HJNO Nov/Dec 2019

32 NOV / DEC 2019  I  Healthcare Journal of New Orleans   Healthcare Briefs Aflac LeaderVisits NO, Highlights Social Robot for Kids with Cancer Louisiana-native and Senior Vice President Chief ESG (Environmental, Social Governance and Communications Officer at Aflac), Catherine Hernandez-Blades, recently visited New Orleans. The Aflac executive connected with locals and recalled her Louisiana roots during the filming of In a Car with IPR, a video series produced by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR), highlight- ing public relations professionals who are on the IPR Board of Trustees. Traveling by streetcar and featuring some of New Orleans’ most iconic locations, the video is a nod to the city and the Southern roots that have propelled Hernandez-Blades to her success today. She is one of Forbes’ 2019 Top 50 Most Influential Global CMOs. Hernandez-Blades was the force behind My Special Aflac Duck™, a social robot designed to support children throughout their cancer journey. Aflac is providing these comforting companions to any child age three and older diagnosed with cancer in the U.S., free of charge. “I’m thrilled to be back here in New Orleans to celebrate the greatest city in the world and hopefully spread a little bit of the tremendous inspiration I’ve been so fortunate to receive from these courageous young fighters battling can- cer,” noted Hernandez-Blades. “The way New Orleanians care for one another, through thick and thin, is exactly the approach we’ve taken with our CSR program and with our entire busi- ness. Aflac is there when our policyholders need us the most. We also see the impact of cancer every day, and realize that children need more than just medicine to cope with cancer, which is why we are committed to providing $3 million dollars annually to support the program. We have also, on top of My Special Aflac Duck™ efforts, donated more than $135 million dollars to the research and treatment of pediatric cancer.”  In November of 2019, Aflac and Hernandez- Blades brought these special ducks to New Orleans’ very own Children’s Hospital. During her visit, she was able to re-reconnect with local My Special Aflac Duck™ recipient John Michael Rogers, and his mother Jessica Rogers, to dis- cover how it is helping young patients cope with cancer. Dr. Rebekah Gee Recognized by Modern Healthcare Dr. Rebekah Gee, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, was recognized by Mod- ern Healthcare as one of its 2019 Women Lead- ers to Watch in Healthcare. The biennial recognition program honors the United States’ top women healthcare executives who are influencing the policy and care delivery models across the country. In doing so, they are also highlighting the continued need to nurture diversity in healthcare organizations. Gee was featured with the other winners in the Feb. 18, 2019 print issue of Modern Healthcare , a weekly business publication targeting executives in the healthcare industry. Gee’s profile notes her naming of 2019 as “the year of public health,” pivoting the Department of Health more toward social determinants, her recognition as New Orleans City Business’s Woman of the Year, and her American Medi- cal Student Association Women in Leadership Award. “This recognition from Modern Healthcare is a testament to our wonderful accomplishments at the Department of Health that have been made possible by our governor, John Bel Edwards,” Gee said. “Our efforts have resulted not only in expanded care from the Medicaid expansion, but we are also focusing on many areas of pub- lic health such as creating a healthier Louisiana through leading the way to eliminating hepati- tis C, improving cancer outcomes, and ensuring safe maternity care.” Teri Fontenot, a retired healthcare executive who served for 23 years as the CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, said Gee is a passionate leader who is committed to helping other women achieve their goals and tackles the health and societal challenges facing Louisiana like a true “steel magnolia.” “Dr. Gee is never one to shy away from prob- lems that some may consider impossible to solve. ‘Can’t’ is not in her vocabulary, especially when vulnerable women and children are impacted,” Fontenot said. “She oversees a $14 billion annual budget and over 8,000 employees in hundreds of locations throughout the state. Her star is shining even more brightly as a result of her recent nego- tiation with a drug company to provide a sub- scription model for access to expensive hepati- tis C drugs. This innovative model is saving lives and being implemented in several other states.” “Unfortunately, the gender gap plagues health- care just as much as it does other industries. Women CEOs comprise an estimated 30 percent (at most) of the overall C-suite. But the execu- tives named to this year’s Top 25 Women Lead- ers list exemplify how diversity results in success, both clinically and financially,” said Aurora Agu- ilar, editor for Modern Healthcare . “Congratula- tions to those leaders in the 2019 class and this year’s 10 to Watch.” LSUHealth NOCo-Hosts Free Community Conference on Disaster-RelatedMental Health LSU New Orleans recently hosted a community conference with the NOLA Partnership for Mental Health on the importance of community involve- ment in disaster-related and LGBTQ+ research in the context of mental health. The event was held at the Corpus Christi Community Center. In disaster-prone communities, such as South- east Louisiana, the prevalence and severity of mental health disorders can be exacerbated by natural disasters. Adverse mental health rates are higher in under-resourced communities, such as LGBTQ+ communities, than in the gen- eral population. There tends to be a lack of trust of research within communities that have a high burden of mental illness, low access to, or qual- ity of care. Multi-sector coalitions and commu- nity engagement can improve the quality of care and outcomes of mental health disorders such Catherine Hernandez-Blades