HJNO Mar/Apr 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2021 29 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com The assay developed by researchers at Tulane detects SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA in saliva to diag- nose COVID-19 and is more sensitive than PCR- based tests, the current gold standard for COVID- 19 diagnosis. “This test addresses the critical needs for a rapid, ultrasensitive COVID-19 diagnosis along with effective large-scale screening efforts,” said Tony Hu, PhD, corresponding author of the study and Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Biotech- nology Innovation at Tulane University School of Medicine. “Our development can quickly identify patients who have the virus, which is required to help address the ongoing threat to public health worldwide.” This assay platform developed by Hu and his associates can detect very small amounts of SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA in saliva by leveraging CRISPR, the revolutionary gene editing technol- ogy, to amplify assay signal. The Tulane technol- ogy doesn’t require an RNA isolation step used in PCR tests. Saliva is mixed with an assay solu- tion on an assay chip and heated to amplify a small region of viral RNA. A modified CRISPR complex that contains a “guide” RNA specific for this virus RNA region rapidly binds and cuts both this amplified RNA region and a tagged DNA probe to produce a fluorescent signal that is read by the smartphone device. This assay is faster, more sensitive, and more user-friendly than standard PCR tests, while requiring fewer steps and less equipment, and is read by a prototype smartphone-based fluo- rescent microscope device designed for point- of-care use. “The sensitivity and simplicity of this test, its straightforward sample collection procedure, and the inexpensive nature of the readout device should permit the rapid translation of this approach to COVID-19 testing efforts once we obtain FDA approval,” Hu said. LSUHealth NewOrleans School of Nursing Ranked # 9 in U.S. LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing has been ranked the number nine nursing school in the country and the nation’s number four pub- lic nursing school by Nursing Schools Almanac. It just released its 2020 Rankings of the Best U.S. Nursing Schools. Nursing Schools Almanac arrived at the rank- ings after conducting a detailed assessment of more than 3,000 nursing schools nationwide. The organization then ranked institutions by their aca- demic prestige, program breadth and depth, and student success on nursing licensure exams. “Our School of Nursing has consistently been ranked in the top ten nursing schools in the United States,” says Larry Hollier, MD, LSU Health New Orleans chancellor. “This is a reflection of our exceptional faculty, educational programs, and clinical training experience.” Nursing Almanac’s description says, “The LSU Health School of Nursing is an NLN Center of Excellence for promoting the pedagogical exper- tise of faculty. Undergraduate students can select from a traditional four-year BSN, an RN-to-BSN degree completion program, and the Career Alternative RN Education (CARE) pathway. The CARE BSN is designed for individuals who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree in a non- nursing field. The university’s prelicensure BSN students have averaged a 97% NCLEX pass rate over the past decade; indeed, the pass rate con- sistently exceeded 95% in every single year. At the graduate level, LSU Health offers two MSN specializations (clinical nurse leader, nurse edu- cator), an impressive 11 distinct DNP concentra- tions, and the unique Doctor of Nursing Science degree program.” “During the challenging time of living through a pandemic, we are pleased that our nursing school has continued to maintain our commitment to educating our nursing students to enter the workforce,” says Demetrius Porche, DNS, PhD, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN, LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing dean and professor. “This rank- ing is the result of our excellent faculty, staff, and students, who go above and beyond each day to pursue the vision of ‘to improve global health as an innovative leader of excellence in nursing,’ one action at a time.” Louisiana Department of Health Announces Leadership Changes Jimmy Guidry, MD, state health officer and medical director for the Louisiana Department of Health, retired on Dec. 31. In his more than 30 years with the department, Guidry has also served as the assistant secretary for the Office of Public Health and the Acadiana Region’s medical direc- tor. His 24 years as state health officer is the lon- gest tenure for this role in Louisiana history. “Thank you to Dr. Guidry for his tremendous work on the behalf of all Louisianans. He has worked tirelessly for the people of Louisiana through many catastrophes, among them Hurri- canes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, Laura and Delta, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the great floods of 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Courtney N. Phillips, MD, secretary of the Louisi- ana Department of Health. “As we prepare to close this extraordinary year, I am grateful that Dr. Guidry can retire know- ing that we hold the COVID-19 vaccine — the first step toward ending the pandemic — in our hands. Though we will greatly miss his warmth and wisdom, we truly wish him all the best as he closes this chapter of his life,” Phillips added. Assistant State Health Officer and Region One Medical Director Dr. Joseph Kanter, who also is currently serving as interim secretary for the Office of Public Health, will serve as the next state health officer and LDH medical officer. He will continue assisting as interim OPH assistant secretary as LDH continues recruitment efforts to fill this role permanently. Northlake-Mandeville Rotary Club Launches Vaccine Initiative The Northlake-Mandeville Rotary Club has launched its SURE-SHOT initiative, which encour- ages everyone to receive and update their vaccines. Data was recently published from the World Health Organization (WHO), The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the serious decline in the number of individuals receiving or updating their routine preventable disease vac- cines (i.e., measles, pertussis, flu, tetanus, etc.). The local Rotary Club appointed and charged an ad hoc to start an initiative to inform busi- nesses, schools, and organizations in the Man- deville area on the importance of vaccinations for our community. Eric D. Griggs, MD, of New Orleans said, “If many children and young adults remain unvac- cinated or not fully vaccinated, we’re at a risk for another serious health crisis.”