Manning Family Children's Team,
It is our great privilege to announce that Dr. David C. Yu has been selected as the next Chief Medical Officer for Manning Family Children’s.
As many of you know, Dr. Mark Kline leaves behind an extraordinary legacy. Finding the right leader to carry that legacy forward requires someone who not only understands the unique culture, mission, and trajectory of Manning Family Children’s—but someone who has also shaped it.
After careful consideration, it became clear that the most qualified and best-prepared candidate was already here.
Dr. Yu has been preparing for this role his entire career. Dr. Yu has called New Orleans home for more than two decades, first arriving in New Orleans in 1994 to earn his undergraduate degree at Tulane University, where he also attended medical school, residency, and now holds faculty appointments. Dr. Yu has been a constant presence and a defining contributor to the advancement of pediatric care in our community. His record is not only deep—it is uniquely suited to lead us into the future.
Why Dr. Yu is the right leader for this moment:
1. Dr. Yu holds dual faculty leadership roles across both LSU and Tulane. Few physicians in our region have earned the trust and respect of both academic partners. Since 2013, Dr. Yu has served on the faculty at LSU Health Sciences Center and Tulane University School of Medicine, having held important educational leadership roles at both institutions—Associate Program Director for LSU’s Surgery Residency program and now Program Director for Tulane’s Surgery Residency program. His tenure and respect within both medical schools positions Manning Family Children’s to strengthen its academic partnerships, clinical alignment, and talent development as we move forward.
2. Dr. Yu is a proven leader inside of Manning Family Children’s. Dr. Yu has held nearly every major medical staff leadership role — including Chief of Surgery, Vice President, President, and Past President — and has served on our Medical Executive, Bylaws, Peer Review, and Credentials Committees. He has worked clinically across every area of the hospital: the ED, inpatient floors, ICUs, and procedural spaces, and has run outpatient clinics across all of our satellite locations — from the ACC to Ridgelake to the Northshore. His understanding of our operations is comprehensive, lived, and unmatched.
3. Dr. Yu is a builder of programs that define who we are today. Dr. Yu helped build our Pediatric Surgery Service Line into one of the largest, highest-performing service lines in our hospital—uniting faculty and clinicians from LCMC Health, Tulane, and LSU in a model that has become a template for growth. He has also spearheaded the development of major multidisciplinary programs including our Trauma, Burn, and Wound Care programs, and has worked closely with system and community leaders to advance the Manning Family Children’s Level II Pediatric Trauma Center - the only one of its kind across Greater New Orleans.
4. Dr. Yu has deep, long-standing relationships across the medical community. He has cultivated trusted partnerships with leaders across LCMC Health, Tulane, and LSU for nearly 25 years — Dr. Mary Killackey, Dr. Mal Sheehan, Dr. Jeff Elder, Dr. Brandon Mauldin, and Dr. John Heaton among them. These relationships will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen regional collaboration and elevate the standard of pediatric care across Louisiana.
5. Dr. Yu demonstrates accessible brilliance. His leadership approach reflects what Dr. Kline has always championed as a core characteristic of physician leadership: accessible brilliance — deep expertise paired with humility, kindness, and a true commitment to children and families.
6. Dr. Yu has a deep commitment to Louisiana and to our mission. Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Yu’s commitment to Louisiana and to the people of New Orleans runs deep. For 25 years, he has devoted his entire career to caring for the people of our region — often those with the greatest needs and the fewest resources. His work reflects a steadfast belief that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves world-class care close to home. Dr. Yu’s long-standing presence, his trusted relationships across our academic partners, and his unwavering dedication to serving all children, including the most underserved in our community, align fully with Manning Family Children’s mission. He not only knows this community—he loves it, he serves it, and he has built his life’s work around improving health outcomes for every child in Louisiana.
For all of these reasons, it was clear that the right leader—the one most prepared to guide us forward—was already here in our hospital, already shaping our success, and already embodying the values that define us.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. David C. Yu as the new Chief Medical Officer of Manning Family Children’s. He will assume the role beginning February 1, 2026. We look forward to the impact he will continue to make for our patients and families, our teams, and the future we are building together.
With gratitude,
