HJNO Mar/Apr 2021

28 MAR / APR 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs CIS Completes First Procedure in NewAmbulatory Surgery Center Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) com- pleted the first outpatient procedure in its new Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) located at 191 Innovation Court, Suite B in Gray. The peripheral angiogram was performed by interventional car- diologist, Craig Walker, MD. The CIS Ambulatory Surgery Center was built with patients and their families in mind and offers the community innovative outpatient procedures in a convenient and comfortable setting. This same-day surgical care, including diagnostic and treatment procedures, is a lower-cost alternative to a hospital-based stay. The facility includes two catheterization labo- ratories equipped for interventional procedures to treat coronary disease, as well as peripheral artery disease and venous disease in the legs. It also includes a cardiovascular clinic for patient follow-up appointments. “It has been my life’s mission to return home to South Louisiana to establish a world-class car- diovascular program for our area,” said Walker, native of Bourg and founder of Cardiovascular Institute of the South in 1983. “Over decades, our focus has not wavered, and CIS is now recog- nized as a leader in cardiovascular care through- out the world.” Dietitian at Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center Gains Prestigious Certification Mary Bird Perkins TGMC Cancer Center announced that Allison Cazenave, RDN, CSO, LDN, is now a board-certified specialist in oncol- ogy nutrition (CSO) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The certification allows dietitians to gain more specialized knowledge on providing and recommending nutritional services to oncol- ogy patients. The CSO certification requires the dietitian to complete at least 2,000 hours in oncology nutri- tion in less than two years, followed by a certi- fication exam. To maintain the certification, the dietitian must take the certification exam every five years. While Cazenave is one of eight CSOs in the state of Louisiana, she is the only board-certi- fied specialist in oncology nutrition in the Bayou Region. Cazenave elected to pursue the certifica- tion when she began working at Terrebonne Gen- eral Medical Center as an inpatient dietitian, and soon began gaining her hours when she transi- tioned to working for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center TGMC Cancer Center. “Allison’s dedication to providing advanced care and nutritional services to our patients is part of the comprehensive care here at Mary Bird Per- kins TGMC Cancer Center,” said Monica Allen, Cancer Center service line administrator. Clinical dietitians on staff help patients maintain their nutrition in order to maximize their strength while undergoing treatment and after treatment. The Cancer Center’s dietitians have special train- ing in oncology and nutrition, and make recom- mendations to address the side effects of cancer treatment and to provide maximum nutrition for each patient based on their type of cancer. Our Lady of the Lake Physician GroupWelcomes Provider to Slidell Clinic Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group wel- comes Marie Delvalle-Mahoney, MD, to its Slidell clinic where she joins Jembber L. Robinson, MD, PharmD, MBA. From routine visits and preventive care, to disease management and sick visits, Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group provides com- prehensive services. Delvalle-Mahoney special- izes in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of minor to complex illness in adults, the ongoing care of patients with chronic illnesses, and the care of patients at the end of life. She has many years of experience in wound care. Having spent 25 years of caring exclusively for patients in the hos- pital, she is excited to return to her roots in the outpatient clinical setting where she can establish long-term relationships with her patients. Delvalle-Mahoney received a medical degree from Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She completed a dual residency in internal med- icine and pediatrics at Morristown Memorial Hos- pital in Morristown, New Jersey, where she served as chief resident in her last year. She is board- certified in internal medicine and in hospital and palliative care by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She is a member of the American Col- lege of Physicians. Delvalle-Mahoney is fluent in English and Spanish. Delvalle-Mahoney is accepting new patients at Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Slidell is located at 1810 Lindberg Drive, Suite 1100, in Slidell. Tulane Researchers Develop a Rapid COVID-19 Saliva Test Read by Smartphone Device Researchers from Tulane University have devel- oped a 15-minute COVID-19 test that is read by a smartphone to address the need to expand testing capacity in community-based settings. This test uses the same CRISPR-based approach that the researchers have submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorization. Rapid PCR tests typically use nasal swab sam- ples and are performed in laboratory settings by highly trained individuals using sophisticated equipment. The saliva-based COVID-19 test, which doesn’t require lab processing, could rap- idly expand testing capacity in outpatient clin- ics, community testing sites, and other locations. Allison Cazenave, RDN, CSO, LDN Marie Delvalle-Mahoney, MD