HJNO May/Jun 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAY / JUN 2020 59 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com to providing extraordinary healthcare for all kids and only kids,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and chief executive officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “Sometimes that means running to the problem and developing innovative ways to change the dynamics of pediatric healthcare. With one in five children affected by behavioral and mental health disorders, we must amplify the way we are proactively addressing behavioral health- care for children—a concern the country’s top children’s hospitals have struggled to adequately address.” Children’s new Behavioral Health Center will offer acute inpatient behavioral health treat- ment in a safe, structured, and nurturing environ- ment for kids who are seven-17 years old. The pro- gram focuses on teaching and empowering each patient to develop healthy life skills to improve his or her function and future quality of life. LSU Health New Orleans and Tulane University School of Medicine serve as Children’s medical school partners. The inpatient unit will have 51 beds available for children who need mental health services such as treatment for severe depression, anxi- ety, or mood disorders. With an interdisciplin- ary model of care, social workers, recreational therapists, and music therapists work collabora- tively with psychiatrists to develop individualized treatment plans. With expanded capacity from Children’s existing Behavioral Health Unit located on the hospital’s Calhoun St. Campus, an addi- tional 500 inpatients will be cared for annually, in addition to an expanded outpatient psychiatry program that will more than double its capacity with more than 2,000 visits per year. “The new Behavioral Health Center, designed by Fernandez & Johnson Architecture and built by our construc- tion partners at The Lemoine Company, facilitates a team approach to family-centered care,” says Ben Whitworth, vice president of hospital oper- ations at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “The innovative design fosters a healing environment while keeping patient safety and quality at the forefront.” Outpatient services will also be provided at the new center to complement inpatient care, includ- ing assessment and treatment of psychiatric and behavioral disorders such as autism spectrum dis- order, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and mood disturbance. An interdisciplinary team of professionals will provide evidence-based man- agement for a range of challenges facing children, adolescents, and their families. Telemedicine ser- vices will also be based at this location and pro- vide specialty resources for the entire region, improving access and support. “Our program is not only about investments in bricks and mortar,” says George Bisset, MD, chief medical officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “It’s about providing a continuum of care that supports mental wellbeing for our patients and families at all levels. We’re building programs that expand access, forming new partnerships in the community, and giving our patients and fami- lies the tools and support they need to best cope with a wide variety of conditions.” The Behavioral Health Center at Children’s Hospital is made possible with the support of the Goldring Family and Woldenberg Founda- tions, who have contributed $2 million to Behav- ioral Health services through the foundations’ sup- port of Children’s Hospital’s capital campaign, Extraordinary Together: The Campaign for Lou- isiana’s Children. Echocardiography at North Oaks Earns IACReaccreditation Echocardiography services offered through North Oaks Health System have been reaccred- ited for three more years by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). North Oaks has held IAC accreditation since 1999. Locations include North Oaks Cardiology Clinic and North Oaks Heart Health Center, which is located within North Oaks Medical Center. “Echocardiography is a type of ultrasound used to detect heart disease or signs of other serious Echocardiography services offered through North Oaks Health System have been reaccredited for three more years by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). Pictured with the certificates, left to right, are Terri Magliolo, cardiology services manager; Wendy Helms, respiratory services director; Kirby Sellers, RDCS/RVT; Mary Catherine Vial, RDCS; Echocardiography Medical Director and Cardiologist James Parker, M.D., FACC, FSCAI; Sandy Wale, RCS; Lacey Russell, RDCS; Erin Panks, CCS; and Terrence Duffy, RDCS/RVT/ACS. Not pictured are Drew Calderone, RDCS; Anika Gill, RCS; Ashley Husser, RDCS; and Lacey Sinagra, RCS.