HJNO Mar/Apr 2019

60 MAR / APR 2019  I  Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS   Hospital Rounds on course to develop into one of the top-perform- ing centers in the country.”  Congenital heart defects/diseases are one of the most common types of birth abnormalities. The condition affects the heart walls, heart valves and blood vessels, and can range from simple and symptomless to complex and life-threaten- ing problems. According to the Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention, there are ~1 million children in the U.S. living with congenital heart defects. Ochsner’s congenital heart program provides patients with access to the most advanced treat- ments and technologies such as: single ventri- cle repair with the Norwood procedure; valvular repair, ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation and heart transplants. Ochsner’s highly trained congenital heart team includes interventional car- diologists, imaging specialists, pediatric anesthe- siologists, pediatric intensivists, perfusionists and nurses and critical care cardiac specialists. Addi- tionally, Ochsner Hospital for Children’s congenital heart program includes a 12-bed state of the art pediatric cardiac intensive care unit dedicated to the needs of this group of often complex patients. For the second consecutive year, Ochsner Hos- pital for Children was named as one of the Top 50 Children’s Hospitals in the Country by U.S. News and World Report. Ochsner is the only pediatric facility in Louisiana and Mississippi to receive this honor.  *Mortality rates represent self-reported data from STS from July 2014–June 2018. St. Tammany Parish Hospital Welcomes First Baby of 2019 St. Tammany Parish Hospital announced the first baby born at the hospital in 2019, Raine Duran Zitzmann, weighing 8 lbs., 8 oz., and measuring 19 inches long. Proud parents Scott and Susie Zitzmann, obste- trician Katherine Williams, and labor and delivery nurse Alicia Quirk welcomed the baby boy into the world at 7:24 a.m. on January 1. Ochsner Health System Joins National Coalition to Reduce Chronic Drug Shortage Ochsner Health System has teamed up with 11 health systems as founding members of Civica Rx, a new not-for-profit generic drug company. Together with its initial governing members, Civ- ica Rx represents approximately 750 hospitals across the United States whose focus is to address national drug shortages and high prices of life-sav- ing medications.  Established in September of 2018, Civica Rx was originally comprised of three philanthropies and seven leading health systems who experienced first-hand the impact of drug shortages – a quickly rising issue that affects all aspects of the health- care delivery system. Ochsner, and its patients, have been affected in several of these situations, including shortages of specific local anesthetics required for common surgical procedures, non-opioid pain manage- ment medications, and some IV antibiotics used to treat severe infections. The highly collaborative initiative will result in lower costs and more predictable supplies of many medicines, helping ensure that patients and their needs come first in the generic drug marketplace.  “Overall, pharmaceutical costs are a major issue in healthcare today, with no price control and con- stant drug shortages. With major market shifts across the industry, this has created an unsus- tainable situation,” said Warner Thomas, presi- dent and CEO, Ochsner Health System. “Ochsner works with like-minded organizations to develop collaborative programs, like Civica RX, to improve the delivery of healthcare services. We believe that providing high quality, coordinated care and access to prescriptions at a lower cost is the right thing to do for patients. We are relentless in our effort to change and save lives.” “We are thrilled to welcome highly-regarded health systems, such as Ochsner, to Civica as founding members,” said Martin VanTrieste, CEO of Civica Rx. “Drug shortages have become a national crisis where patient treatments and sur- geries are canceled, delayed, or suboptimal. We thank these organizations for joining us to make essential generic medicines accessible and afford- able in hospitals across the country.” The initial focus of Civica Rx is to bring more than 14 hospital-administered generic drugs to hospitals and healthcare systems in 2019, with many additional medications prioritized by the healthcare systems as the next phase of focus for the company. Civica Rx is working towards becoming a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- approved manufacturer and will either directly manufacture generic drugs or sub-contract man- ufacturing to trusted supply partners. Initial governing members of Civica Rx include: • Catholic Health Initiatives (Colorado) • Gary and Mary West Foundation (California) St. Tammany Parish Hospital announced the first baby born at the hospital in 2019, Raine Duran Zitzmann, weighing 8 lbs., 8 oz., and measuring 19 inches long. Pictured are the Zitzmanns, surrounded by family.