Ribbon Cutting for Mary Bird Perkins

The Tangipahoa Chamber invites you to celebrate Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center with an official Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, September 16 at 4:00 p.m. at 15728 Jay Smith Dr. in Hammond to announce it's newest technologies. 

Mary Bird Perkins is Louisiana’s largest healthcare organization that is solely dedicated to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. The Hammond location provides advanced technological imaging services, medical oncology services and clinical trials, along with vital support services to provide the best outcome for all local and area residents. Mary Bird Perkins’ mission is to provide residents with compassionate, convenient, and high-quality care. The medical staff and treatment team are dedicated to delivering the most advanced cancer care in a comfortable, supportive setting. Our center offers the most personal experience and most effective approach to treating each patient’s unique diagnosis – all within minutes of home.

In April 2026, the Hammond facility began using the Omni Legend. It is an all-digital PET/CT system used to diagnose, stage, and monitor diseases—primarily cancer, but also neurological and cardiovascular conditions—by providing high-sensitivity, AI-enabled molecular imaging.

The facility recently began using the Elekta Evo CT-Linac, a next-generation AI-powered CT-Linac CT scanner designed for highly precise, personalized cancer treatment. It is the first in our region and one of only five in the United States.

Also new to the facility is Vision RT, which tracks patient positioning in real-time, improving accuracy and enabling the radiation beam to automatically turn on or off based on the movement of a tumor or target organ.

Please use the link below to register for this Ribbon Cutting so our host can plan accordingly. We hope to see you there!
 

About the Mary Bird Perkins' team:

Jonas D. Fontenot, PhD, MBA, President and CEO, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is at the helm of Louisiana’s premier oncology organization, focusing 100 percent on cancer care. Having previously served as Mary Bird Perkins’ chief operating officer and Dr. Charles M. Smith chief of physics, Dr. Fontenot seamlessly blends his mastery of medical physics with his extensive business and corporate management acumen to advance the organization’s mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer. Dr. Fontenot provides invaluable leadership in guiding the organization through increased expansion across Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi, launching innovative partnerships, and ushering in leading-edge expertise and technology.

Dr. Andrew Elson, radiation oncologist, has been at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center since 2015. Dr. Elson is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. He earned a Medical Doctorate from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa and completed a preliminary year internal medicine residency at Tulane University Hospitals and Clinics in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a radiation oncology residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Elson has also completed research fellowships at the University of Iowa Department of Radiology in Iowa City and at the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of South Dakota School of Medicine in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Mike Miranda, regional administrator for the Northshore region, Mary Bird Perkins, received a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He received a Bachelor of Health Science in Medical Imaging from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Miranda has extensive experience in the healthcare industry. He joined the Cancer Center in 2006 and served as the program manager for the radiation therapy program from 2008 until 2021 when he because the regional administrator for the Northshore region.