Dr. Joseph Bocchini

Chief Academic Officer 

Dr. Bocchini joined Willis-Knighton as Director of Willis-Knighton Children’s Health Services in August 2019. He also serves as Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Tulane University. Dr. Bocchini was named Chief Academic Officer in 2020.

Prior to joining the Willis-Knighton Health System, Dr. Bocchini served as a member of the faculty of the Department of Pediatrics at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport for over 40 years. He held multiple leadership roles during his tenure at LSU including Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Residency Program Director, and for 27 years, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. 

Dr. Bocchini, a native of New Jersey, is a graduate of St. Louis University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut and a Fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at The Johns Hopkins University. During his academic career, Dr. Bocchini has focused on clinical care, teaching, clinical and basic research, vaccine development and vaccine policy.

Dr. Bocchini has been a member of several local, regional, and national professional organizations, holding leadership positions in many. He served as Chairman of the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics and as member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and recently completed a term as President of that organization. Dr. Bocchini is Vice President of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.