We salute those who - New Orleans City Business

PHYSICIANTimothy HarlanPosition: medical director, Tulane University Medical Group; assistant professor of medicine,department of internal medicineAge: 50Family: wife, MorganEducation: bachelor’s degree in anthropology, Emory University; doctor of medicine, EmoryUniversity School of Medicinephoto by Frank AymamiThere is nothing Dr. Timothy Harlanenjoys more than interacting with hispatients.“There is a limitation that any physicianhas in terms of how many patients they cansee in a day,” Harlan said. “If I am lucky, inthe morning, I can see a dozen patients. Idon’t think I will ever stop doing that. It is aterrific experience.”One of the reasons Harlan enjoys talkingto and getting to know his patients is becauseof what he learns from them.“Just by listening to what people aresaying, talking about lives and such, youcan really learn a lot. Interacting withpatients and being with patients and tryingto help them is a joyous way to spend theday — and that is a big part of my life.”Harlan moved to New Orleans in 2007and quickly embraced the health care challengesof the city as well as its culture, historyand people.“They go together,” said Harlan, who inhis free time maintains the Web sitewww.drgourmet.com, which is devoted tothe principles of eating well and eatinghealthy.As a result of his conversations withpatients and because of his own love forcooking, Harlan emphasizes healthy eatingany chance he gets. It is a mission he believesfolds in perfectly with the roots of NewOrleans, despite popular perceptions thatfood and how it is made and consumed inthe city is a decadent thing.“Louisiana Cajun and Creole cooking isthe distillation of the Mediterranean diet,”Harlan said. “A lot of our food … has beencorrupted by poor cooking techniques andhigh-processed and higher-fat ingredients.“But when you stop and consider thebasic foundations of the Mediterraneandiet, New Orleans has it all. This is whathas given us beans, healthy whole grains,rice. You can go on and on.”•— Garry Boulardphoto by Tracie Morris SchaeferPHYSICIANPeter HertzakPosition: owner, Hertzak Laser CenterAge: 62Family: wife, Diana Gillmore; children, Peter, 37, Allison, 21Education: doctor of medicine, University of Zagreb, CroatiaOn the surface, the cosmetic proceduresDr. Peter Hertzak performs are moreabout making his patients happy with the waythey look than making them healthier.But the results usually turn out to be morethan just skin deep.“Probably 80 or 90 percent of the time, Ihear from the patient that after having one ofthese procedures, they find that they haveturned a new leaf in their lives,” said Hertzak,who opened the Hertzak Laser Center inSlidell in 2006.“I’ve seen this especially after a tummytuck or liposuction, neither of which is aweight-loss procedure. But (the patients) havelater engaged in an active program of exerciseand lost weight. The procedure gives themthe initial stimulus, and then they followthrough.”Initially trained as a specialist in obstetricsand gynecology, Hertzak found his surgicalpatients often would inquire about the possibilityof a little extra nip and tuck while they wereon the operating table, so he decided to completeadditional training in cosmetic surgery.He’s performed more than 2,000 tummytucks and also does breast augmentation, bodycontouring, liposuction with fat transfer, suchas to the buttocks or breasts, and laser vaginalrejuvenation — a procedure he said “restores awoman’s intimate anatomy to the way it wasbefore giving birth to her first child.”His facility also provides nonsurgical proceduressuch as intense pulsed light hair andpigment removal and laser skin rejuvenation.A native of Croatia who arrived in Slidellin 1981 by way of Detroit, Hertzak is notedfor his compassion. When Hurricane Gustavwas approaching the area, he volunteered tobe the lone physician to stay at the Doctor’sHospital of Slidell.•— Sonya Stinson24 Health Care Heroes