4 minute read
Women in Business: St. Tammany Health System
KELLY RABALAIS AND LES HALL
LEADING WITH PURPOSE AT ST. TAMMANY HEALTH SYSTEM
At St. Tammany Health System, leadership isn’t about titles - it’s about purpose, clarity, and a commitment to serving others. That’s the throughline in the careers of Kelly Rabalais and Les Hall, two senior leaders whose work shapes the health system far beyond what most patients ever see.
Kelly Rabalais serves as Vice President of Communications and Strategy, a role that blends her legal background with her natural instinct for collaboration and forward-thinking. With oversight of marketing, communication, governmental affairs, community relations, and system-wide strategic planning, she plays a key role in aligning St. Tammany’s mission with its long-term vision.
Les Hall, Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, brings a similarly nuanced perspective to the executive table. Her early ambition to become a lawyer never wavered - briefcase in hand at a first-grade career day, she already knew where she was headed. What changed was the setting. While working in a physician’s office during college, she discovered the complex beauty of healthcare - and a calling that blended advocacy, law, and human impact in equal measure.
Both women describe their paths to healthcare leadership as intentional and deeply personal. Kelly’s journey began with the decision to focus her myriad skills and long-standing relationships on a new venture, in a new industry, in a role where she could make positive, meaningful and lasting contributions. Since then, she’s been instrumental in elevating the health system’s communications, strategic direction, and its voice in regional health policy. Les, meanwhile, has developed a leadership style grounded in the belief that real influence comes from listening first. For both women, excellence starts behind the scenes. Kelly credits her success in part to a deeply collaborative approach.
For both women, excellence starts behind the scenes. Kelly credits her success in part to a deeply collaborative approach. She encourages her team to think ahead, anticipate challenges, and feel empowered to speak up. “If you work hard, care, and are prepared, you will succeed,” she says - a mindset she learned early in her legal career and has carried into every room since.
Les echoes that sentiment, pointing to integrity, humility, and authenticity as her guiding values. “You don’t have to know everything,” she says. “It’s okay to say, ‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out.’ That willingness to learn and admit when you don’t have all the answers builds trust and keeps teams moving forward.”
Both women are also driven by a strong sense of community. Kelly is a lifelong Northshore resident and a firm believer in storytelling as a tool for connection. She’s passionate about celebrating the courage of healthcare workers and making sure their stories are told with dignity and heart. Les brings that same energy to her work outside the office, serving on boards for Girls on the Run South Louisiana and the Louisiana Key Academy Northshore. For her, leadership is not just what happens at the health system. It’s about showing up in the broader community.
Staying ahead in an ever-evolving industry takes discipline. For Les, that means staying connected— through reading, professional development, and her role as President-Elect of the American College of Healthcare Executives of Louisiana. Kelly, meanwhile, draws energy from data, outcomes, and the challenge of translating trends into actionable strategy. “We have to remain agile,” she says, “so we can maintain the highest level of performance in every circumstance.”
Like many working parents, both women are also navigating the balance between ambition and home life. Kelly, now an empty nester, credits her support system—and some good logistical planning—for making it possible to pursue a demanding career while raising two children. Les shares openly about the challenge of “mom guilt” and the importance of clear boundaries and selfcare. “My kids and my husband come first,” she says. “And a monthly massage never hurts.”
Their advice to other women in leadership is refreshingly honest: Be authentic. Speak up. Ask questions. And don’t be afraid of discomfort—it’s often where the most growth happens. “Let your work speak for itself,” Kelly says. “Stay curious and stay prepared.”
Together, Kelly Rabalais and Les Hall represent a kind of leadership that doesn’t just manage from the top—it listens, adapts, and leads with heart. At St. Tammany Health System, that approach continues to shape not just the culture within the heath system’s walls, but the trust the community places in its care every day.
