Dr. Yvens Laborde is Chief Community Medical Officer and Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine for University of Queensland Medical School – Ochsner Health in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Yvens Laborde earned his medical degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport, held an internship at Tulane University in New Orleans, and completed his residency in internal medicine at Ochsner. He joined Ochsner in 1995 and in nearly three decades has excelled as a clinician, educator, and executive physician leader. Dr. Laborde is recognized locally and globally for championing equity and diversity in his field, and for his humanitarian work and community service.
Dr. Laborde was the first Black physician elected to the Ochsner Health System Board of Directors. He served as the regional medical director for Ochsner Medical Center West Bank (OMCWB) and as vice president of medical affairs. Among many honors, Dr. Laborde received the New Orleans Health Care Heroes Award and the Essence Magazine Essential Heroes Award for his local and global humanitarian work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he was profiled in the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation’s Accelerator magazine for his work advancing awareness and health equity. An active researcher, Dr. Laborde served as a sub primary investigator, leading Ochsner’s COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial site. He played a major role in recruiting Black and Hispanic patients to participate in the trials. Dr. Laborde is board certified in internal medicine. He is active both clinically and academically. He teaches residents in Ochsner’s internal medicine program and medical students in the UQ Ochsner MD program.
In 2023, Dr. Laborde accepted the position of chief community medical officer for Ochsner. He is responsible for driving Ochsner’s comprehensive community strategy to promote health equity and aligning the organization’s efforts with its Healthy State initiatives. He also served as the medical director of Ochsner Global and Community Health, where he led local, regional, and global efforts to improve health outcomes. As adjunct professor of medicine, Dr. Laborde oversees the global health course and rotation and leads medical students through community health outreach efforts. Dr. Laborde is an advocate for global health equity and has won numerous academic and humanitarian awards for his efforts.
