November 1, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

I’m writing to introduce myself as your new Governor for Louisiana with the American College of Gastroenterology. I’m grateful for your confidence, and I’m looking forward to serving the GI community in our state over the next few years.

For those I haven’t had the chance to meet, I grew up in Lake Charles, went to LSU in Baton Rouge, and attended medical school at LSU in New Orleans. After training in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the University of South Alabama, I came home to join the faculty of the LSU Section of Gastroenterology, where I’ve spent my career caring for patients and teaching residents and fellows. The ACG has been a big part of my professional life along the way, and I’m glad for the chance to give something back.  Louisiana is my home and representing the GI professionals in Louisiana is a honor. 

The Governor’s job is fairly simple: to be a link between Louisiana’s gastroenterologists and the College. That means bringing your concerns to the Board of Governors, keeping you informed about what the ACG is doing, and helping you make use of what it offers. That includes advocacy on reimbursement and prior authorization, practice management resources, educational programs, and the path to Fellowship. Our state has physicians in academic centers, large groups, and small practices in rural communities, and I want to represent and be useful to all our gastroenterology professionals.

A few things I’d ask of you:

• Tell me what’s on your mind. If there’s an issue affecting your practice or your patients, I want to hear about it. Some of the most useful input I can take to the College is a specific problem from someone dealing with it every day.
• Bring others along. If you have colleagues, advanced practice providers, residents, or fellows who would benefit from ACG membership and membership in the Louisiana Gastroenterology  Society,  please send them my way.
• Consider Fellowship. If you’re a member who has thought about applying for FACG and would like help with the process, I’m happy to talk it through.

I want to thank Dr. Neelima Reddy for her service as our previous Governor and for leaving things in such good shape. I hope to see many of you at upcoming meetings, especially our Louisiana GI Society's 25th anniversary in New Orleans in March 2027.  I was proud to serve as president from 2023-2024 and the work we accomplish in the society. Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime.

Thank you for the work you do for patients across Louisiana. I’m looking forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Stephen Landreneau, MD, FACG

Professor

LSU School of Medicine New Orleans

slandr@lsuhsc.edu