HJNO Mar/Apr 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2020 61 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com – essentially keeping an eye on the cancer to see if it got worse – and aggressive treatments like tra- ditional surgery or radiation, which can have side effects such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Now, thanks to a new treatment offered by Tulane Health System, some men have the option of focal therapy, a targeted treatment that destroys areas of cancer in the prostate while spar- ing the rest of the healthy tissue. Tulane Health System is the only system offering this treatment in the greater New Orleans region. “With focal therapy, the cancer can potentially be targeted and treated more effectively in a less- invasive fashion, similar to a lumpectomy to treat breast cancer,” said Dr. Spencer Krane, a urolo- gist at Tulane Health System. “We're thrilled to be able to offer this new technology and service to our community. It's our hope that this will have a significant and positive effect on men's qual- ity of life.” Focal therapy involves the use of can have a quicker more successful recovery. This screening model can and will be used for other high risk patients undergoing elective procedures at St. Tammany Health System.” D’Hemecourt graduated for LSU Medical School in 2007, is a board-certified anesthesiologist, and is the clinical head for total anesthesia care at STHS. Chris Connell, employed at STHS since January of 2006, is a certified registered nurse anesthe- tist (CRNA) who leads the CRNA Department at STHS. Sarah Delery is the orthopedic nurse nav- igator who oversees hip and knee replacement screening at STHS. Sarah has been providing nurs- ing care at STHS since June of 2005. Tulane Health First in Region to Offer Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer Men who have been diagnosed with early- stage prostate cancer often face a difficult choice when reviewing their treatment options. Generally, patients must choose between active surveillance pregnancies. They are trained to treat women with chronic or unexpected conditions that arise during pregnancy as well as birth defects or growth prob- lems identified during pregnancy. After the age of 35, expectant mothers face an increased risk for miscarriage or ectopic (tubal pregnancy), along with other complications including, but not lim- ited to – gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, pre- mature delivery, and increased chances of deliv- ery by cesarean section. “Given the high rate of preterm births in Loui- siana, there is a critical need to train more phy- sicians right here in our community in maternal fetal medicine. Louisiana has not had a maternal fetal medicine fellowship since Hurricane Katrina. This program is a significant investment by Och- sner both in the next generation of healthcare professionals and the wellbeing of mothers and babies in our state,” said Joseph R. Biggio, Jr., MD, system co-chair for women’s services and sys- tem chair for maternal fetal medicine, Ochsner Health System.  The three-year MFM fellowship program at Och- sner is designed provide a balance of inpatient care, outpatient clinic, ultrasound, and training in clinical research. It is divided into 10 months of outpatient maternal fetal medicine, seven months of inpatient maternal fetal medicine, one month in the intensive care unit, 12 months of research, and six months of electives. The program, which wel- comed its first fellow in July of 2019, will award one new fellowship position each year moving forward. STQNAnnounces 2019 Fourth Quarter Medical Director’s Award St. Tammany Quality Network presented the 2019 fourth quarter Medical Director’s Award to Dr. John D’Hemecourt, Chris Connell, CRNA, and Sarah Delery, RN, for their involvement with partic- ipating in the development and implementation of the screening tool for high risk patients that go for elective hip and knee surgery. “This is a great team of concerned committed individuals who have put forward a great deal of effort to improve the process of screening high risk patients. As a result of their efforts, a process that identifies these patients well before surgery,” said Dr. Michael K. Hill, STHS vice president for quality and utilization management. “They also work to reduce identified risks so that patients STQN 4TH QUARTER MEDICAL DIRECTOR’S AWARD St. Tammany Quality Network presented the 2019 fourth quarter Medical Director’s Award to Dr. John D’Hemecourt, Chris Connell, CRNA, and Sarah Delery, RN, for their involvement with participating in the development and implementation of the screening tool for high risk patients that go for elective hip and knee surgery. Pictured, left to right, are Delery, D’Hemecourt, and Connell.