Dr. James Craven, Executive Vice President, Chief Physician Officer, has oversight of Franciscan Health Physicians (FHP), Health Leaders Network (HLN), Quality and Medical Affairs. FHP is the health system’s employed provider group with more than 1,000 providers across Louisiana and Mississippi. HLN is the health system’s clinically integrated network and accountable care organization, comprised of more than 1,400 providers focused on better health outcomes, lowering the cost of care, and providing better overall experiences for all patients. For both FHP and HLN, Dr. Craven is responsible for driving results for clinical affordability, quality, growth, and financial performance, as well as for internal physician relations and external relationship initiatives.
A New Orleans native, Dr. Craven has been a practicing vascular surgeon since 2003, previously working in private practice in the New Orleans region and then with CVT Surgical Center in Baton Rouge before joining Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Vascular Surgery in 2019. He was name president of FHP in 2020 before being named CPO in 2024.
Dr. Craven received his medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Science Center in Shreveport. He went on to complete his residency in general surgery and a fellowship in vascular surgery from the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He is a fellow in the American College of Surgeons and has recently earned an Executive Master of Business Administration from Brandeis University in Boston.
Prior to his current positions, he served as Associate Chief Medical Officer and as the Medical Director of Surgical Services at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. Dr. Craven also is a member of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center board and serves as chair of the Contracting and Finance Committee for Health Leaders Network. In addition, Dr. Craven is a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans.
Dr. Craven also serves as Vice-Chair of the Community Practice Division of the Society of Vascular Surgery.