HJNO Jan/Feb 2021

64 JAN / FEB 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds maintain proper masking in accordance with CDC recommendations, while removing a potential communication barrier,” said Lacey Ellis, PhD, program director, Ochsner Hospital for Children’s Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development. Concepted and designed by the Ochsner iO team in collaboration with a local New Orleans designer in Spring of 2020, the windowed masks were first field tested by speech pathologists in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) at Ochsner Baptist to help Ochsner’s tiniest patients begin to recognize facial features, a critical developmen- tal milestone. Following a successful trial period with the speech pathologists in the NICU, who still use the windowed masks today, the Ochsner team explored other avenues to leverage this new type of mask – both in healthcare and non-healthcare settings like schools. William Lennarz, MD, system chair of pediat- rics, Ochsner Hospital for Children, said, “Just like healthcare workers seek to foster a connec- tion with their patients, teachers rely on their facial expressions and lips when teaching critical skills such as phonics and foreign language or engag- ing with children with speech and language devel- opment challenges. With this donation, we hope to provide support for the impactful work teachers perform each and every day, ultimately contrib- uting to a classroom environment in which every student, faculty and staff member can thrive and learn together.” Children’s Hospital New Orleans Invests in School- Based Health with ThriveKids StudentWellness Project Children’s Hospital New Orleans is allocating $5 million in direct funding and setting aside another $2.5 million to match community donations for a total commitment of $10 million to launch Thrive- Kids, The Student Wellness Project. ThriveKids, The Student Wellness Project by Children’s Hospital New Orleans, is a compre- hensive school wellness initiative that is focused on one thing – advancing the mental and physi- cal health of all kids. “In addition to funding our new Office of Edu- cational Initiatives with professionally trained staff, technology and infrastructure to support school- based health, Children’s Hospital is inviting the community to join us in supporting this vital work,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans. ThriveKids, The Student Wellness Project, provides school-based virtual care, mental and behavioral health services, sports medicine, chronic condition management, COVID-19 sup- port, school nurse support, a dedicated nurse hot- line for school wellness, and best practice refer- ence materials for schools throughout Louisiana. Thibodaux Regional Health SystemWelcomes Lauren Sharett, MD Thibodaux Regional Health System announced the addition of Lauren Sharett, MD, Neurologist, to the active medical staff. Sharett is available to care for patients at Thibodaux Regional Neurol- ogy Clinic located 726 North Acadia Road, Suite 2300, in Thibodaux. Sharett earned an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a medical degree from Tulane School of Medicine in New Orleans. She completed a neurology residency at Tulane Med- ical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz. Sharett specializes in the diagnosis and treat- ment of a variety of neurological conditions including migraine and other headache disorders, stroke, seizure, Multiple Sclerosis, and cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s dementia. She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology, American Headache Society, American Epilepsy Society, and the International Society of Neuroimmunology. Tulane Health SystemNames AshleyMcGaha CFO Tulane Health System has named Ashley McGaha its new chief financial officer (CFO). McGaha has served as the interim CFO for Tulane Health System since November of 2019 and recently accepted the official position. McGaha has served Tulane Health System in several finance roles since 1996. Before becom- ing the interim CFO, McGaha served as Tulane’s associate chief financial officer and vice president of finance. McGaha holds a degree in account- ing from the University of New Orleans. She also completed the HCA Healthcare Executive Devel- opment Program in 2017. Ochsner Health, Clearview Announce Super Clinic Micro- Hospital at ClearviewCity Center Ochsner Health and Clearview leaders announced the development of a “super clinic” and micro-hospital at Clearview City Center. Known as a “super clinic” because of the breadth of healthcare services offered under one roof, the facility will feature primary and specialty care clin- ics, outpatient surgery, physical therapy, a drive- thru pharmacy, endoscopy suites, Medi-Spa, and more. The 185,000 sq. foot facility, located in the space formerly occupied by the Sears building, will also feature a 10-bed micro-hospital to accom- modate overnight stays and be equipped with technology for telemedicine. Expected to open in late 2022, the clinic will create approximately 300 new healthcare jobs, as well as construction jobs, as the center is being built. n Ashley McGaha Lauren Sharett, MD