Meet the Board
Susila Shanmuganathan, MD, CMD
President
Susila Shanmuganathan (Dr. Shan) is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine/Geriatric Medicine at LSU Health – University Hospital & Clinics, Lafayette, Louisiana. She has been a member of the faculty since July 2016. A native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Shan attended The University of Texas at Austin, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology with a concentration in Nutrition. She graduated with honors in 2012 from American University of Antigua, completing the first two years in Manipal, India. She completed family medicine residency followed by a fellowship in geriatric medicine at LSU Health-University Hospital & Clinics, Lafayette, LA. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine and has received CAQ certification in geriatric medicine. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Louisiana Geriatrics Society. Dr. Shan is also a medical director of two community nursing homes and has received her certification for Certified Medical Director with the American Medical Directors Association. Having completed both residency and fellowship training at LSU Health-Lafayette, she maintains a strong connection to the Family Medicine Department. She is affiliated with the University of Louisiana-Lafayette as a member of the medical staff serving the men’s basketball team. Aside from medicine, Dr. Shan enjoys time with family and friends, playing piano, singing karaoke, and loves cooking.
Teresa Garrison, MD
Education Coordinator
Dr. Teresa Garrison is a board-certified internal medicine and geriatric physician with Centerwell Senior Primary Care in Slidell, Louisiana. She completed medical school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Internal Medicine Residency with a focus in Primary Care at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga and completed a geriatric fellowship at the University of South Carolina/Prisma Health.
She is a member of the American Geriatrics Society, American College of Physicians, and the National Medical Association. As the education coordinator for LGS, her goal is to provide and promote geriatric principles that all healthcare professionals can use when taking care of older adults.
Lobna H. Ali, MD, CMD
President-Elect
Doctor Lobna Ali is a board-certified family medicine physician and geriatrician who has devoted herself to serving the needs of seniors throughout her professional career. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans (LSU-HSC). She also currently serves as the Associate Program Director of the Geriatric Fellowship at LSU-HSC.
Dr. Ali is also a Certified Medical Director. She currently serves as the Medical Director of the John J. Hainkel Jr. Home and Rehabilitation Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has previously served as the Medical Director of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly in Greater New Orleans (PACE-GNO).
Dr. Ali is an active member of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and serves as a member of the AGS’s Public Education Committee. She also holds active membership in the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA) and serves as a member of the AMDA’s Education Committee. She was elected as the Vice President for the Louisiana Geriatrics Society (LGS) in 2020.
Dr. Ali’s philosophy of care centers on patients and their safety. She utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, providing resources to keep patients healthy and active. Her aim as a geriatrician is to restore the independence of patients and improve their quality of life.
Dr. Ali’s clinical interests include Dementia, Polypharmacy, and Healthy aging. She is instrumental in the instruction of students, residents, and fellows at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
Dale Welch, PhD
Secretary/Treasurer
2008 – Present Retired Professor, University of Louisiana, Monroe
2020 Secretary/Treasurer, Louisiana Geriatrics Society
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
PhD, Louisiana State University, Sociology; 1970
MA, Louisiana State University, Sociology; 1968
BA, Ouachita Baptist University, Sociology; 1965
AA, Southwest Baptist College, Social Science; 1963
PAST PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS:
Education Coordinator, Louisiana Geriatrics Society; (Volunteer) Planning, developing, and coordinating the LGS Conference in New Orleans, LA, 2007 - 2018.
Communities Acting to Benefit Louisiana’s Elderly, Treasurer (2007 – 2008)
Selected in 2007 by the National Boards of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators as an accreditation site visitor for programs offering degrees in long-term care or health care administration; last visit was April 2012.
Past Member of the National Boards of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators standing Education Committee and a part of a special meeting in April, 2012 to discuss the NAB accreditation process.
Past Editor of the National Boards of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators’ study guide for administrator’s license exam.
TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE:
January 2006 – August 2007, returned to full time teaching and retired in 2008
July 1, 2004 – January 2006: returned to full-time Department Head for Gerontology and Sociology; left administration to return to full-time online teaching.
