Dr. Mary “Toni” Flowers joins LCMC Health as Chief Diversity and Social Responsibility Officer

New Orleans, LA – LCMC Health is pleased to announce Mary “Toni” Flowers, Ph.D., DHL, MBA, CCDP, CDM, SEIC, as its inaugural Chief Diversity and Social Responsibility Officer. In this capacity, Toni will lead a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy for LCMC Health and its member hospitals.

Toni is a subject matter expert on the topics of diversity, strategy and action planning, health care equity, health, and health care disparities, community health, cultural competency, executive coaching, customer/patient experience, and social marketing.

“LCMC Health strives to reflect the diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do by providing healthcare that speaks to our richly diverse community while creating a welcoming and supportive workplace for all,” said Greg Feirn, CEO, LCMC Health. “Toni’s strategic vision and expertise will help further our commitment to equity, by supporting our mission of providing health, care, and education beyond extraordinary.”

Toni has spent more than two decades focusing on diversity and inclusion and health equity and disparities in healthcare. Most recently, she was the inaugural Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Roper St. Francis Healthcare System in Charleston, South Carolina. She served in a similar capacity for the St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan.

“My passion for the work of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in healthcare is longstanding and is fueled by my personal commitment to social justice,” said Toni. “I have always enjoyed the rich history and culture of New Orleans, and the city itself is representative of diversity. It's like a great bowl of file gumbo, with all the variety of ingredients working together to please the palate. I am thrilled to join the dynamic leadership team at LCMC Health.”

Toni is a member of the executive committee of the American Leadership Council for Diversity in Healthcare and serves as faculty for the Institute for Diversity’s Certificate in Diversity Management Fellowship. She also serves as an advisor and executive coach to health systems and healthcare executives across the country.

Toni has been recognized nationally by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for her excellence in program development and the reduction in health disparities. She is a certified Social & Emotional Intelligence Coach and has received multiple diversity-related certifications from Cornell University and Georgetown University. She is a nurse and medical anthropologist, and for more than 20 years she has served internationally as a medical missionary to many countries throughout Africa, South America, and the West Indies.

In 2018 and 2019, Becker’s Hospital Review named Toni one of 50 “Great African American Health Administrators to Know,” noting her influence in impacting how organizations approach healthcare delivery, the development of healthcare policy, and advocating for the next generation of leaders.

Toni earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Education, a Doctor of Humane Letters, and a Master of Business Administration from the Christian University of Southern Indiana. Before those degrees, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Wayne State University after earning an Associate Degree in Nursing from Wayne County Community College.