Podcast Summary:

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast — January 7, 2026
Guest: C.J. Marbley, Chief Nursing Officer at University Medical Center New Orleans and Chief Nursing Officer & Chief Operating Officer at New Orleans East Hospital, LCMC Health
Host: Laura Dardo

Overview

In this episode, Laura Dardo interviews C.J. Marbley, a dual Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer within the LCMC Health system. The conversation explores Marbley’s journey in nursing leadership, recent initiatives at University Medical Center New Orleans and New Orleans East Hospital, strategies for increasing hospital capacity and patient access, and major priorities for the year ahead. Marbley emphasizes mission-driven leadership, community access, and keeping nursing’s “why” at the center of care.

Guest Background and Hospital Distinctions

[01:08–03:45]

• Career Journey:

  • 32-year nursing career, trained at Howard University.
  • Extensive experience in trauma, ICU, ER, perioperative care, and nursing leadership.
  • Became Chief Nursing Officer at New Orleans East Hospital in 2017, later COO (2020).
  • Took on CNO/VP at University Medical Center in 2023, ascending to CNO in August 2025.

• Hospital Focus:

  • New Orleans East Hospital:

    • Vital community hospital with an emphasis on access and equity.
    • Only hospital to serve the area after nine years without one post-Katrina.

  • University Medical Center New Orleans:

    • Major academic medical center and safety net for city and state.
    • Only trauma center, comprehensive stroke center, and certified burn center combined in Gulf South.
    • Large training facility with partnerships: physicians from Tulane & LSU, all healthcare disciplines.

Notable Quote:

“New Orleans East Hospital … really focus on access and equity and making sure that we have the right care right where people need it in the East New Orleans area … University Medical Center is the large academic medical center … the only trauma center comprehensive Stroke center and certified burn center, all three in one in the Gulf South.”
– C.J. Marbley [01:49]

Path to Leadership

[04:06–06:19]

• Started with no intention of pursuing executive roles—motivated by the desire to be “a really good nurse.”
• Transitioned to management after encouragement from mentors and spouse.
• Found renewed passion channeling advocacy and care from patients to staff and the community.
• Recurring mission: ensure staff have resources and expertise to serve disadvantaged communities.

Notable Quote:

“The same care and concern and advocacy that I had for my patients, I was now able to give that to my staff and that’s how I really transitioned.”
– C.J. Marbley [05:27]

Recent Key Initiatives and Impact

[06:36–11:43]

Mass Casualty Response

• Managed the city’s mass casualty event from January 1st, 2025.
• Emphasized the importance of preparation: handled trauma, facilitated family reunification, and provided counseling.

Capacity & Access Expansion

• Increased hospital census by 130 beds.
• Enhanced transfer acceptance rate from ~80% to 96%, now accepting nearly all transfer requests.
• Reduced average patient length of stay by 1 day.
• Results: Broader regional access to advanced care for a diverse population.

Notable Quote:

“We’ve increased our census about 130 beds. We’ve increased our transfers. Now that we accept, 96% of all transfer requests come into the hospital. And we also are able to, we were able to decrease our length of stay by a day.”
– C.J. Marbley [08:13]

Workforce Development

• Reduced reliance on external contract nurses (from 100+ to ~30).
• Invested in nurse development via partnerships with local nursing schools and in-house nurse tech programs.

Priorities and Challenges for the Coming Year

[11:51–16:37]

Focus Areas

• Further reduce length of stay by another day—unlocking capacity for ~500 more patients per month.
• Open 28 new inpatient behavioral health beds at New Orleans East Hospital.
• Expand cancer services: double clinic and infusion beds, and launch a bone marrow transplant program.
• Tackle continued access and throughput—position the hospital as a resource for “Cancer Alley.”

Methods for Length-of-Stay Reduction

• Discharge lounge: For smoother, faster patient discharge/bed turnover.
• “Lightning rounds”: Daily multidisciplinary meetings to forecast and coordinate discharges.
• Throughput coordinator: Dedicated role to identify and resolve bottlenecks.
• Enhanced coordination of aftercare and follow-up to prevent readmissions.

Notable Quote:

“One of the things that we started this year is we started a discharge lounge … We have what's called lightning rounds, where every day we meet with ... the academic teams … The other thing we're looking at is making sure patients have the right follow-up care …”
– C.J. Marbley [14:40]

The Heart of Nursing and Staff Retention

[16:52–20:04]

• Recommitting staff to “the basics” of nursing excellence and keeping the why—the calling to care—central.
• Advocates returning to the core mission of advocacy, care, and quality amid post-Covid challenges and external distractions (e.g., social media negativity, labor disputes).
• Encourages nurses to focus on mission over secondary concerns; believes “all those other things will come” if they do.

Notable Quote:

"Nursing has made me probably the most successful person in my family, but I never focus on the success of that. I've always focused on the, the calling and the mission."
– C.J. Marbley [19:10]

Growth & Development at LCMC Health

[20:51–22:57]

• Continues mission-driven expansion: community-based ambulatory care, stronger nurse-physician partnerships, and post-acute care collaborations.
• LCMC Health aims to ensure every community has access to care exactly where it’s needed.
• Expanding behavioral health platform to address growing needs.

Notable Quote:

"As we move forward, really growing our ambulatory and community based access points will be key, to make sure we're providing the right care at the right place for community members so they don't have to search."
– C.J. Marbley [21:33]

Memorable Moments

• C.J.'s humility in never intending to pursue leadership (“I just really wanted to be a good nurse”) but being drawn into higher roles through advocacy and mentorship. [04:06–06:19]
• The hospital's claim as the spiritual successor to Charity Hospital, keeping the “spirit of Charity alive and well.” [09:51]
• Host Laura Dardo's recognition: “130 beds is a lot … especially at a time right now when so many hospitals and leaders I talk to are really at capacity.” [10:28]

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | | --------------------------------------------------- | -------------- | | Guest Introduction & Background | 01:08-03:45 | | Leadership Journey & Motivation | 04:06-06:19 | | Mass Casualty Event Response | 06:36-08:05 | | Hospital Expansion & Access Initiatives | 08:05-11:43 | | Workforce Development & Nurse Recruitment | 11:00-11:43 | | Priorities for Upcoming Year | 11:51-13:59 | | Cancer Care Expansion & Strategy | 13:59-14:40 | | Throughput Strategies & Daily Operations | 14:40-16:37 | | Staff Motivation, Retention & Nursing “Why” | 16:52-20:04 | | Organization-wide Growth & Future Partnerships | 20:51-22:57 |

Conclusion

C.J. Marbley’s leadership is centered on access, mission, and advocacy. This episode spotlights how LCMC Health is expanding its capacity, advancing quality, investing in its people, and reaffirming the heart of nursing. Marbley’s insights and practical strategies offer a model for mission-oriented healthcare leadership and hospital operations amid contemporary challenges.