HJNO Jul/Aug 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JUL / AUG 2021 63 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com president, recognized Stock for his leadership and growth of the health system and Stock’s ded- ication to the health and well-being of citizens of the Bayou Region. Thibodaux Regional is the offi- cial sports medicine provider for Nicholls Athlet- ics and a longtime partner and supporter of the university and its programs. “It is a great privilege to receive this award and I am most grateful to Nicholls State University for the recognition,” said Stock. “As a supporter of the university since moving to Thibodaux over 30 years ago, I am honored to now be considered an honorary alumnus of Nicholls State University.” Stock received a Bachelor of Arts and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Brigham Young University in 1980. SMH, Ochsner, Northshore Technical Community College, Tri-ParishWorks Partner on CNA Program Slidell Memorial Hospital (SMH) and Ochsner Health have partnered with Northshore Techni- cal Community College (NTCC) and Tri-Parish Works to offer students a certified nursing assis- tant (CNA) program at no cost to them. The first CNA class of 15 students graduated on April 19. Students will first interview with Tri-Parish Works, the workforce development arm of the Louisiana Workforce Commission that serves St. Tammany, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes. Eligible candidates then meet with SMH representatives to be screened for the CNA program. SMH and Ochsner require candidates to complete back- ground checks, drug screenings, and CPR certi- fication provided by SMH at no charge. Through a federal grant, Tri-Parish Works provides fund- ing for tuition and supportive services to qualified candidates. Students who complete the course will graduate with a CNA certificate. “It’s a win-win-win for Slidell Memorial, Ochsner, the students, and our community,” said SMH and Ochsner Medical Center – Northshore Chief Exec- utive Officer Sandy Badinger. “Each of our part- ners has really understood the needs of our hos- pital in developing a workforce who can meet the healthcare needs in our area. Our goal is to not only set up students in our community for success, but it’s also to help build a resource pool here in Slidell so that we can offer the best, highest-qual- ity care for our patients.” For more information on this customized CNA/ Phlebotomy program, contact Tri-Parish Works at (985) 646-3940. Ochsner Hospital for Children to Enroll Children in Pfizer Phase 2/3 Investigational Vaccine Study Against COVID-19 Ochsner Hospital for Children announced its participation as a Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE study site for the Phase 2/3 global study of the investigational COVID-19 vaccine. Originally introduced in late July 2020 for adult volunteers ages 18-85 and November 2020 for adolescents ages 12-17, the Pfizer Phase 2/3 trial – with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency approval – is now seeking children volunteers ages 5-11, with the goal of enrolling children as young as 6 months old in the near future. The Phase 2/3 trial will enroll a total of more than 4,000 children globally with Ochsner enroll- ing as many 75 participants. Ochsner is one of two locations in Louisiana to offer the study and their research team is currently in the selection process for the 5-11-year-old age group. “Now that the vaccine has proven to be effective in adults, it is a natural next step in the research process to study the unique needs of younger individuals. A child’s immune system is different than an adult’s immune system, so it is critically important to have a study focused on the efficacy of the vaccine in this cohort,” said Julia Garcia- Diaz, MD. The Phase 2/3 trial is designed to obtain safety, immune response and efficacy data needed for regulatory review and is looking to deter- mine whether the vaccine produces an immune response and prevents COVID-19 in children ages 6 months through 11 years old. The study is placebo-controlled, meaning 25% of the partici- pants will be randomly assigned to receive pla- cebo, while others will receive the vaccine. Partici- pants will receive two doses three weeks apart and neither the patients nor the research investigators will know what they have received. The trial will continue for 18 more months, during which both groups will undergo blood draws to track the strength and duration of their immune response and to see if they are infected with COVID-19. For this current enrollment, partic- ipants must be in the age range of 5-11 years-old St. Tammany Health System’s Be Well Bus is a 40-foot mobile unit containing a registration area and two private care rooms to facilitate preventative healthcare in the field, including cancer screenings.