HJNO Nov/Dec 2019

Healthcare Journal of New Orleans I  NOV / DEC 2019 37 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com types of cancer, cancer stage, cancer survival, pediatric cancers, as well as regional and par- ish data. Users can clearly see incidence rates, cases diagnosed per 100k people, as well as an average number of cases diagnosed per year. It includes mortality counts and rates, too. Fil- ters give users the option to access the data of interest. Hovering over a parish on the maps dis- plays its rates, which are also color-coded. Dark- est colors denote highest rates, with lower rates displayed in lighter and lighter shades. The site also includes changes over time, comparisons to state and national rates, and differences by age, sex, and race. As opposed to a static, 100+ page publication, the intent is to make it easier for people to find what they are looking for. “Reducing suffering and death from can- cer using cancer data is the vision of the Loui- siana Tumor Registry (LTR,)” notes Xiao-Cheng Wu, MD, professor of public health and director of LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Reg- istry. “While working hard to collect complete, high-quality and timely data, we also seek ways to make LTR data more accessible. We launch this data visualization website hoping it will enhance the use and dissemination of cancer data contrib- uting to the efforts of conquering cancer.” Monroe Doctor Receives OB/ GYN Physician Summit Award Dawn Pennebaker, MD, OB/GYN, with The Woman’s Clinic of Monroe, La., has been awarded the OB/GYN Physician Summit Award from Loui- siana Healthcare Connections for demonstrating a commitment to “high quality, accessible care.” The award is given annually to the OB/GYN pro- vider that achieves the highest scores in key qual- ity measures related to women’s health across the health plan’s provider network. “Dr. Pennebaker consistently provides our members with exemplary care, and her commit- ment to quality is clear,” says Marcus Wallace, MD, vice president of Medical Affairs at Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “Dr. Pennebaker and the staff at The Woman’s Clinic of Monroe share our commitment to improving health and health outcomes, and we are pleased to recognize their dedication with this award.” Wallace presented the award to Pennebaker on Aug. 21. Accepting the award on Pennebak- er’s behalf were Caitlin Crow, LPN, and Tanya Rabb, LPN. CIS Earns National Recognition for Commitment to Improve High Blood Pressure Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) was awarded Gold Status by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) for leading the national effort to get patient blood pressure rates under control and reducing the number of Americans who have heart attacks and strokes each year. CIS is one of 542 physician practices and health systems recognized nationally by the AMA and AHA Target: BP program for achieving blood pressure control rates of 70 percent or more in their adult patient population with high blood pressure. Target: BP is a national initiative between the AHA and AMA aimed at addressing the growing burden of high blood pressure in the U.S. The initiative aims to help health care organizations improve blood pressure control rates through use of the AMA’s evidence-based M.A.P. qual- ity improvement program, and recognizes orga- nizations committed to improving blood pres- sure control. “Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to significant health risks. To further advance our mission to provide our patients with the highest quality cardiovascular care, CIS implemented new blood pressure screening and monitoring systems, and because of these improvements, 83 percent of our patients now have their blood pressure controlled. CIS is honored to be rec- ognized by the AHA and AMA for this achieve- ment,” said David Konur, CIS CEO. There are 116 million U.S. adults living with high blood pressure, the nation’s number one risk fac- tor for heart attack and stroke, and less than half have it controlled to target level. Many patients are unaware of the deadly consequences associ- ated with high blood pressure and that it man- ageable by working in partnership with their phy- sician to create and follow a treatment plan. n Dawn Pennebaker, MD, OB/GYN received the Physician Summit Award from Louisiana Healthcare Connections. Accepting the award for Pennebaker were Caitlin Crow, LPN and Tanya Rabb, LPN. Marcus Wallace, MD, Vice President of Medical Afffairs at Louisiana Healthcare Connections presented the award.