It’s Baton Rouge: Out to Lunch

Hosted ByStephanie Riegel

OUT TO LUNCH finds Baton Rouge Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel combining her hard news journalist skills and food background: conducting business over lunch. Baton Rouge has long had a storied history of politics being conducted over meals, now the Capital Region has an equivalent culinary home for business: Mansur’s. Each week Stephanie holds court over lunch at Mansur’s and invites members of the Baton Rouge business community to join her. You can also hear the show on WRKF 89.3FM.

Dr. & Dr. Concierge – Out to Lunch – It’s Baton Rouge

We hear a lot about the disruption economy – how Amazon is changing the face of retail, or how Uber is changing the way we get around. But there are more subtle – yet equally significant changes—at work in a variety of sectors, including philanthropy and medicine. And it’s not necessarily bearded, hipster millennials in skinny-legged pants who are leading this change.

In Baton Rouge, two very different types of doctor are changing the way we approach philanthropic giving and medicine. 

Dr. Beverly Brooks Thompson

Dr. Beverly Brooks Thompson is a management consultant whose firm, Brooks Thompson Consulting, specializes in fundraising advising and philanthropic management consulting for corporate, nonprofit and individual clients. Beverly founded the firm in 2016, after more than 20 years of fundraising experience, which, most notably included directing the Forever LSU Campaign for Louisiana State University, which raised more than $798 million – in excess of the campaign’s $750 million goal.    

Dr. Gunjan Raina

Dr. Gunjan Raina is a primary care doctor here in Baton Rouge who is praticing concierge medicine. Concierge medicine enables patients, for a fee, to have total 24/7 access to their doctor and more personalized care.

Gunjan grew up in Canada, studied in India, did her residency in Pittsburgh and built a primary practice in Baton Rouge. Recently, she opened Heal 360, a concierge practice at the Baton Rouge General Hospital, and became one of the younger physicians to affiliate with M.D. VIP – a national network of primary care doctors that follow this new, concierge model. It’s fascinating and the way of the future e- at least for those who can afford it. 

Dr. Beverly Brooks Thompson, Dr. Gunjan Raina

Photos at Mansurs on the Boulevard by Ken Stewart.