Courtney Hunt
Courtney Hunt is a Program Manager for Community Engagement and Health Outcomes at Ochsner Health in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Area, where she leads initiatives that strengthen healthcare access, advance health equity, and deepen community partnerships—particularly in North Baton Rouge. In her role, she focuses on addressing social determinants of health by connecting patients and families to essential resources beyond clinical care, while also fostering collaborative relationships that improve long-term health outcomes.
With more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, grant writing, strategic planning, and community development, Courtney has built a career centered on service and systems-level impact. She has served in multiple capacities across the nonprofit and public sectors, including executive leadership, consulting, and faculty work at Upper Iowa University, where she taught courses in political science, emergency management, and organizational behavior. She also coordinates the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), a partnership between Ochsner Health and Louisiana State University, where she trains and supports medical fellows in delivering age-friendly, equitable care for older adults.
Courtney holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration from Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge. She is a certified grant writer and has completed FEMA and emergency management training. Her leadership extends into civic and nonprofit spaces through roles with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and other community organizations. Recognized as a Trailblazing Woman of Baton Rouge and recipient of multiple leadership and advocacy honors, she is widely respected for her commitment to building healthier communities and creating pathways for lasting impact.
• Certified Grant Writer
• FEMA Training Certifications
• Certified Travel Agent
• Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge - MPA
• Trailblazing Woman of Baton Rouge
• Legacy Champion Award
• Justice Award (2025)
• Empowerment Champion
• Officer of the Year and Advocate of the Year
• National Coalition of 100 Black Women
• Mary Bird Perkins (Advancing Equity in Cancer Care Committee)
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc
• Baton Ridge Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
• LA Commission on Human Rights
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my passion for service and giving back is at the core of who I am. I love advocacy and policy work, so everything I do is in alignment with who I am as a political scientist. When I see issues that I'm passionate about, I want to be a part of how we change that or how we fix that. It's really part of who I am at my core, but it's also how I was raised by my family. I want to make a better world for my daughter, because I have one daughter, and I want to create a legacy for her. I want her to be able to have equal opportunities, equal pay - which we don't always get - but just a better world for her. If there's anything I could do to be a part of that to make her life easier, that's what drives me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Do something that you don't mind getting up and doing every day. Follow your passion. I can honestly say at Ochsner, I do that every day, because I love helping people. That's a part of my job - to help. When you do what you're passionate about, it makes the day go by so much smoother.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Just be passionate. You have to be passionate about working with people in the first place. I think you need to be open to learn and grow, and always try to see opportunities in everything that you do, because there's always a resource. These opportunities come about because of the work that you do, so always be open to learn and grow and stretch into those opportunities as they present themselves.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are the cost of healthcare and access to healthcare, especially if you're in a rural environment. On the opportunity side, in my new role working with geriatricians, I see the opportunity for more physicians to be able to know how to care for older adults. We have millions of older people but only about 6,300 geriatricians in the country - that number seems wrong, but I just learned this. What we do now is train fellows who are in internal medicine, psychiatry, and anesthesia, and they take that training out into their areas and are able to help older people. I think that's how we expand life and help people have a longer life, because they have physicians who are more trained on how to deal with all these different comorbidities. In community health, there's also a lot of opportunity because we can see the needs of the patient. We have more time to spend with them, and we can address things like food insecurity or transportation needs. You're really looking at those social determinants of health, not just a 15-minute appointment and out the door. I think there's opportunity there because you can build trust with patients, and they'll come back because they know we'll help them - even if we can't physically help, we'll give them a resource walking out the door.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value commitment, family, and just being a person of your word. Authentic relationships and genuineness are very important to me, as well as high moral standards. I also believe in not being a mean girl - we have a lot of mean girls out there, but as women, we should just be nice to each other. I don't think that's hard to ask, but some people just don't seem to get it.