St. Joseph Hospice Administration

Alexandria Administrator:

Robbie Wampler, R.N. is the Administrator of St. Joseph Hospice of Cenla in Alexandria, LA. Robbie has worked as a registered nurse for 28 years. Her professional background includes hospital, long term care and hospice nursing. Providing care to the terminally ill through hospice has been her primary focus for the last 16 years as an Administrator and in providing direct patient care. Her roots grow deep in Central Louisiana not only as her birth place but also as the area she has chosen to live with her family and practice her profession. She takes great pride in providing the best hospice services available to her community.

Alexandria Medical Director

Bruce W. Barton, M.D.  Dr. Barton received his BS degree from Mississippi State University in 1980 and graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1984.  Dr. Barton served his residency at Tulane University Hospital and its affiliate hospitals in New Orleans and in 1987 he began his Internal Medicine Practice in Alexandria.  Dr. Barton is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.  With more than six years as a hospice medical director, he believes strongly in the hospice philosophy.  Dr. Barton is an active member of our hospice team, making patient visits, attending weekly team meetings, working closely with our field personnel on care and educating our community regarding hospice and the services offered by St. Joseph Hospice of Cenla.

Dr. Barton and his wife, Martha, live in Alexandria.  He has two children and three grandchildren.

Baton Rouge Administrator:

Carmel Drago, R.N. is the AdministratorDirector of Nursing of St. Joseph Hospice in Baton Rouge, LA. She has lived and worked in Baton Rouge for 32 years. Over her career, Carmel has worked in a hospital's burn unit, radiation oncology center, surgery, and for a private physician. She has been in nursing for 32 years, with 17 years of hospice nursing experience. She has been a hospice administrator and DON for over 8 years, with a staff of over 40 and a patient census of over 100.

Baton Rouge Medical Director

Susan E. Nelson, MD, FACP; Internal Medicine/Geriatrics/Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Dr. Nelson grew up in Houston, Texas and attended Texas A & M University. She graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1979. She worked as a pharmacist full time for one year prior to acceptance to the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She continued to work part time as a pharmacist throughout medical school, and still maintains her pharmacy license in Texas.

Dr. Nelson graduated from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 1984 and remained there for residency in Internal Medicine. She remained on the faculty as Chief Resident 1987-1988 and as Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine 1988-1989.

Dr. Nelson is board certified in Internal Medicine with added qualification in Geriatrics, and is board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine since 2001.

Dr. Nelson and her husband, Robert Hart, MD moved to Huntsville, Texas in 1989 where they had their own practice for 5 years. They relocated to Baton Rouge in 1994. Dr. Nelson primarily practices geriatrics with special emphasis on end of life care. She has been involved with hospice her entire career but has been a hospice medical director since 1999.

At St. Joseph Hospice, Dr. Nelson participates in interdisciplinary team meetings and is actively involved in patient care. She educates the staff as well as other members of the health care team in end of life care issues. Her goal is to make sure that “every day some one has left on this earth is a good day for them and their families and caregivers!”

New Orleans Administrator:

Cookie Sweeney, R.N., CHPN, is the Administrator/Director of Nursing of St. Joseph Hospice and Palliative Care in New Orleans, La. Cookie is a Registered Nurse, Certified in Hospice and Palliative Care and a member of the 2001 "Great 100" Nurses. Cookie's nursing career spans over 30 years with a background in Medical-Surgical Nursing, Case Management and Medical-Legal Consulting. The past 13 years of her nursing career has been dedicated to providing quality end-of-life care in the New Orleans area in both clinical and administrative capacities.

New Orleans Medical Director

Dr. Laurence Durante graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1983 having attended on a US Navy Scholarship. Following a rotating internship at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Dr. Durante served 4 years on active duty as a Navy General Medical Officer.

Dr. Durante then took a Masters in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland and completed a residency in General Preventive Medicine/Public Health in the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

After serving as the Health Officer for Queen Anne's County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Dr. Durante returned to New Orleans where he provided Occupational and Employee Health services at Touro Infirmary. Since 1992, Dr. Durante has served on the faculty of the Tulane School of Medicine in the Department of Community and Family Medicine.

Since 1995, Dr. Durante has served as a full-time hospice medical director. He is board certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in General Preventive Medicine as well as Occupational Medicine and by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Preventive Medicine as well as the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Shreveport Administrator:

Dr. Jerome Cox, PhD, is the Administrator of St. Joseph Hospice in Shreveport. Cox brings many diversified attributes to St. Joseph's; he holds degrees in industrial engineering, biblical studies, ministry and clinical counseling, and has worked in the field of ministry through his church and community for over 20 years.

Cox's leadership skills were greatly developed during his career as an officer in the US Army. Cox is a decorated veteran of Operations Restore Hope and Desert Storm. His military honors include the Humanitarian Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Bronze Star with Valor.

Cox has been active in local hospice work since 1999 in the capacities of volunteer, chaplain, bereavement coordinator and marketing representative. Cox is also certified through the American Academy of Crisis Counseling.

Cox lives in Shreveport with his wife Linda and their four sons. He believes "hospice is a ministry, and I am absolutely, 100 percent sure that I am serving within my calling."