HJNO Mar/Apr 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2020 57 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com for residents of west St. Tammany and surround- ing areas since 1954.” The iconic double-hearts logo, well known and highly recognized among Northshore residents, is updated in new art that retains elements of the former to make the connection between new and old. “We selected a brighter shade of the same color and elected to keep interlocking hearts as a cen- tral element in our artwork,” Melissa Hodgson, communication director said. “The color is familiar and welcoming. The hearts convey our deep com- passion, our commitment to caring. As we worked with Zehnder Communications to help us articu- late our new look, we wanted to keep elements like that to connect the dots for our patients and to carry forward our long history of excellence, compassion, and community connection.” The two interlocking hearts include elements that connect with the former identity while also bringing to mind cardiovascular health, mother- baby bonding, and family health of adult and child. The updated mission, vision, and values state- ments are designed to remain true to the princi- ples the service district was founded upon, and yet speak in more current language to better articulate those long-held values. The new state- ments are: Mission: We are the heartbeat of our commu- nity, caring for our patients and their families with excellence, compassion, and teamwork. Vision: We will strengthen the health of our community with compassion, innovation, and partnership. Values: Teamwork. Trust. Compassion. Quality. Innovation. The health system will undertake a yearlong timeline to transition the logo use out of respect for wise use of existing resources and limiting bud- getary outlays to update signage. Consistent use of the new identity is expected across the whole system by Dec. 31, 2020. Chairman of the Board of Commissioners John Evans summed up the change by saying, “Our new logo and identifying statements are such an opportunity for us to freshen up our look and our language. It’s kind of like when your beloved aunt gets a new hairdo after 20 years. You love her, you recognize her by that hair, but you are so grateful someone helped her to find a more modern look that still conveys her true character.” Magnolia Community Services Recognizes Ochsner Physician as 2019 Gala Honoree Magnolia Community Services – a local non- profit dedicated to providing support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities – recognized Ochsner Health System physician Sara Ehrensing Fernandez, MD, as its 2019 Gala Hon- oree. Fernandez was honored during Magno- lia Community Services annual gala, Magnolia Moonlight Mistletoe Gala. Fernandez has served as the medial director at Magnolia Community Services for more than 17 years. In this role, Fernandez takes a holistic approach to address the mental, behavioral, and emotional health of Magnolia Community Service residents. She is responsible for the health, well- ness, and primary care of over 140 special needs adults at 21 Magnolia Community Services group homes throughout the Greater New Orleans area.  In addition to her ongoing work with Magno- lia Community Services, Fernandez is a primary care physician at the Ochsner Center for Primary Care and Wellness at Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Richmond and earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University where she was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She completed her internship and residency at Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge, La. and is board-certified in internal medicine. “Dr. Fernandez has been instrumental in help- ing our clients lead healthy and meaningful lives,” says Magnolia Community Services Executive Director Jennifer Hebert. “Her selflessness, com- passion, and fierce dedication to Magnolia and the individuals we serve helps us to provide the highest quality of services, leadership, and advo- cacy for adults with developmental disabilities.” TulaneMedical Center Earns Cancer ProgramRecertification Tulane Medical Center was recently reac- credited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons for main- taining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered care.  To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a can- cer program must meet or exceed 34 quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process, and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation is only awarded to a facility that exceeds standard requirements at the time of its triennial survey.  “We pride ourselves on taking a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to oncology care,” said Laura Godel, Tulane Health System’s asso- ciate vice president of oncology services. “From our bone marrow transplant program to treat blood cancers to our new multidisciplinary pros- tate cancer clinic, our physicians and caregivers work together to ensure that each patient receives the best, individualized treatment plan possible.” Because it is a CoC-accredited cancer center, Tulane Medical Center takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases requiring consultation among sur- geons, medical and radiation oncologists, diag- nostic radiologists, pathologists, and other can- cer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care.  Like all CoC-accredited facilities, Tulane Med- ical Center maintains a cancer registry and con- tributes data to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint program of the CoC and Ameri- can Cancer Society (ACS). This nationwide oncol- ogy outcomes database is the largest clinical dis- ease registry in the world. Data on all types of cancer is tracked and analyzed through the NCDB and used to explore trends in cancer care. CoC- accredited cancer centers, in turn, have access to Sara Ehrensing Fernandez, MD