HJNO Nov/Dec 2019

Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2019 59 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com to work. As a leader, when you hear that, you know you have the right culture” said Scott Bou- dreaux, CEO of Avala. “At Avala our culture is simple. Respect, communicate, and value each team member’s contribution to the organization. At Avala, our team is who we are.” More Than 200 Ochsner Health SystemPhysicians Recognized in Annual ‘Best Doctors’ List Two hundred and twenty-three physicians from across Ochsner Health System and its partner hos- pitals were named to the 2019 “Best Doctors” list published annually by New Orleans Magazine. This year, 633 physicians in 73 specialties in New Orleans were recognized as “Best Doctors.” Och- sner Health System hospital, facilities, and affili- ated hospitals accounted for more than 35 percent of the list, representing more than 50 specialties – cardiovascular disease, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics, to name a few. The complete list of New Orleans honorees was featured in the August edition of New Orleans Magazine. “Our dedicated team of physicians strives to provide exceptional and compassionate health- care every day,” said Robert Hart, MD, FAAP, FACP, executive vice president and chief medi- cal officer at Ochsner Health System. “We’re hon- ored to see so many of our doctors recognized for their dedication to building a healthier, stron- ger community.” Each year, New Orleans Magazine spotlights New Orleans physicians selected to the “Best Doctors in America® List” compiled annually by Best Doctors, Inc.® (a division of Teladoc Health). Physicians are selected as “Best Doc- tors” based on the results of an extensive peer- to-peer survey of medical professionals. Approx- imately 40,000 physicians from across the country are selected by their peers as “Best Doctors,” rep- resenting four percent of physicians. Tulane Health SystemNamed a NewOrleans TopWorkplace Tulane Health System—which includes Tulane Medical Center, Tulane Lakeside Hospital, and Lakeview Regional Medical Center—has been named a 2019 Top Workplace by  The Advo- cate/Times-Picayune . The list is based solely One such advancement is the treatment option of PRRT, a targeted radiation that halts tumor growth. For years, OMC-Kenner has been administering this therapy via an Internal Review Board-approved clinical research trial, but it was approved by the FDA in July 2018 to dispense commercially. To date, the program has adminis- tered more than 150 treatments, with 31 patients completing the infusion course and 40 patients currently in active treatment. Up until last sum- mer, patients seeking this therapy had to travel abroad. OMC-Kenner’s expanded infusion space has allowed PRRT to be administered to more patients who need it, while enhancing and increasing patient survival an additional three or four years while newer innovative therapies are developed. The Neuroendocrine Program at OMC– Kenner, NOLANETS, is an affiliation between Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Och- sner Medical Center and specializes in the diag- nosis and management of all forms of neuroen- docrine tumors. Times-Picayune Names Avala aWinner of the New Orleans TopWorkplaces Avala has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2019 honor by The Times-Picayune ; Avala also received the 2019 Direction Award, given to a company whose employees believe they are on the right path to growth. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey adminis- tered by research partner Energage, LLC, a pro- vider of technology-based employee engagement tools. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few. “Top Workplaces is more than just recogni- tion,” said Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. “Our research shows organizations that earn the award attract better talent, experience lower turnover, and are better equipped to deliver bottom-line results. Their leaders prioritize and carefully craft a healthy workplace culture that supports employee engagement.” “I often overhear our employees telling other people they love their job, they have the best job anyone can have, or they look forward to coming The group also examined challenges related to managing the multigenerational workforce. Overall the network has 88 percent participation in meetings and 97 percent satisfaction rates. The network reported documented value to their col- lective organizations of more than $7 million in 2018, and it encompasses nurse executives from Vizient member hospitals in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Opens New Infusion Space for Neuroendocrine Tumor Therapy Ochsner Medical Center- Kenner (OMC-Ken- ner) opened a new, dedicated infusion space to administer the recently FDA-approved Pep- tide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). OMC-Kenner is one of about 100 sites in the coun- try to offer PRRT, and is the only site in Louisiana. A NET is a rare, hormone-producing tumor that affects neuroendocrine cells, which are pres- ent throughout the nervous and endocrine sys- tems. NETs can originate anywhere in the body. Carcinoid tumors, however, are the most common kind detected and are usually found in the lungs or GI tract. Most of the time it grows very slowly and because it is so often difficult to detect, diag- nosis is delayed on average of 10 years. Approx- imately 12,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor every year. “NET diagnoses have tripled in the last decade alone, so there is a huge and unmet need. Treat- ment is multi-disciplinary, with local and systemic forms of therapies available. With new agents on the horizon, the challenge now becomes to shrink the disease, while continuing to improve the qual- ity of life,” said Robert Ramirez, DO, FACP, medi- cal oncologist, OMC-Kenner. OMC-Kenner is home to the Neuroendocrine Program, which specializes in the diagnosis and management of all forms of neuroendocrine tumors. It has been a national leader for more than a decade in the treatment and manage- ment of this condition. The Neuroendocrine Pro- gram at OMC-Kenner is witnessing more people living beyond 10 years. This can be attributed to advancements in clinical trials, surgical and non- surgical procedures and medical management.