HJNO Sep/Oct 2019

58 SEP / OCT 2019  I  Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS   Hospital Rounds During the second of three surgeries to repair the heart, stem cells are injected into the heart muscle to help it grow stronger, and delay or pre- vent the need for transplant. The trial is open at all consortium sites, and Ochsner Hospital for Chil- dren already has collected cord blood with stem cells waiting to be used for a patient when the trial opens this fall. LakeviewRegional Employees Receive Patriot Award from National Guard &Reserves Two employees of Lakeview Regional Medi- cal Center, a campus of Tulane Medical Center, were presented with the ESGR (Employer Sup- port of the Guard and Reserve) Patriot Award. The recipients are Daphne Guidry, critical care and ICU manager, and Mirtha Poulliard, patient services director. Both women are 19-year employees of Lakeview Regional. They were nominated by Second Lieuten- ant Joel O’Connor, a nurse in Lakeview Region- al’s critical care unit. The Patriot Award recog- nizes supervisors for supporting National Guard and Reserve service members. It reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible sched- ules, time off prior to and after deployment, car- ing for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.  “As an organization, the best way we can sup- port our military is by providing our employ- ees with the necessary time to serve in the National Guard and Reserves,” said Hiral Patel, Lakeview Regional CEO. “I am proud of the actions and extraordinary support that Daphne and Mirtha provided to Joel. “In his own words, ‘Daphne Guidry took great risk and stress upon herself to meet my needs, and Mirtha Arias went above and beyond to support the mission of the Louisiana Air National Guard Medical Group and advocated for furthering its mission readiness and effectiveness.’” St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Ochsner Open Level II PICU on Northshore The June opening of St. Tammany Parish Hospi- tal’s level two pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) caps a focused, years’ long effort to complete world class pediatric services for west St. Tam- many families. “We’re excited to cut the ribbon on our beau- tiful PICU and pediatrics unit at St. Tammany Par- ish Hospital,” said Kerry Milton, BSN, RN, MSHA, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. “In partnership with Ochsner Hospital for Children, we are elevating the level of pediatric specialty care available close to home, now providing the most comprehensive health system for children along the I-12 corridor.” Staffed by Ochsner Hospital for Children pedi- atric intensivists, the new PICU delivers a team with specialized training in caring for patients age 18 and under in need of higher-acuity care. The same physicians will also care for patients in STPH’s newly renovated inpatient pediatrics unit adjacent to the PICU. Ochsner provided specialized training for the STPH pediatrics team to prepare them for young patients with respiratory infections, diabetes, sei- zure disorders, and other conditions that may require the use of a ventilator, continuous cardiac monitoring, or other highly specialized pediatric care. “Ochsner Hospital for Children is proud to part- ner with St. Tammany Parish Hospital to further advance pediatric care throughout the Northshore Region,” said Israel Temple, MD, Ochsner pediat- ric intensivist. “This new Level II PICU is state-of- the-art, and our Ochsner physicians are excited to be providing the care. The children in west St. Tammany Parish deserve the best, and that’s what they will get through this partnership.” Ochsner Hospital for Children subspecialists in the Covington pediatric specialty clinic provide a full schedule of appointments in pediatric car- diology, endocrinology, otolaryngology, nutri- tion, general surgery, gastroenterology, hematol- ogy/oncology, plastic surgery (including hand), orthopedics, pulmonology, urology, and other specialties. Ochsner Hospital for Children Named a ‘Best Children’s Hospital’ by U.S. News &World Report in Two Specialties For the third consecutive year, Ochsner Hospi- tal for Children has been named among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report . Ochsner Hospital for Children was recognized in two specialties: cardiology and heart surgery and gastroenterology and gastroin- testinal surgery. For the third year in a row, Och- sner Hospital for Children is the only children’s hospital in Louisiana or Mississippi to receive this honor. The 13th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rank- ings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardi- ology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocri- nology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal sur- gery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology. “Our team is so proud to be recognized as a national leader in pediatric care,” said Dr. Wil- liam Lennarz, system chair of pediatrics, Och- sner Hospital for Children. “We’re dedicated to bringing more world-class care to the Gulf South so that families never have to go far from home to get quality care for even the most complex conditions.” “The Best Children’s Hospitals rankings were designed to help provide families seeking the best medical care for their sick child with access to the most comprehensive data available,” said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News . “The rankings, coupled with guidance from pediatricians, help families make better-informed decisions about where to find high-quality, compassionate care for their chil- dren when they need it most.” U.S. News introduced the Best Children’s Hos- pitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available.  The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rank- ings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The rankings methodology factors include patient outcomes, such as mortal- ity and infection rates, as well as available clini- cal resources and compliance with best practices. Children’s Hospital NO Hosts Physician Business Planning Session Children’s Hospital New Orleans hosted its inau- gural Physician Business Planning Session. Earlier in the year, providers at Children’s were invited