March, 2003 to June 30, 2004: Temporary appointment as Assistant to the Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Teaching one Internet class, overseeing the Internship Program in Gerontology, and continuing with directing the Gerontology and Sociology Department
August, 1973 to March, 2003: Professor and Head Department of an Academic Department in the College of Liberal Arts. Over the 30 years, the name and disciplines changed, but included academic programs in Criminal Justice, Gerontology, Social Work, and Sociology
HONORS:
July 2007 – June, 2008 Recipient: Dr. William R. Hammonds Professorship in Liberal Arts, University of Louisiana at Monroe
December 2006: Elected as President-elect of the Louisiana Geriatric Society at the annual Society meeting in New Orleans, served two years as President-elect and two years as President.
2001 – 2004 Recipient: Biedenharn Endowed Professorship in Gerontology, University of Louisiana at Monroe
Scott Wilks, LMSW, PhD
Board Member
Scott E. Wilks, PhD, LMSW, is a board member with Louisiana Geriatrics Society. He is Professor at Louisiana State University School of Social Work, where he currently holds several leadership roles:
PhD Program Director
Advanced Study in Gerontology Program Coordinator
Director of the Behavioral Health Education & Training Program
Director of Louisiana Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program
Dr. Wilks is prominently published in social work and allied health journals related to health and aging. He has been highly successful in securing external research funding at local, regional, and national levels, including three successive, seven-figure grants from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration since 2014. Dr. Wilks was named Distinguished Researcher by the LSU College of Human Sciences and Education.
He is actively involved with research and community service collaborations among state and local organizations. He is a member of Alzheimer’s Services (Baton Rouge) Respite Advisory Committee and serves on multiple boards for academic journals and organizations. Dr. Wilks received pedagogical training at Stanford University Faculty Development Institute and governance training at the Gerontological Society of America Policy Leadership Institute. He earned a BA in Sociology from LSU, master of social work degree from Our Lady of the Lake University at San Antonio, and PhD from the University of Georgia.
Geoffrey Mire, MD, CMD, FAAFP
Board Member
Dr. Geoffrey Mire is a Lafayette (LA) native. He graduated medical school from LSUMC-Shreveport in 1999 and completed his residency in 2002 at LSUMC-Lafayette. He is board certified in family medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is also a Certified Medical Director by the Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. He opened his family practice office in Scott, LA in 2002. In 2017 he transitioned to MDVIP practice and remains in Scott. Dr. Mire has worked with several nursing homes, home health companies, and hospice companies over the years. Currently, he serves as medical director of Maison de Lafayette nursing home and local medical director of Kindred home health. He also provides weekend coverage for Lafayette Behavioral Health Unit. He volunteers as team physician for Lafayette High School and adjunct clinical instructor for Tulane medical school. In 2019, Dr. Mire was among the first Louisiana physicians to become certified to provide therapeutic marijuana recommendations. He is a past president and current board member of the Louisiana Geriatric Society and a member of the American Academy of Sports Medicine. He has also recently completed CFL-1 certification by Crossfit. Dr. Mire is married with 7 children and 1 grandchild. In his free time, Dr. Mire coaches a senior Crossfit class and participates in Crossifit as well as local running events and triathlons.
Michael Williams, MD
Board Member
Board Certifications: Family Medicine, Geriatric Medicine
Memberships include:
American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (AMDA)
Anita Sharma, MSW, PhD
Board Member
Dr. Anita Sharma, LCSW, is the Director of the Gerontology Program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and is the Joseph A. Biedenharn Endowed Chair in Gerontology. She earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate in Clinical Social Work (with emphasis in Gerontology) from Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 25 years of professional experience in mental health and psychotherapy.
Dr. Sharma serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations including the West Ouachita Senior Center, Louisiana Geriatric Society, and the RAIB Board of the Louisiana Department of Health. In 2021, Dr. Sharma created the Disability Advocacy Network to assist people with disabilities and their caregivers in locating appropriate services. As one of the statewide LDH Health promotion Ambassadors, Dr. Sharma reaches out to people at the grass-roots level. She created two series of workshops in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Health and the Alzheimer’s Association to provide community education relating to COVID-19 and other health issues affecting older adults and minority populations.
Dr. Sharma organizes the Annual Conferences on “Age and Aging” and “Disability Advocacy” that have received wide recognition. Additionally, she organizes the Annual “Ageless Women’s Leadership Summit” to commemorate the Women’s History Month. As the Director of the ULM Gerontology Program, she redesigned and expanded the curriculum and created a Graduate Certificate “Senior Healthcare Management.” Dr. Sharma is passionately committed to Gerontology education and community outreach initiatives.