HJNO Nov/Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2020 33 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com x-ray appearance is highly specific (96.6%) and has a high positive predictive value of 83.8% for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the setting of pandemic. “The presence of patchy and/or confluent, band- like ground glass opacity or consolidation in a peripheral and mid-to-lower lung zone distribu- tion on a chest radiograph is highly suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection and should be used in con- junction with clinical judgment to make a diagno- sis,” said Bradley Spieler, MD, associate profes- sor of diagnostic radiology and vice chairman of research in the Department of Radiology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. “The chest radiograph, while low in sensitivity, can indicate COVID-19 in patients whose radio- graphs exhibit characteristic COVID-19 find- ings, when used in concert with clinical factors,” said John-Paul Grenier, MD, an LSU Health New Orleans radiology resident. “While not a sub- stitute for RT-PCR virus tests or chest CT, radio- graphs could provide a rapid, cost-effective diag- nosis of COVID-19 in a subset of infected patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The utility of this technique is described in the context of known disadvantages of RT-PCR, considered the gold standard in COVID-19 diagnosis, and chest CT, which is currently not recommended for COVID- 19 diagnosis. “ “This discovery is useful to aid in diagnosis in the setting of pandemic spread of COVID-19, especially when adequate testing is lacking,” said Smith. “We believe this work has great potential to aid all healthcare providers in the fight against COVID-19,” said Spieler. Catherine Batte, MS, from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Louisiana State Univer- sity, also collaborated on the study. “The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially tough on the people of New Orleans,” said Gre- nier. “We hope that the insights we’ve gained from studying this disease in our community can be used to help other communities across the globe.” Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Adds Physicians to Northshore Clinics Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group wel- comed Jason Patel, MD, to its Covington clinic and Jembber L. Robinson, MD, PharmD, MBA, to its Slidell clinic. Providers on the Northshore are part of a health network that includes lead- ing specialists, so patients can receive specialized care when they need. “We are pleased to have Dr. Patel and Dr. Rob- inson join Dr. Timothy Devraj, Dr. Brian Galofaro, Dr. Nathan Hite, Dr. Kelly Finan, and Melissa Floyd, NP, to serve the healthcare needs of the people of St. Tammany. We remain committed to improving access to healthcare on the North- shore, continually expanding our services to pro- vide high quality care for this community,” said Rene Ragas, president of the Northshore region for the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. Patel specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of minor to complex illness in adults, and ongoing care of patients with chronic illnesses. He received a medical degree from Mercer Univer- sity School of Medicine in Savannah, Georgia. He later completed an internal medicine residency at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Cen- ter in Baton Rouge through Louisiana State Uni- versity Health Sciences Center Baton Rouge. He is a member of the American Medical Associa- tion and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Covington is located at 70411 Highway 21 in Covington. Robinson considers herself “family-centered” providing care and serving as an advocate for mom, dad, and their kids. Before attending medi- cal school, she was a practicing pharmacist. Rob- inson holds a doctorate in pharmacy from Flor- ida A&M University in Tallahassee. She received a medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, S.C., followed by a family medicine residency at the Phoebe Family Medicine Residency Program in Albany, Ga. Robinson also earned a Master in Business Administration from Tulane University in New Orleans. She is a member of the Ameri- can Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Pharmacists Associa- tion, and the National Diamondback Pharmacy Alumni Association. Our Lady of the Lake Phy- sician Group Slidell is located at 1570 Lindberg Drive, Suite 14, in Slidell. Louisiana Healthcare Connections Named Outstanding Employer of the Year by LA Nurses Foundation For the fourth consecutive year, Louisiana Healthcare Connections has been named the Outstanding Employer of the Year by the Louisi- ana Nurses Foundation. The annual award recog- nizes a Louisiana company that supports nurses and fosters professional growth, achievement, and innovation in the nursing profession. “Every day, and especially now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are working tirelessly to deliver compassionate, quality care to the residents of Louisiana. We are fortunate to have so many of these knowledgeable, dedi- cated nurses on our staff to coordinate care for our members,” said John Kight, DNP, RN, FNPC, senior vice president of population health for Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “This award exemplifies the outstanding work our nurses do Jembber L. Robinson, MD, PharmD, MBA Jason Patel, MD