Lorie Thibodeaux Wants More Latinos in Healthcare Leadership—and She’s Making it Happen

The healthcare landscape is transforming, and leadership that reflects our communities’ diversity has never been more critical. Lorie Thibodeaux has spent her career ensuring underrepresented voices are heard. 

As a trailblazer in healthcare advocacy and a fierce advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), she has worked tirelessly to empower Latino professionals with the tools they need to succeed.

Through her work with organizations like the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE) and her founding of the La Mesa Emerging Leaders Program, Thibodeaux has become a key figure in mentoring the next generation of Latino healthcare leaders.

Thibodeaux shared with FIERCE the lessons she learned from her career journey, the influence of her Panamanian heritage on her leadership style, and the strategies she employs to promote health equity in an increasingly evolving environment.

How Lorie Thibodeaux Came Up With La Mesa Emerging Leaders Program

The La Mesa Emerging Leaders Program was born out of necessity during one of the most challenging times in recent history—the COVID-19 pandemic. As layoffs ravaged the healthcare sector, many early-career Latino professionals found themselves lost and uncertain of how to begin their careers in an industry that seemed to be shrinking overnight.

Lorie Thibodeaux, the first in her family to navigate the complexities of the professional world, understood their struggle. “I saw firsthand how many students and early-career professionals felt paralyzed by the uncertainty of the job market,” she explains. “They were just trying to get off their parents’ couch, feeling stuck and directionless.”

With La Mesa, Thibodeaux sought to create more than just a career development program. “I wanted it to be a safe space, a community where these emerging leaders could be seen, supported, and empowered,” she says. Now in its fourth cohort, the program has graduated 80 professionals nationwide, offering mentorship, career resources, and Lean Six Sigma training to help participants excel in the competitive healthcare field.

The core goal of this program is to address the systemic barriers that Latino healthcare professionals face. Thibodeaux and her team, supported by organizations like Witt Kieffer and NALHE, have created a movement focused on leveling the playing field. “Our mission is about more than just career advancement,” Thibodeaux says. “It’s about equity—about ensuring that young Latino professionals have the tools they need to break through the barriers in front of them.”

Driving Health Equity and Leadership Diversity

As the healthcare sector continues to grapple with the challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Lorie Thibodeaux’s work remains more crucial than ever. 

Her influence was recognized on September 12th, 2024, when she received the highest honor from the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives—induction into the NALHE Hall of Fame. This award highlights her unparalleled contributions to mentoring Latino healthcare professionals and advancing health equity. 

She has served on the American College of Healthcare Executive’s Diversity Committee and actively promoted leadership diversity within healthcare. However, despite some progress, Lorie Thibodeaux is acutely aware of the setbacks that DEI initiatives have faced in recent years.

She cites the troubling trend of companies scaling back their DEI commitments. “We have seen companies like Ford and Lowe’s retreat from their DEI initiatives under pressure, which has made it even harder to push forward the systemic change we need,” Thibodeaux notes.

Despite these challenges, she remains optimistic. She highlights the business case for diversity as a critical factor in keeping momentum alive. “Research from McKinsey shows that organizations with more diverse leadership teams are 33% more likely to outperform their peers. Diversity is not just the right thing to do. It is a business imperative.”

Programs like La Mesa and other initiatives within NALHE and healthcare organizations are critical in pushing this agenda forward. By focusing on mentorship and a sense of community, these programs ensure that the next generation of Latino healthcare leaders is prepared to succeed.

For Lorie Thibodeaux, Leadership is Rooted in Heritage

Thibodeaux’s Panamanian heritage has played an important role in shaping her leadership style and approach to healthcare advocacy. Growing up, she spent summers with her grandmother in Panama, learning lessons of generosity, empathy, and resilience—qualities that have become the cornerstones of her leadership philosophy.

“My abuela was known for her boundless generosity,” Thibodeaux reflects. “She was always ready to help anyone in need. Those lessons instilled in me that true leadership is about service—lifting others as you rise.”

This foundation of servant leadership has been at the heart of the La Mesa program and Thibodeaux’s healthcare work. “Just as my abuela made sure everyone in her community had a place, I want to ensure that these emerging leaders know they belong in healthcare leadership.”

Thibodeaux’s heritage also drives her to advocate for underrepresented voices in the healthcare sector. She is determined to meet people where they are, recognize their unique strengths, and give them the tools and confidence to move forward. “In healthcare, especially, we need leaders who understand that progress is made by ensuring everyone, regardless of their background, has a seat at the table.”

Supporting Early-Career Professionals in a Time of Crisis

The pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of early-career professionals, particularly those from marginalized communities. Thibodeaux recalls the immense challenges she faced in supporting these young leaders during the early days of the crisis. “The demand for support was overwhelming,” she says. “There simply weren’t enough jobs, and these young professionals were unsure of how to position themselves in a shrinking job market.”

Thibodeaux and her team focused on building skills and networks to address these challenges, offering intensive resume workshops, interview training, and mentorship. “We couldn’t solve the immediate job scarcity,” she admits, “but we could give them the tools and confidence to stay competitive in an uncertain environment.”

Thibodeaux’s approach was about more than just career advice—it was about providing hope. “We focused on making the most of a difficult situation and preparing these young professionals for when new opportunities would arise.”

The Future of Healthcare According to Lorie Thibodeaux

Looking ahead, Thibodeaux is excited about the role that new technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), will play in shaping the future of healthcare. She highlights AI’s potential to address systemic barriers, improve diagnostic accuracy, and enhance preventive care for underserved communities.

However, Thibodeaux is also keenly aware of the risks. “AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on,” she warns, pointing to studies showing how AI can perpetuate healthcare disparities if not carefully monitored.

As AI continues to revolutionize the healthcare industry, Thibodeaux emphasizes the importance of ensuring that these innovations support, not replace, the human connection that underpins effective care. “The key is to use these tools to enhance the clinician-patient relationship, not depersonalize it,” she says.

For Thibodeaux, the future of healthcare lies at the intersection of innovation and inclusion. By continuing to push for diversity in leadership, providing mentorship and support to the next generation, and leveraging new technologies to improve care, she believes we can build a healthcare system that truly reflects the diversity of our communities.

In conclusion, Lorie Thibodeaux’s work with the La Mesa Emerging Leaders Program and her broader advocacy efforts reflect a deep commitment to empowering Latino healthcare professionals and advancing equity in an industry that has long struggled with systemic barriers. 

Lorie Thibodeaux is helping to ensure that the next generation of healthcare leaders is prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, leaders like this Jefa are proving that diversity is not only a moral imperative but also a business one.