Jennifer Avegno

Dr. Jennifer Avegno is a New Orleans native who received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Arts in Sociology from Tulane University and her MD from LSU School of Medicine – New Orleans.  She completed her residency at LSU/Charity Hospital Emergency Medicine and joined the faculty at both LSU and Tulane shortly after graduation.  As an academic faculty member, Dr. Avegno served as Associate Residency Director and Director of Undergraduate Emergency Medicine Education for both LSU and Tulane Medical Schools.  In 2017, she established the Division of Community Health Relations & Engagement in the LSU Section of Emergency Medicine, and as its director worked with institutional, governmental, and other community organizations to facilitate innovative programming, interdisciplinary partnerships, and improved population health outcomes.  Her clinical, program, and research interests include the role of social determinants of health, particularly access and barriers to care; health equity; violence intervention/prevention; sexual assault and human trafficking; and homelessness.  In 2018, she was appointed as the Director of the Health Department for the City of New Orleans, where she leads a dedicated team of public health professionals in addressing critical health needs for the community.