Manning Family Children’s welcomes Louisiana’s first infant complex care specialist to its growing neonatology team

NEW ORLEANS - Manning Family Children's is proud to welcome Michael Evers, M.D., to its expert neonatology team where he will serve as the state’s first and only fellowship-trained infant complex care pediatrician. A Louisiana native, Dr. Evers brings advanced training and a passion for caring for premature and medically complex infants.

As a neonatologist and infant complex care pediatrician, Dr. Evers specializes in caring for premature newborns and infants with serious or complex medical conditions who require coordinated, long-term medical management. His work includes providing advanced care in the NICU, coordinating treatment plans with multidisciplinary specialists, and helping families navigate the complex transition from hospital to home.

“Dr. Evers provides dedicated long-term follow-up care to monitor children's growth, development and overall health long after they leave the NICU,” said Dr. Christy Mumphrey, Service Line Chief for Neonatology at Manning Family Children’s. “For many babies with complex NICU journeys, this means years of follow-up with multidisciplinary care teams, and we now have an added layer of expertise to help support optimal outcomes for our most complex NICU babies and their families”.

Dr. Evers joins the hospital during a period of continued growth for its nationally recognized neonatology program. Earlier this year, Manning Family Children's announced the construction of a new flagship 60-bed Level IV NICU, a transformational expansion that will increase access to the highest level of specialized neonatal care for families throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South. The expanded unit is expected to open next year and will further strengthen the hospital's role as the region's leading destination for specialized neonatal care.

Louisiana continues to have one of the highest preterm birth rates in the country, making access to advanced neonatal care more important than ever. Manning Family Children's remains committed to ensuring families can receive expert, coordinated care close to home from birth through childhood.

"Offering the highest level of neonatal care in the Gulf South, our team proudly cares for the region's most critically ill newborns," said Manning Family Children’s President and CEO Lucio A. Fragoso. "With the addition of Dr. Evers as Louisiana’s only infant complex care specialist, we are adding a critical continuum of care for families facing the most intricate medical journeys. Our families now have access to an added layer of expertise in the months and years that follow a complex NICU journey, and we're proud to be leading the way."

For Dr. Evers, returning to Manning Family Children's was both a professional and personal decision. He earned his medical degree and completed his pediatric residency at LSU Health New Orleans, and went on to complete a highly specialized fellowship in Infant Complex Care at Duke University before returning home to complete his neonatology fellowship. In addition to caring for patients at Manning Family Children’s, he serves as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at LSU Health New Orleans in the Division of Neonatology and Complex Care, where he helps educate and mentor the next generation of pediatric providers.

"Manning Family Children's has always felt like home," said Dr. Evers. "I completed most of my medical training here, and it's where I grew tremendously as a physician. I wanted to stay because I believe in the care this hospital provides and because I wanted to give back to the families and community that helped shape my career."

For more than 70 years, Manning Family Children’s has proudly served as Louisiana’s only, freestanding, comprehensive children’s hospital with more than 600 pediatric-trained providers and 3,000 employees solely dedicated to the care of kids. In addition to comprehensive services offered at its main campus in New Orleans, Children’s operates a robust network of more than 30 satellite locations, pediatric affiliations across Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and robust and long-community programs designed to meet the health needs of the diverse communities it serves. At the heart of its mission, Manning Family Children’s is committed to delivering expert care for every child, every time – regardless of the family’s ability to pay.

Learn more about Manning Family Children’s new NICU at manningchildrens.org.

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About Manning Family Children’s:  
Manning Family Children’s is a 263-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Manning Family Children’s offers a comprehensive array of specialized pediatric services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, Children’s operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Children’s offers primary care at 14 convenient locations, along with a network of statewide pediatric affiliations. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, East Jefferson General Hospital, Lakeview Hospital, and Lakeside Hospital. Learn more at manningchildren’s.org.   

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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