Our Leadership
Meet the People in Charge of Our New Orleans Hospital
University Medical Center New Orleans has become an important part of our community. Offering outstanding care, medical training, and advancements in research, our hospital continues to improve the lives of countless people throughout the area. Learn more about our leadership by reading below.
Emily Sedgwick, MD, President & Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Sedgwick has had more than 20 years of healthcare experience and leadership in large complex nonprofit academic healthcare systems and for-profit hospital systems. She comes to University Medical Center from her role as Executive Chief Medical Officer at the University of Kentucky hospital system, a $2.98 billion organization comprised of four hospitals and more than 12,000 employees, serving patients from Kentucky, West Virginia, northern Tennessee, and southern Ohio. While in Kentucky, she led a multidisciplinary team to improve hospital throughput, reducing the inpatient bed turnaround time by 32%. In addition, she spearheaded a clinical documentation initiative to improve hospital quality ratings, revenue, and inpatient throughput. Emily began her career as a faculty member at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in 2001. She later moved to Houston, where she practiced at Houston Methodist as a diagnostic radiologist.
William Killinger, MD, Chief Medical Officer
An experienced and successful Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Killinger practiced as a cardiothoracic surgeon for over two decades and has a demonstrated track record of improving physician satisfaction, implementing cutting-edge technology, and revamping hospital processes to increase quality and reduce cost. Before joining University Medical Center, he served as Chief Medical Officer at HCA Houston Clear Lake Hospital and Mainland Hospital. Dr. Killinger received his BA degree from Emory University, his MBA from Brandeis University and his MD degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr. Killinger went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for general surgery residency, University of Pittsburgh for cardiothoracic surgery fellowship and received further fellowship cardiothoracic training at Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Luisa (Dee) Gallardo, Chief Nursing Officer
Dr. Gallardo RN, DNP, NEA-BC, has extensive experience leading cross-functional teams and staff at major academic medical centers. Most recently, she served as Associate Chief Nursing Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she led and developed a patient-focused safety culture for over 3,900 in the nursing community. Dr. Gallardo received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Doctor of Nursing Practice Executive Leadership from Texas Tech University Health Science Center. She also received a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston School of Nursing and Allied health and became a Licensed Vocational Nurse at St. Phillips College of Nursing.
Dr. Puneet Freibott, Chief Administrative Officer
Dr. Puneet Freibott, RN, FACHE, CCRN-K, NEA-BC, has extensive diverse experiences in hospital operations and a demonstrated track record in achieving stellar patient outcomes through collaboration and patient centricity. She is passionate about developing and empowering teams to eliminate patient harm and to create effective and efficient sustainable models for high-quality healthcare delivery. Dr. Freibott has served in executive leadership positions in non-profit academic magnet Institutions and for-profit hospital systems. Her most recent executive leadership role was with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the adult teaching hospital for the Washington University School of Medicine. In 2022, the hospital was named one of the top twenty hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
Christine Williams Bond, Chief Financial Officer
Christine Williams Bond previously worked at Atlanta Medical Center in Atlanta, GA, in the role of Assistant Chief Financial Officer. She previously worked as Controller at Emory Johns Creek Hospital in Johns Creek, GA, and Emory Dunwoody Hospital in Atlanta, GA. A native New Orleanian, Chris received both a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management from the University of New Orleans.
Charlotte Parent, RN, MHCM, Vice President of Business Development
Charlotte Parent, RN, MHCM, has more than 30 years of experience in health care, most recently serving as Assistant Vice President of Community Affairs and Network Development at LCMC Health. From 2014-2016, she served as Director of the New Orleans Health Department. While in her role as New Orleans Health Director, she was instrumental in the development and implementation of the city’s smoking ban and initiatives related to homelessness, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Early in her career, she was the director of Maternal and Child Services at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, where she developed and oversaw services for expectant mothers and their families. A native New Orleanian, Charlotte received her Diploma of Nursing at the Charity Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Loyola University and a master's degree in Health Care Management from the University of New Orleans.
Sherri Peavy, Vice President of Ambulatory & Physician Services
Sherri Peavy hails from Chicago and brings more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience. Sherri has held operational leadership roles in multiple specialties, including Internal and Family Medicine, Preventative Cardiology, Behavioral Health, Integrative Medicine and Oncology at community hospitals and academic medical centers. Most recently, she served as Senior Director, Oncology Service Line, for the University of Illinois Health Sciences System in Chicago. She also previously served as Chief Operating Officer for the University of Illinois Health Science System and Director of Operations for Northwestern Medicine. Sherri holds a bachelor’s degree in Science - Nursing, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Lewis University.
Jyotsna Fuloria, MD, Vice President of Clinical Research
An oncologist and researcher, Dr. Fuloria previously worked at the Ochsner Cancer Institute where she served as Director of Clinical Oncology Research. Prior to that she held positions in clinical oncology research. Dr. Fuloria received her medical degree from the University of Delhi, Delhi, India. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Unity Health System Rochester, N.Y., and her fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at St. Frances Hospital of Evanston and Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
Bernard Flores, Vice President of Operations
Bernard Flores, has a professional background in leading and building dynamic teams and cultivating successful company culture. Before joining the University Medical Center team, Bernard held the role of Director of Facilities Support Services at Houston Methodist Baytown, where he developed new processes that included facility infrastructure assessment, patient experience improvement initiatives, staff and contractor safety training including shutdown protocols. Bernard has received his Master of Business Administration with a Project Management Concentration and is a Certified Healthcare Facility Manager.
Julia Galvani, MD, Vice President of Quality & Patient Safety
Dr. Julia Galvani is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety who has successfully held several leadership roles in quality and safety for nonprofit academic institutions and for-profit healthcare systems. In those roles, she had a variety of multidisciplinary performance improvement initiatives and projects to elevate the quality of care and safety of patients and to ensure compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements. Most recently, she served as the Administrative Director of Quality and Patient Safety for Tulane Medical Center and Lakeside Hospital. Dr. Galvani earned her Medical Doctor degree from the National University of Cordoba, in Córdoba, Argentina. She completed her General Surgery residency also in Argentina, before completing her fellowship in Abdominal Transplant Surgery at Hospital Clinic i Provincial de Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain..