HJNO May/Jun 2021

62 MAY / JUN 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds Terrebonne General Medical Center Names Kirbie LeCompte, RN, to Leadership Team Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) has named Kirbie LeCompte, RN, to physician prac- tice clinical service line administrator. LeCompte was instrumental in her former role as director of employer and consumer health where she played a pivotal role in building TGMC’s Exec- utive Health, Workplace Readiness, Wellness for Life which included U-Thrive, Well & Wise, and Corporate Wellness programs. LeCompte is also a leader on TGMC Innovation Team which pursues groundbreaking initiatives designed to improve patient care and experience. LeCompte has been with TGMC for five years and continues to drive growth and build relationships in our community by being a part of community-based initiatives like Live Healthy Houma and Market at the Marina. LeCompte will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with the hospital’s employed physician practices, growing the prac- tices, and ensuring quality patient care is at the forefront. In addition, the service line administra- tor is also responsible for building and maintain- ing close relationships with community physician practices, promoting services offered by the orga- nization, and becoming a liaison for community physician. St. Tammany Health SystemRenews Breast Cancer Accreditation The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program administered by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), has once again granted accredited status to St. Tam- many Health System, the only Northshore facil- ity to achieve such recognition and one of only five statewide. To achieve voluntary NAPBC accreditation, a breast center demonstrates compliance with the NAPBC standards that address a center’s lead- ership, clinical services, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement for patients. Breast centers seek- ing NAPBC accreditation undergo a site visit every three years, and this was STHS’s latest experience with this accreditation process. NAPBC accreditation means St. Tammany Health System maintains levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care resulting in high-quality care for patients with breast disease. Patients receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatment options, genetic counseling, and patient-centered services including psycho- social support, rehabilitation services, and survi- vorship care. “Our highly specialized, comprehensive breast health team truly is key to our excellence,” said Sharon Toups, STHS chief operating officer. “From fellowship-trained breast radiologists and breast disease practitioners to nurse navigators and mammographers, these professionals coupled with the very latest technology enable us to meet the exacting standards of NAPBC-accreditation as well as ACR Breast Imaging Center of Excel- lence designation.” Accreditation by the NAPBC is granted only to those programs that are committed to provid- ing the best possible care to patients with breast cancer. The NAPBC provides the structure and resources develop and operate a high-quality breast center and accredited program. Ochsner Health, Xavier University Announce Two Graduate Degree Programs Ochsner Health and Xavier University of Louisi- ana have announced the commitment to develop two new graduate degree programs — genetic counseling and health informatics. Genetic counseling and health informatics programs will be offered to students through classroom instruction at Xavier, and clinical rota- tions at Ochsner Health facilities will be offered to genetic counseling students. Genetic counselors advise individuals and fam- ilies affected by or at risk for genetic disorders and support them in making informed healthcare decisions. Health informatics professionals iden- tify, capture, organize, and interpret health data to develop effective healthcare processes and solutions, subsequently improving the delivery of healthcare services. “The development of these programs reflects Xavier honoring our mission to strive for a more just and humane society through education,” said Anne McCall, PhD, provost, and senior vice presi- dent for academic affairs, Xavier University of Loui- siana. “Instead of focusing simply on treatment in health and medicine, we are prioritizing healthcare and research in preventive medicine. Xavier has been a leader in serving and overcoming health disparities for almost a century and we, as lead- ers in education, science, and health, are proud to work with Ochsner to develop these programs.” “Genetics is a rapidly growing segment in healthcare, especially in oncology and preci- sion medicine. Additionally, with the evolution of technology, there is a critical need for the medical informatics field, which is the intersection of infor- mation science, computer science and health,” said Leo Seoane, MD, chief academic officer, Och- sner Health. “We understand there is a critical shortage of genetic counselors and health infor- matics specialists locally and nationally, especially those who resemble the communities we serve. Through our partnership with Xavier, we are hope- ful that these new programs will allow us to edu- cate and employ a diversified workforce as we continue to address health needs in Louisiana.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statis- tics[1], the need for genetic counselors is pro- jected to increase 21% over the next decade, much faster than the average of other occupa- tions. Recent studies (2) reveal only 2% of genetic counselors currently identify as Black or African American. In addition to offering new critical educational opportunities, Xavier University, in partnership with Ochsner, is focusing on five key strategies to address health inequity in Louisiana, includ- ing preventative medicine and a push toward Kirbie LeCompte, RN