honors from the Medical Scholars Program at the University of Delaware and earned her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University Medical School in Philadelphia, PA. She completed an internship in General Surgery and an Orthopedic surgery residency at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA, and her fellowship in foot and ankle reconstruction at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. She has trained extensively in spine intervention techniques.

Term Expires January 4, 2024


Phillip Page, PhD, PT, ATC, CSCS, FACSM
Board Member

Dr. Phil Page is a licensed physical therapist, athletic trainer, and certified strength & conditioning specialist. Dr. Page is an Associate Professor and Research Director in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated from LSU in physical therapy in 1994 and received his master’s degree in exercise physiology from Mississippi State University in 1996, as well as a doctorate in Kinesiology from LSU in 2009. Dr. Page is a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine. He has been involved in rehabilitation and sports medicine for over 30 years, and most recently was the Global Director of Clinical Education and Research for Performance Health for 21 years. Dr. Page also has a faculty appointments at Tulane University and Medical School. He has served on the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board since 2018. He has received the Lifetime Excellence in Education Award from the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy and the Dave Warner Service Award from the Louisiana Chapter of the APTA. He serves as Editor for the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. Dr. Page lectures extensively and provides workshops on a variety of topics around the world. He has presented over 200 international lectures and workshops on exercise and rehabilitation topics and has over 100 publications as well as 4 books. He has worked with the athletic programs at LSU, Tulane, the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, as well as the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Term Expires September 17, 2024


 

Tyra Mitchell, PT, DPT, MHA, CLT, CEAS 
Board Member

Tyra Mitchell was reappointed to the board on September 15, 2023 by Governor John Bel Edwards. Tyra earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Emory University (GA) and a Master of Health Administration from The George Washington University (DC) and brings nearly 20 years of clinical experience as a Physical Therapist and a Healthcare Administrative Leader. Her clinical practice experience includes adult, lymphedema, vestibular rehabilitation, post- concussion syndrome, geriatrics, acute care hospital, skilled nursing facilities, sports medicine, orthopedics, home health, critical care, and other clinical settings. Sher currently is a Professor of Practice in Exercise Science in the Kinesiology program at Tulane University, a part-time Assistant Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at LSU Health Sciences Center- New Orleans, and a part-time Rehab Coordinator of Onboarding and Clinical Competency for Ochsner Therapy and Wellness. She serves as the Program Chair for the Health Policy and Administration section of the American Physical Therapy Association and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Dr. Mitchell is a native of New Orleans and lives in New Orleans with her family. In her leisure time, she travels with her family, visiting art museums and finding street art in reclaimed public spaces. Each year since 2013, Dr. Mitchell participates in Tour De Pink, a charity bike ride supporting the Young Survival Coalition (YSC).

 Term Expires September 14, 2026


Deandra Johnson-Narcisse, M. Ed.
Consumer Member

Ms. Deandra Johnson-Narcisse was appointed as the board's consumer member on November 11, 2022. She is a native of New Orleans. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication with a minor in Spanish from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (currently the University of Louisiana at Lafayette).  Following Hurricane Katrina, Ms. Narcisse returned to Lafayette, completed her English teaching certification, and later earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from UL. Deandra has 16 years of experience in the field of education. She taught for 10 years, served as a school leader for 5 years, and 1 year as a district instructional coach. Ms. Narcisse currently works for the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) as an Education Program Consultant 3 for the Federal Support and Grantee Relations’ Statewide Monitoring division. She is eager to serve on the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board to advocate on the behalf of her fellow Louisianans.

Term Expires November 10, 2025


Raven Lyons, PTA
Board Member

Raven Lyons was appointed on December 22, 2023 by Governor John Bel Edwards. She is from Harvey, Louisiana. She is a Louisiana licensed Physical Therapist Assistant at Ochsner Health with 3 years of experience primarily treating chronic pain and post-operative cases in the Greater New Orleans Area. She is an Ursuline alum who obtained an Associate of Applied Science in Physical Therapist Assistant (2020), Associate of Science in General Studies (2016) from Delgado Community College, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance & Exercise Science (2016)  from the University of Mobile. Her values include integrity, compassion, and empathy. Raven’s passion for advocacy and serving others led her to further her education at the University of New Orleans in 2022. With a Master of Science in Healthcare Management in sight, Raven is determined to utilize skills garnered to continue making an impact in the healthcare community. She is a civic leader and philanthropist who led fundraising efforts in her community for National Physical Therapy Month, and served as the PTA Council Representative as a board member of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association where she has been engaged in strategic planning, advocacy, and organizational behaviors useful for team-oriented methodology. Her experience as a clinician has allowed her to develop interpersonal skills, professionalism, and improve her critical thinking skills. For leisure, Raven enjoys boxing, engaging in politics, watching sports with family, and trying new foods.

 

Term Expires December 21, 2026


Judith Halverson, PT, DPT, MHA
Board Member

Judith Halverson was reappointed to the Board in January, 2021 to serve until January, 2024. Judith has over 39 years of physical therapy practice. She earned her Certificate of Physical Therapy from the University of Iowa Program in Physical Therapy in 1983. In 1998, she received a Master of Health Care Administration from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Judith received her DPT from Utica College in 2017. Her primary area of practice has been in outpatient, physical therapy, which has included the private practice, hospital-based outpatient, and Medicare Certified Rehabilitation Agency settings.  Her focus of practice has been in geriatric physical therapy in long term care, home health, and outpatient settings.  

Judith is currently the Director of Education for Ochsner Therapy & Wellness. In her role, she ensures that all clinicians and support staff have the skills, education and tools to care for their patients in the most caring and effective manner. Judith is passionate about teaching others, especially students, who are the future of the profession. 

 

Term Expires January 11, 2024


 

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