HJNO Jan/Feb 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2020 19 at home and in school. In 2020, we are launching a learning challenges program to help identify children with different learn- ing needs, and assist parents in obtaining evidence-based academic interventions. A significant component of this program is working with schools to provide profes- sional development to teachers in behav- ior management, and how various devel- opmental diagnoses impact learning. This programwill impact children facing a vari- ety of health challenges and delays, beyond just autism. Editor The first wave of ASD children are now young adults. As a society, are we tak- ing adequate care of them? Seymour This is an area where there ismuch room for improvement. Research has dem- onstrated that individuals with autism are significantly more likely to have co-occur- ring health and mental health conditions which can be overshadowed by their ASD diagnosis. Ochsner is in a unique position because we provide healthcare for individuals across their lifespan. This allows us to assist fami- lies with creating a transition plan of care as their children progress into young adult- hood, and to follow that individual over many years. By establishing relationships with community providers and local non- profits, we assist families with coordination of care across their lifespan. Editor What more can be done for young adults with ASD? Seymour There is a significant need for increased opportunities for job training and employment for individuals facingASD and other developmental delays. Highlighting an individual’s strengths, and not just their weaknesses, will better equip us to focus on areas inwhich a young adult can develop the life skills needed to be more independent. The Boh Center is a step in the right direc- tion for how we provide healthcare and resources to children. We recognized the need for more services, more convenience for families, and more collaboration inside and outside of our hospital and clinic walls. The delivery of healthcare, particularly to children, has really evolved over the last few decades. To set our patients up for success, our approach and services must continue to grow. n ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT OCHSNER HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN Ochsner Hospital for Children has offered exceptional pediatric care for more than 75 years. Ochsner offers the only pediatric heart and liver transplant program in the state, serving over 76,000 children every year, with 120+ physicians specializing in more than 30 pediatric specialties and sub-specialties. Ochsner Hospital for Chil- dren’s flagship facility is in New Orleans, with subspecialty clinics across Louisiana and in Mississippi. Ochsner Hospital for Children is the only children’s hospital in Louisiana or Mississippi to be ranked as a “Top Children’s Hospital” by U.S. News &World Report for three con- secutive years. Ochsner’s Pediatric and Adult Congeni- tal Cardiac Surgery Program’s 2018 surgi- cal outcomes greatly exceeded national averages. Ochsner achieved 100 percent survival in neonatal and child heart surger- ies, and in the Norwood Procedure, used to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Ochsner was the recipient of the 2018 Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) Qual- ity Award in the category of Patient Safety and Reduction of Harm, as the top exam- ple, based on 110 submissions from 60 chil- dren’s hospitals across the country. This summer, Ochsner announced that it was joining forces with Mayo Clinic and other healthcare leaders as a member of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. The consortium aligns regional centers and an advocacy group into a collaboration led by the Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Pro- gram at Mayo Clinic to accelerate innova- tion and discovery sciences, as well as bring clinical trials and expertise to patients across the country. Sensory Room - Lacey Seymour, PhD; Emily Wilton, LOTR - Occupational therapist; and Tre Cotton