HJNO Sep/Oct 2019

Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2019 59 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com to submit proposals for new programs, services, or processes that support the hospital’s vision to provide the best healthcare for kids in the state of Louisiana and Gulf South region. Fifty-one proposals were submitted and evalu- ated by the hospital’s selection committee, com- prised of administrative and physician leadership. The selection committee narrowed the proposals down to five finalists, which were presented dur- ing the June 6 event. More than 70 providers and leaders joined for an evening workshop and dinner where attend- ees explored each of the five proposals in further detail. “Provider involvement in business-plan- ning is integral to the strategic growth of Chil- dren’s Hospital,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and chief executive officer of Children’s Hospi- tal New Orleans. “Physician engagement from this first business planning session is a reflection of our collective commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Louisiana’s kids now and into the future.” The two proposals that received the most sup- port by providers in attendance were the creation of a pediatric obesity program and establishing a multidisciplinary pain team. The Children's Hos- pital Executive Team will be further evaluating these, along with the other finalists' proposals as potential priorities for the hospital’s 2020 strate- gic planning. “The dialogue, camaraderie, and passion dem- onstrated throughout the evening by both our presenters and those in attendance was truly inspiring,” said Jonathan Brouk, AVP, strategic planning and business analytics. “These important initiatives would not be possible without the part- nership of our incredible provider community.” St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Department Goes to 24/7 Schedule As its latest expansion of pediatric healthcare on the Northshore, St. Tammany Parish Hospital announced that its pediatric emergency room is operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. The 24-hour schedule is coupled with the June opening of a level two pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) staffed by Ochsner Hospital for Children.  “When we first opened the pediatric emergency department in 2017, we went with a 12-hour schedule to be available when parents and chil- dren were most commonly coming to seek emer- gency care,” explained Dr. David Toups, emer- gency medicine specialist and medical director of emergency services at STPH. “But as our repu- tation for pediatric expertise has grown and more families are now aware of this dedicated pediatric emergency room, we are expanding the service to operate around the clock.” Staffed by pediatric and emergency medicine specialists, the 24/7 pediatric emergency room cares for infants to teens in emergent situations and has its own separate waiting space for fami- lies with children. Upstairs, the PICU and inpatient pediatrics unit are staffed by Ochsner Hospital for Children pedi- atric intensivists, a team with specialized training in caring for patients age 18 and under in need of higher-acuity care. In addition to these pediatric inpatient resources, outpatient services include: primary pediatrics in Covington, Madisonville, and Man- deville; the Parenting Center; and pediatric cer- tified rehabilitation, pediatric orthopedics, and a multispecialty clinic of pediatric subspecial- ists from Ochsner Hospital for Children, provid- ing a full schedule of appointments in pediatric cardiology, endocrinology, otolaryngology, nutri- tion, general surgery, gastroenterology, hematol- ogy/oncology, plastic surgery (including hand), orthopedics, pulmonology, urology, and other specialties. TulaneMedical Center Again Earns Highest Stroke Quality Achievement Award Tulane Medical Center has received the Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Achieve- ment Award with Target: StrokeSMHonor Roll Elite Plus from the American Heart Association for a fourth consecutive year. The award – which is the highest possible level of recognition given by the AHA for quality stroke care – recognizes the hospi- tal’s commitment to providing the most appropri- ate stroke treatment according to nationally rec- ognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. The award recognizes hospitals that continue improving acute ischemic stroke care by reducing door-to-needle times for eligible patients being treated with the clot-busting drug tPA. Facilities must prove they can have an expert available to see the patient within 10 minutes and interpret bloodwork, EKGs and brain imaging all within 45 minutes, with a goal of administering IV tPA in less than 60 minutes (if applicable). Tulane has policies and protocols in place to achieve these goals, as well as extensive education with hospital staff and EMS providers regarding identification and treat- ment of strokes. “There are nearly seven million stroke survivors in the U.S., which is a testament to advancement in treatment options for patients and best prac- tices and guidelines like those initiated by the American Heart Association,” said Tulane stroke specialist Dr. Justin Salerian. “We strive for excel- lence in the acute treatment of stroke patients and want the number of survivors to continue grow- ing. This recognition further reinforces our team’s hard work.” Tulane’s stroke program was the first in New Orleans to be certified by the Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, representing its ability to care for the most complex stroke cases. “We are pleased to recognize Tulane Medi- cal Center for their commitment to stroke care,” said Dr. Eric Smith, national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the Univer- sity of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical mea- sures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer read- missions and lower mortality rates.” Lakeview Regional Medical Center, a campus of Tulane Medical Center, also received the Ameri- can Heart Association/American Stroke Associa- tion’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke GOLD PLUS Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes a hospital’s commitment to ensur- ing stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. Ochsner Medical Center Achieves FourthMagnet®Recognition Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson High- way attained Magnet recognition again in April