HJNO Sep/Oct 2020

62 SEP / OCT 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds allows surgeons to create each patient’s surgical plan pre-operatively before entering the operat- ing room. During surgery, the surgeon can vali- date that plan and make any necessary adjust- ments while guiding the robotic arm to execute that plan. The Mako Total Knee application is a knee replacement treatment option designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis. Through CT-based 3D modeling of bone anatomy, surgeons can use the Mako Sys- tem to create a personalized surgical plan and identify the implant size, orientation and align- ment based on each patient’s unique anatomy. The Mako System also enables surgeons to vir- tually modify the surgical plan intraoperatively and assists the surgeon in executing bone resections. Kirsten Riney, MHA, MSN, BSN, Promoted to Chief Nursing Officer of North Oaks Health System “With nearly 30 years of results-oriented nurs- ing leadership experience and advanced edu- cation under her belt, Kirsten has the expertise, knowledge and tenacity to help guide the health system’s mission of improving lives and vision to become the region’s most trusted healthcare partner for exceptional quality, safety, and experi- ence,” said North Oaks Health System President/ Chief Executive Officer Michele Sutton, FACHE. “We are fortunate to have someone of Kirsten’s caliber and tenure join the executive leadership team.” A 26-year veteran employee of North Oaks Health System, Riney’s career has come full cir- cle. As a new graduate in 1990, she first joined the North Oaks team as a labor and delivery staff registered nurse. After three years in this role, she departed North Oaks for her first foray into mid- dle management at nearby Northshore hospitals. Six years later in 1998, she returned to North Oaks as coordinator of women and children’s ser- vices rising to the position of director in 2009. She became assistant vice president of patient ser- vices in 2012 and vice president of patient ser- vices in 2015. Through her ongoing work with the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative, North Oaks Med- ical Center eliminated elective deliveries before 39 weeks in 2011 to help improve infant mortality rates in the state. The hospital has maintained zero elective deliv- eries in the nine years since, earning national acclaim from the Institute for Healthcare Improve- ment and other hospitals for pioneering the practice. Also under Riney’s tutelage, North Oaks inno- vated a nurse residency program and reinstated nurse technicians as a job class to achieve a 93% retention rate among new graduate nurses. To promote ongoing professional development and career advancement for the health system’s nurses, she was likewise instrumental in the imple- mentation of a charge nurse training academy and clinical ladder program. Riney earned master’s degrees in both nursing and healthcare administration from the Univer- sity of Phoenix in Arizona. She graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bache- lor’s degree in nursing. “It is with great enthusiasm that I accept this promotion,” Riney said. “I look forward to con- tinuing to advocate for our patients, staff, and the future of North Oaks Health System as chief nurs- ing officer.” Thibodaux Regional Welcomes Dr. RickyMiller, Interventional Radiologist Thibodaux Regional Health System announced the addition of Dr. Ricky Miller, interventional radi- ologist, to the active medical staff. A native of Houma, Miller graduated from Nicholls State University and received a medi- cal degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He completed a general surgery internship at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in Knox- ville, Tenn. Miller performed a diagnostic and interventional radiology residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. As an interventional radiologist, Miller performs minimally invasive image guided procedures to both diagnose and treat numerous disease pro- cesses in nearly every organ system. These tech- niques reduce complications, decrease pain, and shorten recovery time as well as hospital stay. By employing the least invasive techniques currently available, interventional radiology can minimize patient risk and improve health outcomes.  Mitchell Promoted to North OaksWomen and Children’s Services Director Tamara Mitchell, MHA, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC, CCRN-K, was promoted to director of women and children’s services for North Oaks Medical Center. For the past two years, Mitchell has served as the hospital’s clinical nurse manager for children’s services. She brings nearly 10 years of leadership experience to her new position. Before joining the North Oaks team, she served as the transport manager/nurse educator for the neonatal intensive care units of University Health and Louisiana State University (LSU) Health in Shreveport for a combined total of five years. Before entering management, she worked for 18 years in direct patient care as a neonatal intensive care unit staff registered nurse with LSU Health. Mitchell earned a master’s degree in health administration through Louisiana State Univer- sity in Shreveport. She completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Northwestern State University Ricky Miller, MD Kirsten Riney, MHA, MSN, BSN