Tag: Culinary Institute

Nicholls and LSU Health New Orleans Unite for Innovative Culinary Medicine Course

Nicholls State University and Louisiana State University Health Science Center – New Orleans (LSUHSC-NO) School of Medicine have joined forces once again to present the annual Culinary Medicine Program at the esteemed Chef John Folse Culinary Institute. Marking its sixth consecutive year, this program took place from July 1-12, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) and Thibodaux Regional Health System, as per this news release from Nicholls.

This unique educational collaboration attracted eleven third-year medical students from LSUHSC-NO, who opted to enhance their medical education by enrolling in this culinary medicine course. The program was conducted by experienced instructors from Nicholls’ Chef John Folse Culinary Institute and its didactic program in dietetics. Over the course of two weeks, these future physicians delved into evidence-based nutrition and honed their culinary skills, aiming to integrate this knowledge into their future medical practices.

Each day, the students started with a morning lecture that covered an array of topics emphasizing the crucial role of food in both preventing and managing diseases. Following the lectures, the students transitioned into practical application, preparing various recipes that reinforced the lecture themes. After the hands-on cooking sessions, students and instructors shared the prepared meals, engaging in discussions about the taste and health benefits of the dishes. This comprehensive approach aimed to equip students with the foundational knowledge necessary to treat and educate their future patients effectively.

The curriculum of this year’s program encompassed a broad spectrum of topics. Students explored plant-based diets, proteins, and altered texture diets. They delved into the significance of dietary fats in health, the inflammatory cascade, and cardiovascular health, among other subjects. Each topic was chosen to provide a holistic understanding of how diet can be utilized as a powerful tool in medical practice.

Established in 1929, Thibodaux Regional Health System has consistently demonstrated a commitment to providing top-notch medical services to its patients and the community. As a leader in regional healthcare, Thibodaux Regionaloffers an extensive range of inpatient and outpatient services, including comprehensive cardiovascular care and heart surgery, cancer care, neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, women’s services, obstetrics, and both inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation. The health system also boasts a state-of-the-art Wellness Center. Thibodaux Regional’s dedication to excellence is evident in its history, mission, and numerous achievements.

Culinary medicine represents an innovative approach to healthcare that merges the art of cooking with the science of medicine. It emphasizes the importance of nutrition in disease prevention and management, offering practical skills that medical professionals can pass on to their patients. By understanding the direct impact of diet on health, physicians can provide more comprehensive care, addressing both the medical and lifestyle aspects of their patients’ well-being.

The Culinary Medicine Program at Nicholls State University stands as a testament to the growing recognition of the role that diet plays in health. This partnership not only enriches the medical education of future doctors but also promotes a holistic approach to healthcare that can lead to better patient outcomes. As medical students learn to integrate culinary skills with medical knowledge, they are better prepared to advocate for and implement dietary changes that can significantly improve their patients’ quality of life.

The collaboration between Nicholls State University and LSUHSC-NO for the Culinary Medicine Program exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to medical education. By bridging the gap between culinary arts and medical science, this program equips future physicians with the tools necessary to promote healthier lifestyles through diet. Supported by prominent institutions like the Cardiovascular Institute of the South and Thibodaux Regional Health System, the program underscores the vital connection between nutrition and health, paving the way for a new generation of doctors who are as skilled in the kitchen as they are in the clinic.

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Nicholls Culinary Institute Gains Two Scholarships from Rouses Markets

It was recently announced that the Nicholls’ Chef John Folse Culinary Institute will be receiving two new scholarships from a Louisiana grocery store chain.

Having just celebrated its 60th–anniversary last year, the Louisiana-based grocery brand known as Rouses Markets opened one of its first stores in Houma, so it’s only poetic that the two new scholarships offered to future culinary institute professionals at Nicholls will be named after influential members of the Rouses’ legacy. One scholarship will be named after Anthony Rouse, Sr, who pioneered the first Rouses Market in 1960, and the other will be named after Leroy Theriot who was the innovative butcher and meat manager at the original Rouses Market.

The current CEO of Rouses’, Donny Rouse, said of the two new scholarships, “We’re happy to continue our commitment to Nicholls State University and the next generation of culinary and grocery professionals with the endowment of these two scholarships.”

Both scholarships are categorized as “endowed scholarships,” which are those academic grants that are established for scholarship funds to be awarded for multiple years, depending on the initial donation size. The director of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Chef John Kozar, told the University that each scholarship would be ideal to cover the sets of fees culinary students will sustain or incur throughout their degree program.

As Anthony J. Rouse, Sr. was and still is a prominent name in the local grocery industry, the Anthony J. Rouse, Sr. Food Entrepreneurship Scholarship will award $1,500 per academic year to any part-time Rouses Markets employee or any dependent of any Rouses employees who are culinary institute majors. The scholarship board for the Rouses Scholarship will be giving preference to applicants who have an interest in food entrepreneurship.

In a similar trend, the Leroy Theriot Meat & Charcuterie Culinary Arts Scholarship will give preference to any applicants with an interest in the art of butchery and butcher crafts. Before he was Rouses’ first meat manager, Theriot was a prominent butcher at Ciro DiMarco’s grocery before DiMarco left the shop to open the initial 7,000-square-foot Rouses in Houma. According to Rouses’, the Theriot scholarship “seeks to develop the next generation of meat science professionals.”

When speaking on the naming and intention of each scholarship, Rouses CEO Donny Rouse said, “Leroy Theriot set the standard for every butcher who has followed him at Rouses. And Pa knew success doesn’t just happen; it is made to happen and requires sacrifice, dedication, and a commitment to quality and service. He was a true entrepreneur.”

Chef John Kozar, who has a valuable stake in both the culinary students at Nicholls and the nearby grocery industry, said of the partnership between university and grocery chain, “Rouses Markets has been a Bayou Region icon for nearly a century. Many of our students and graduates work for the company, and we are thankful for their constant support.”

The sentiment was echoed by the executive director of the Nicholls Foundation, Jeremy Becker, who remarked on the strengthening partnership between Nicholls and Rouses, two titans of the Bayon Region. Becker called the installation of the two new scholarships exciting and also rewarding in that they will “not only benefit Rouses employees but also honor two very important people in the history of Rouses; it is a great example of Rouses investing in their employees, their community and Nicholls.”

The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute is the single post-secondary institution in Louisiana that offers a four-year culinary degree. The sheer impact that the faculty, current students, and graduates have made on the culinary landscape of Louisiana is immeasurable, and that impact will continue to grow thanks to Rouses Markets’ two new endowed scholarships.

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