HJNO May/Jun 2020

58 MAY / JUN 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds Children’s Hospital New Orleans Opens Expanded Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Children’s Hospital New Orleans opened its new Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), expand- ing specialized pediatric cardiology services for the region. The new CICU at Children’s Hospi- tal contains 28 large, private rooms. The 35,000 square foot CICU supports the growth of special- ized pediatric heart care for the state of Louisiana and the Gulf South as part of Children’s $300 mil- lion campus expansion effort. “When considering a congenital heart program, choosing a program with a low Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) mortality rate is an important com- ponent. However, equally as important is assuring that your child receives excellent postoperative care in the CICU following surgery,” said Tom Kim- ball, MD, co-director of the Heart Center at Chil- dren’s Hospital New Orleans. The same 24/7 in-hospital coverage by pedi- atric cardiac intensivists and the same collabora- tive approach to patient care continues; however, the new unit provides added comfort, sleeping space, and private bathrooms for families com- bined with state-of-the-art equipment and tech- nology that embrace and evolve the unit’s fam- ily-centered approach to care. “Over the last 10 years, care for congenital heart patients has con- tinued to evolve with a shift to units being led by pediatric cardiac intensivist, providing 24/7 in- house coverage with an emphasis on multidisci- plinary, family-centered care,” said Kurt Piggott, MD, division head, Cardiac Intensive Care at Chil- dren’s Hospital New Orleans. Children’s CICU team has now grown to six intensivists, four NPs, a dedicated pharmacist, and numerous nursing and allied health profes- sionals. “It takes a village to care for our congen- ital heart patients, and we now have an environ- ment that best supports our village in providing best in class care,” said Matt Schaefer, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. The new CICU also provides spacious rooms that cater to larger adult patients, is equipped for procedures to be done at the bedside, and is designed to easily accommodate Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) treatment and assist devices. In addition, the unit provides space to help patients and families transition from criti- cal care to readiness for discharge. “The CICU is the heart of our Heart Center,” said Tim Pettitt, MD, surgical director, Cardiovascular Surgery at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “The CICU con- solidates the care of all patients with heart dis- ease, and promotes an environment of continuous learning, collaboration and excellence.” The Children’s Hospital New Orleans Heart Cen- ter has experienced significant growth in recent months, including the recruitment of Thomas Kimball, MD, who joined Children’s Hospital as chief of cardiology in 2019. Kimball joined Chil- dren’s from the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Insti- tute, where he served as medical director of their program which is consistently ranked in the top five pediatric heart programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report. “The growth of our Heart Center team has positioned Children’s Hos- pital New Orleans to expand services for children and families across the state of Louisiana and the Gulf South,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and chief executive officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “The physical transformation of our Heart Center including the new CICU, and soon to be new OR’s, cath labs and cardiology clinic has been paralleled with the acquisition of new talent and expertise, commitment to teamwork, and a number one focus on quality and safety.” Children’s Hospital has recently recruited addi- tional pediatric heart specialists including a perfu- sionist, two cardiac intensivists, and a heart failure specialist from some of the nation’s top children’s hospitals to ensure children in Louisiana have access to specialized heart care within the state. “Despite the spectacular physical attributes of the new CICU, it is only as good as the healthcare pro- viders who staff it,” Pettitt said. “And we have built a team at Children’s Hospital that rivals the best pediatric programs in the country.” Thibodaux Regional Health SystemAcquires Innovative Robotic-Assisted Surgery Technology for Knee Replacements Thibodaux Regional Health System recently acquired the ROSA Knee System, the world’s most advanced robotic-assisted surgery system for total knee replacement. Total joint replacement is one of the most commonly performed elective surgical proce- dures in the United States. The ROSA Knee Sys- tem enables the surgeon to use computer and software technology to control and move sur- gical instruments, allowing for greater precision and flexibility during total joint replacement pro- cedures. The System brings together robotic technology with industry-leading knee implants to help the surgeon personalize surgical proce- dures for patients. “We are excited to be able to bring this innova- tive technology to our region,” said Greg Stock, CEO, Thibodaux Regional. “This new robotic- assisted technology will benefit patients and enhance patient safety and improve the overall quality of orthopaedic patient care.” Thibodaux Regional’s first robotic-assisted total knee replacement was performed by Eric Gre- ber, MD, the only fellowship trained orthopaedic joint replacement and reconstruction specialist in the region. “The patient is our main focus,” said Greber. “For everyone involved, including the surgeon but most importantly the patient, the robotic- assisted knee replacement offers a number of key benefits and advantages. We know the deci- sion to have a joint replacement is often a diffi- cult one for patients but we believe that robotic- assisted technologies have the potential to make it an easier decision going forward.” Children’s Hospital New Orleans Opens Freestanding Behavioral Health Center Children’s Hospital New Orleans celebrated the opening of its new free-standing Behavioral Health Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the new center. The 70,000 square foot, 51-bed facility is among the largest and most comprehensive programs in the nation, serving patients and families from across the Gulf South in a comprehensive center that is exclusively ded- icated to serving children and adolescents with a wide range of mental and behavioral health disorders. The $25 million project located on Children’s Hospital’s main campus is one of the largest free-standing pediatric facilities of its kind in the United States. “Children’s Hospital is dedicated