HJNO Sep/Oct 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2020 55 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com amplifies the patient experience. The new, 17,500 square foot facility supports growth of special- ized pediatric imaging and radiology services in an environment designed only for kids, as part of Children’s $300 million campus expansion effort. Healthgrades Awards STHS 11 National Recognitions Healthgrades named St. Tammany Health Sys- tem one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery, awarded for Spine Surgery Excellence and Spinal Fusion Surgery in its annual perfor- mance evaluation of nearly 4,500 hospitals, nation- wide. In the same survey, Healthgrades awarded STHS the Outstanding Patient Experience and Outstanding Patient Safety awards, for the 12th consecutive year, and awarded STHS five-star rat- ings for carotid surgery, pacemaker procedures, and treatment of pneumonia, respiratory failure, sepsis, and stroke. Marcelle Named VP of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Services at Tulane Health System Tulane Health System recently welcomed Niki Marcelle as its new vice president of cardiovascu- lar and pulmonary services. She will lead growth, service, and operational initiatives for those ser- vice lines. “Niki’s experience in growing services translates very well with Tulane Health System’s vision for the cardiovascular and pulmonary service lines,” said Tom Patrias, chief operating officer at Tulane Health System. “She has a proven track record of leading operational efficiencies, physician collab- oration, capital deployment strategies, and tar- geted geographic outreach and development.” Marcelle joins Tulane Health System after serv- ing as the cardiovascular and interventional radiol- ogy service line leader at Bellin Memorial Hospital in Green Bay, Wis. Her prior experience includes leading the diagnostic service line at another Green Bay health system as well as director-level leadership roles in radiology and nuclear medi- cine in Richmond, Virginia, and Greenville, N.C. Marcelle earned a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Medicine and a master’s degree in busi- ness administration from the University of Wis- consin – Oshkosh. She is also a member of the American Healthcare of Radiology Administrators. TulaneMedical Center Opens Hybrid OR Tulane Medical Center opened a new “hybrid” operating room, an innovative operating suite that combines catheterization and imaging technol- ogy with a traditional surgical setting that allows physicians to perform complicated neurological procedures more efficiently, quickly, and in a sin- gle location. The equipment and construction costs repre- sent a nearly $3 million investment in patient care, said Tulane Health System CEO Dr. Robert Lynch. “The best healthcare is the result of collabo- ration, and the hybrid OR facilitates that coop- eration among different disciplines,” Lynch said. “And with everything our clinical teams need available in one room, procedures are gener- ally quicker – that’s good for patients and bet- ter for outcomes, especially for more complicated cases.” The hybrid OR allows for both open surgical and minimally invasive endovascular procedures, and the advanced imaging equipment allows physi- cians to perform necessary scans and treatment without transferring the patient to another room or department. The new OR also enhances patient safety, said Dr. Aaron Dumont, a Tulane Health system neu- rosurgeon who performed the first case with the new technology. “If we are unable to complete the endovascular procedure due to anatomy, for example, we have everything we need to quickly convert it to a surgical case and take care of the patient right there,” he said. Tulane’s hybrid OR has been specifically out- fitted to accommodate high-level neurological procedures, including aneurysm interventions, skull base tumor surgeries, and stroke treatments. The hospital also recently opened its new epilepsy monitoring unit designed to evaluate, diagnose, and treat seizures in adult patients. “We are thrilled to offer these new services to our community,” Dumont said, noting that the opening of the hybrid OR was delayed during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. “We have pro- cesses in place to keep patients and staff safe for scheduled procedures. Please don’t delay needed healthcare.” Children’s Hospital NewOrleans Opens Surgery Center Children’s Hospital New Orleans celebrated the opening of its all new, expanded Surgery Cen- ter, serving patients from across Louisiana and the Gulf South in a child-friendly environment that integrates each phase of the surgical experience. “The new Surgery Center at Children’s Hospi- tal is an extraordinary space that now matches the level of care provided by our expert team of pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, nursing, and other perioperative services teammembers,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and chief exec- utive officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “What we have built for the children of Louisiana is transformational.” The 57,000 square foot Sur- gery Center includes a spacious lobby and waiting area for families on the second floor of the new Medical Tower, leading to a 23-bed Same Day Sur- gery Unit with all-private patient rooms, which will expand to 42 patient rooms at the completion of phase two of the expansion next spring. Two pri- vate consultation rooms bridge the unit and OR to allow for quick consults between physicians and parents. A spacious 17-bay Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is located directly next to the Same Day Surgery Unit with easy access for families immediately before and after the child’s surgery. The PACU will gain an additional seven bays in phase two of the project. “The design of the new Surgery Center allows us to keep the family, care team, and patient close at all times,” said Jamie Wiggins, DNS(C), RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. “Families come across the skybridge and enter right into the surgical reception area. They will now experience check-in, the pre-operative process, surgery, and Niki Marcelle