Mike Hulefeld, president and chief operating officer (COO) of Ochsner Health, announced he will step down from his role at the end of 2025. Ochsner has named Timothy Riddell, MD, the executive vice president and chief operating officer effective upon Hulefeld’s departure.
Hulefeld’s career with Ochsner spans 27 years, the last 13 years as COO, and he was named president and COO in November 2022. Prior to that, he was chief executive officer of Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans for four years. He joined Ochsner as an administrative fellow and served in many roles throughout the years, shaping teams and operations that have provided care for patients daily.
As president and COO, Hulefeld has executive leadership responsibility for daily operations across Ochsner’s 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. During his tenure, Hulefeld has been an integral leader in the strategic growth of Ochsner through geographic expansion and partnerships to serve more communities and increase access to healthcare. He spearheaded the integrated partnership establishing Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center with seven locations across New Orleans, St. Tammany Parish and Baton Rouge, La.
Hulefeld will remain involved with the organization even after his transition, most notably through serving as a mentor, coach, and educator to develop Ochsner leaders.
Since January 1, Riddell has served as the chief medical officer for Ochsner’s Northshore, Mississippi Gulf Coast, Baton Rouge, Acadiana, and Rush (central Mississippi and east Alabama) regions. Previously, he was the regional chief executive officer for Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast regions. Riddell is a family practice physician and has been a member of the Ochsner group practice for 28 years.