18 Memorial Medical Milestones • 2024 Issue 2 From an early age, Denise Rau vividly remembers Lake Charles Memorial Hospital as a frequent topic of conversation at the dinner table and a significant influence on her perception of the impact of healthcare in SWLA. Her passion for Memorial came from her father, Samuel “Sam” M. Emerson, MD, a physician who not only treated patients here, but also loved and supported the growth and development of the health system. The importance of quality, community-led, local healthcare was made evident through his work as a physician and as a leader in the SWLA healthcare community. Making a home at Memorial Rau cannot remember a time that her life was not deeply connected to Memorial. Her childhood home was located just a few blocks away in Oak Park. “We lived so close that my dad often rode his bike to and from the hospital and his clinic,” recalls Rau. “I still remember having the opportunity, as a high school student, to observe a surgery when considering my future career path.” Through years of a successful career, and while caring for her own family, Rau has worked to ensure that Memorial remains a household name and a place that feels like home. A devoted advocate and trusted advisor of the hospital for over 20 years, she currently serves as Board Chair for Lake Charles Memorial Health System, as well as a member of the Board of Directors for The Foundation at LCMH. A passion for heart health The passing of Rau’s father from a heart attack at age 59 was incredibly difficult, yet it ultimately inspired her recent commitment to establish the Betty & Sam Emerson Heart Fund through The Foundation. The mission of the Heart Fund is twofold: to support the growing heart and vascular services offered locally and to promote education about hearthealthy lifestyles. “With medical advancements and education, I believe we can buy people at least a few more years with their loved ones, and a few years can mean a lot,” says Rau. “If my dad would have lived just nine more months, he would have been there to walk me down the aisle at my wedding, and if he had lived five more years, he would have lived to meet five of his six grandsons (with the sixth on the way!).” Rau cannot stand by and let heart disease steal any more time, or joy, from other families as it has hers. She is grateful to be in a position to serve Memorial and its efforts to improve the health of our region. Serving the community “Memorial exists for the community; we are governed by a board of volunteers who live and work in this community and want the best for all people in SWLA,” she explains. Meet Denise Rau, Board Chair for LCMHS
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