in Memoriam John Haynes Jr., MD
John Haynes Jr., MD, a renowned rural family physician, surgeon and community leader in northwest Louisiana and northeast Texas, passed away June 7, 2021, after a long battle with cardiovascular disease. Johnny, or “Doc” as referred to by those closest to him, worked at his father’s service station as a young boy and went on to teach at Byrd High School in Shreveport. Following his teaching career, he attended medical school at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas and completed his residency training in Family Medicine at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. He began his medical practice in Vivian, Louisiana, in 1966 and became Chief of Staff at North Caddo Memorial Hospital, where he was a leader for quality healthcare for the region for more than 50 years. A founding member of the American Board of Family Medicine, he was known for his passion for full-service rural healthcare and his compassionate bedside manner. Dr. Haynes was an LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine. In 1993, he founded LSU Health Shreveport’s Rural Family Practice Fellowship and Residency in conjunction with Willis-Knighton Health System. He was the inaugural recipient of the National Country Doctor of the Year Award in 1993 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to rural healthcare. Dr. Haynes was also honored as the Louisiana Family Practitioner of the Year in 1998 and 2004, as well as the Louisiana Rural Practitioner of the Year in 1998 and 2009.
Bruce Cleveland Henderson, MD
Bruce Cleveland Henderson, MD, 67, passed away on Oct. 6, 2021, due to complications of esophageal cancer. After his cancer diagnosis, Dr. Henderson never slowed down at work, and he surprised everyone but himself by maintaining his normal clinic and surgery schedule until just three weeks before his death. Dr. Henderson was born and raised in Shreveport. As a National Merit Scholar, Bruce attended Southern Methodist University, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in political science in 1976. He married Betty Heuer the same year before returning to Shreveport for medical school. He finished in the top of his medical school class, completed an ophthalmology residency in Shreveport and a glaucoma fellowship at Emory in Atlanta. In 1986, he joined Ophthalmology Associates in Shreveport, where he provided glaucoma care for thousands for 35 years. He restored sight to hundreds more during mission trips to Haiti and Mexico. Dr. Henderson is survived by his wife Betty, four children, and seven grandchildren.
Carrie Lafitte Baker
Carrie Lafitte Baker transitioned from this life on Jan. 30, 2021, at age 70. She was an LSU Health Shreveport employee who worked in the Human Resources Department. Carrie was born in Shreveport on January 19, 1951. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. 20
INSIDE LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT
Matthew Rushing, DPT
Matthew Wade Rushing, age 27, of Keithville, Louisiana, passed away on June 3, 2021. Matthew was born July 9, 1993, in Shreveport to Joni and Robert Rushing. He graduated from Byrd High School in 2011. While in college at Louisiana Tech University, he reacquainted with an old friend, Katie Johnson, and they married in 2016. Matt attended graduate school at LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions and received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2018. Matt worked as a Physical Therapist at several facilities in the Shreveport-Bossier area, including The Therapy Center and Willis-Knighton. Matt strived to be a witness for Christ to others, living life to the fullest and never taking a day for granted.He was an adventurous outdoorsman that had begun to share that love with his 1-year-old boys, Gunner and Gauge. LSU Health Shreveport leadership has opened an account at Campus Federal Credit Union to provide financial support for the Rushings’ young sons. Donations may be made “for the benefit of Katie Rushing” to establish a fund for the boys’ futures.
Stephen Jenkinson, MD
Stephen Jenkinson, MD, accomplished many great things in his lifetime, but he was most valued as a husband and friend. He was born Dec. 9, 1947, in Shreveport, where he attended Centenary College and went on to graduate from the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine’s first graduating class in 1973. Dr. Jenkinson became a pulmonologist and critical care doctor who would later become the Chief of Pulmonary Critical Care at the University of Texas Health Science Center and the South Texas VA. Under his leadership, he and the late Kent Trinkle, MD, established one of the first lung transplant programs in the country. He was a well-funded and respected researcher who published more than 100 articles, book chapters and textbooks. Fondly dubbed “Dr. J,” he trained many of the nation’s top pulmonologists and critical care doctors. He recruited and mentored numerous faculty and trained more than 100 fellows, many of whom still practice in the San Antonio community today. Dr. Jenkinson will be remembered as a beloved, selfless doctor who touched lives across the country.
Garrett Blaine Ryder, MD
Garrett Blaine Ryder, MD, passed away on May 7, 2021, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, at age 57 following a brief illness. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Shreveport, he completed his undergraduate studies at Baylor University where he met his wife, Angela, also of Shreveport. He received his medical degree from LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine and went on to complete his residency training in psychiatry in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was also board certified in geriatric psychiatry. He will be remembered as a jovial, fun-loving man who had time for everyone — inlcuding those canine in nature. Those who knew Dr. Ryder professionally remember him as a thoughtful, thorough, and fiercely compassionate physician. He cared deeply for his patients and worked to save and enrich the lives of thousands during his 31 years practicing psychiatry.
