River Parishes Hospital leaders recently held a reception at Belle Terre Country Club to introduce and welcome eight new physicians to the hospital and community who arrived over the last four months. They are Kosi Avotri, MD, Pediatrics; Rachel Bezdek, MD, Obstetrics/Gynecology; Bryan Bienvenu, MD, Oncology; Frederic Billings, III, MD, Oncology; Daniel Kurica, MD, Ophthalmology; Mark Moglowsky, MD, Gastroenterology; Kellie Schmeeckle, MD, Oncology; and Sousan Zadeh, DO, Nephrology.

Charlotte Dupré, hospital chief executive officer, welcomed the hospital’s medical staff members, Board of Trustees, department leaders and community leaders to the reception and thanked them for their continued support of River Parishes Hospital. She then introduced each of the new physicians and invited them to give a brief description about their medical specialty and physician practice.

Kosi Avotri, MD

Avotri received his medical degree from the University of Ghana Medical School in Accra, Ghana. He completed a Pediatric Internship at the Ministry of Health in Accra, Ghana, and two residencies in Pediatrics — the first at Michigan State University Affiliated Residency Program in Lansing, Mich. and the second at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Conn. He also completed a Clinical Nutrition Fellowship at Albany Medical Center and V.A. Hospital in Albany, NY. Avotri has been a practicing pediatrician for over 30 years, previously serving as chairman of the department of pediatrics and medical director of Quality of Life Health Services Inc. in Gadsden, Ala.

Avotri’s office, Pedz Care Pediatric Clinic, is located next to Walgreens at 1819 West Airline Hwy., Suite 10 in LaPlace. His office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. His office phone number is 651-5751.

Rachel Bezdek, MD

Bezdek received her medicaldegree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine

in Shreveport, and completed a residency in Obstetrics

and Gynecology at the University

of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. She is a Junior Fellow with the American College

of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Bezdek is available on a full-time basis to see patients. She is affiliated with the practices of Dr. Stuart Schultz, Dr. Antoine Faucheaux and Dr. John McCrossen at the Rue de Santé Women’s Center, which is located at 301 Rue de

Santé in LaPlace. Her office phone number is (985) 652-2441. She is fluent in conversational and medical Spanish.

Bryan Bienvenu, MD

Bienvenu is a graduate of Louisiana State University Medical School. He completed an internship at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge and a fellowship at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University Medical Center at Earl K. Long Hospital.

Bienvenu is affiliated with Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates, who have offices in Baton Rouge, Gonzales, Lutcher, Zachary and now LaPlace. His office is located in the Rue de Santé Medical Plaza at 501 Rue de Santé, Suite 2 in LaPlace. His office phone number is (225) 767-1311.

Frederic Billings III, MD

Billings received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., where he also completed an internship and residency in Medicine. He completed a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology and served as chief resident at the University Hospitals of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a Diplomate with the National Board of Medical Examiners as well as a Diplomate in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology with the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been a practicing oncologist for over 30 years.

Billings is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Internal Medicine, American Society of Hematology, American Clinical and Climatological Association and Louisiana State Medical Society. He is a fellow with the Society for Biological Therapy and is the founding member of the Southern Association for Oncology.

Billings is affiliated with Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates. His LaPlace office is located in the Rue de Santé Medical Plaza at 501 Rue de Santé, Suite 2. His office phone number is (225) 767-1311.

Daniel Kurica, MD

Kurica received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Ochsner Internal Medicine Residency Program and a residency in Ophthalmology at LSU/Ochsner Ophthalmology Residency Program. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Kurica is available on a full-time basis to see patients. He is affiliated with the practices of Dr. Ronald Aslett and Dr. Philip Kurica at the Aslett Kurica Eye Center, located at 370 Belle Terre Blvd. in LaPlace. His office phone number is (985) 652-6066.

Mark Moglowsky, MD

Moglowsky graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in both Gastroenterology and Therapeutic Endoscopy at Sanai Samaritan Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wis. He is board certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Gastroenterology.

Moglowsky’s office, River Region Digestive Health Center, is located in the River Parishes Hospital Medical Pavilion at 502 Rue de Santé, Suite 105 in LaPlace. He is available to see patients on a full-time basis. His office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. His office phone number is (985) 653-1605.

Kellie Schmeeckle, MD

Schmeeckle received her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, where she completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine as well as a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology. She also completed a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans. She is a member of the American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology and Louisiana State Medical Society.

Schmeeckle is affiliated with Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates. Her LaPlace office is located in the Rue de Santé Medical Plaza at 501 Rue de Santé, Suite 2. Her office phone number is (225) 767-1311.

Sousan Zadeh, DO

Zadeh received her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Nephrology and Hypertension at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She also completed a residency and internship in Internal Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. She is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the Louisiana State Medical Society, Renal Physicians Association and National Kidney Foundation.

Zadeh is affiliated with Nephrology Associates, the practices of Dr. Farida Baig, Dr. Arzu Hatipoglu, Dr. Mustafa Hatipoglu and Dr. Abdolamir Zadeh. They have two offices in the River Parishes area: LaPlace Dialysis Center located at 2700 Airline Hwy. in LaPlace and St. James Dialysis Center located at 1661 Highway 3125 in Gramercy. The LaPlace office number is (985) 536-7860, and the Gramercy office number is (225) 869-6681. They also have a 24-hour office number (504) 888-8717.

“We are very excited to welcome these skilled, experienced physicians to our growing medical staff,” said Dupré. “With the addition of these eight physicians, River Parishes Hospital is now, more than ever before, able to provide the health care our community needs right here in LaPlace.”