HJBR Jul/Aug 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JUL / AUG 2026 41 in the first place or to stave it off before you get the long-term ill effects of hypertension and diabetes and heart disease and what have you. And so, if you can get to people early on, you might be able to better affect health outcomes in the state. Editor Do you think it’s a cultural issue or a poverty issue or a food availability issue? Littleton Probably all of the above. I mean, there’s some things that folks do things a certain way because their parents did it and their uncle did it and grandparents did it, but there’s clearly a lack and a shortage of access to healthcare, quality food, and what have you, based on income levels and pov- erty levels and what have you. Editor Isn’t that amazing in our country that good food is just not available? I’m so disappointed in leadership when I look and think, “My God, we can’t even feed our people well.” I mean, they’re eating food that’s making them ill. Littleton Right. Editor What is one change that would make it easier for doctors to take care of patients? Littleton Well, I think that we all strive to do what’s right for patients, but I wonder if the looming concern of medical legal issues weighs on some providers and potentially make them practice medicine a different way from a defensive standpoint instead of doing what . . . And by that I mean there may be some things that we do just to kind of check all the boxes that may not neces- sarily be necessary. And obviously, I think there is such a thing as malpractice and if someone is treated inappropriately and is treated out- side the standard of care, they should be compensated for that. But at the same time, there’s so much legal burden weighing on providers in this system and with such a liti- gious society, I don’t know if there could be some sort of tort reform; I think that would help. Editor What gives you hope about the next generation of physicians coming into the profession? Littleton Well, with the next generation and youth and energy, what typically comes with that is new ideas, new technology — and technology is where it’s at. That’s the next best thing is bound to be something great. You look at AI and medicine and how that’s going to be utilized — and hopefully for the betterment of healthcare and patients — I think it’s exciting. And then we’re right on the edge of a new revolution in healthcare. Editor Because of AI? Littleton Yes. Editor What do you think is going to happen? Littleton I think that AI will hopefully help streamline the way we practice medicine. I do not think that physicians and mid-levels will be replaced by AI, but hopefully what [it’ll] do is make us better and hone our skills evenmore to be prepared to tackle the chal- lenges of tomorrow. Editor I always think of Scotty on Star Trek — we’re almost in that situation. Littleton Right. Editor What role do you play when resi- dents and students rotate through the Baton Rouge General? Littleton We talked about the younger gen- eration of physicians coming up. I do enjoy my role as an educator to the young physi- cians and the up-and-coming medical stu- dents, future doctors that rotate with me. That exposure to those younger providers, younger physicians keeps me young as well, and keeps me grounded. Editor Have they taught you anything? Littleton Well, certainly from the technol- ogy standpoint they can do some things on the computer they help me with. But I think they teach me things about ¬— maybe you can even say about life — and just help me to appreciate a perspective that is different from mine and different from my parents and my siblings and my generation so to speak. And so, yeah, I can say they certainly, they teach me things for sure. Editor I appreciate you taking time to speak with us today. n “I think you have to have empathy, you have to put the patient and their needs first and foremost. Quality care is essential and communication is ultimately one of the most important things that you have to have when interacting with patients and treating patients.”