HJNO May/Jun 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAY / JUN 2020 61 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com “Offering noninvasive PDA closures delivers powerful results with less recovery time. It has made a huge difference in the wellbeing and overall health of the babies we care for, espe- cially those with low or extreme low birth weight. Ochsner has become a destination – both across the state and beyond – for PDA closures for pre- mature babies. It’s one of the many reasons why we are a leader for pediatric cardiac care in our region,” said Ivory Crittendon, III, MD, senior phy- sician, pediatric cardiology, Ochsner Hospital for Children. Approximately one in every 12 babies is born with a low birthweight (five pounds, eight ounces or less). Although babies born full term can have a PDA, it is more commonly found in babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks gestation). Across the United States, one in every 10 babies is born premature. In Louisiana, that number is even higher with a 13 percent preterm birth rate, mak- ing it the second-highest state in the country for preterm births. “As Louisiana’s only level IV NICU with a level IV labor and delivery unit, we care for some of the most critically ill babies in our State. Many of these patients are born preterm and some have extremely low birth weights,” said Harley Gins- berg, MD, section head, neonatology, and Medi- cal Director of the NICU at Ochsner Baptist Medi- cal Center. “To be able offer them and their family this procedure (transcatheter occlusion) instead of invasive surgery has been a true gamechanger for these little ones. The follow up chest x-rays fre- quently show prompt improvement of lung func- tion and rarely are any pain medications required after the procedure. With a shorter recovery time, babies resume feedings sooner and tend to wean more rapidly from ventilatory support.” Jefferson Parish Council Approves Agreement for LCMCHealth to Acquire East Jefferson General Hospital The Jefferson Parish Council has unanimously approved an agreement for LCMC Health to acquire East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH). LCMC Health and EJGH recently reached a defin- itive agreement for LCMC Health to acquire the Metairie, La. hospital, which was approved by both organizations’ boards of trustees. The acquisition will be finalized, pending a public vote by resi- dents of the East Bank of Jefferson Parish. Under the terms of the agreement, LCMC Health will pay a guaranteed purchase price of $90 million for East Jefferson General Hospital and its operations, $15 million for performance-based payments, and invest a minimum of $100 million over the next five years, totaling up to $205 mil- lion. The acquisition would allow East Jefferson General Hospital to pay off its current bonds, fully fund employee pension funds and satisfy all out- standing financial obligations. It will also ensure the longstanding job security of all the hospital’s nearly 3,000 employees. East Jefferson General Hospital would maintain its current name and culture and would become a part of the LCMC Health family, joining Children’s Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, Uni- versity Medical Center New Orleans, and West Jefferson Medical Center. “LCMC Health is excited to add East Jefferson General Hospital’s team to our family of hospi- tals,” said Greg Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health. “We share a long tradition of delivering high-quality healthcare with a focus on clinical excellence, edu- cation, technology and research. We are confi- dent that together, we can sustain and expand our community’s access to extraordinary medi- cal care.” “LCMC Health shares our commitment to deliv- ering the highest level of personalized care,” said Gerald Parton, president and CEO of East Jef- ferson General Hospital. “We could not have asked for a more dedicated partner, as this deal will secure the future of this important commu- nity hospital.” The acquisition enables East Jefferson General Hospital to continue delivering a high-level of care across a wide spectrum of primary and specialty services. Key elements of the partnership include preservation of the patient-to-trusted-doctor rela- tionship that East Jefferson General Hospital cur- rently enjoys close to home across a wide vari- ety of services. Both EJGH and LCMC Health are preparing for the public education program that will precede the May 9 vote. It will consist of a series of public presentations as well as outreach to community business, civic, and neighborhood associations. It will also feature a limited paid media component with television and radio commercials with the goal of reaching each voter household with edu- cational materials that explain how the acquisition will work and describe the outcomes of passage or failure of the measure. Those include: Hospital Benefits • Financial Strength: LCMC Health brings not only the financial strength of Children’s Hos- pital, Touro, New Orleans East Hospital, Uni- versity Medical Center New Orleans, and West Jefferson Medical Center to the table, but also each hospital’s own unique history and commitment to serving New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. • Employees and Physicians: Bringing LCMC Health and East Jefferson General Hospital together will sustain the medical care that is provided, and there will be no immedi- ate changes at either organization. EJGH’s talented team will also have access to increased mobility and opportunities within the LCMC Health family. Patient & Community Benefits • Continuity of Care: Bringing LCMC Health and East Jefferson General Hospital together means patients will continue to receive high quality healthcare. Patients can continue to see their regular care teams and physicians. • Continued Services: There will be no imme- diate impacts to East Jefferson General Hospital’s care offerings and all services will continue. Cardiology at Ochsner For the third year in a row, Ochsner Hospital for Children has been named among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Ochsner Hospital for Children was recognized in two specialties, cardiology and heart surgery, and gastroenterology and gastro- intestinal surgery. Ochsner offers the only pediatric heart trans- plant program in the state of Louisiana and its Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Sur- gery Program’s 2018 surgical outcomes greatly exceeded national averages. Ochsner achieved 100 percent survival in neonatal and child heart surgeries and in the Norwood Procedure, used to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome.