HJNO Nov/Dec 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2021 35 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com technology, we can further build a more trust- ing healthcare experience for patients,” said Paul van Deventer MD, AVALA Ortho. “We are excited to be the first orthopedic group to join the network.” CIS Names NewChief Operating Officer Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) has named Ryan Hebert as chief operating officer, fol- lowing the retirement of Joey Fontenot who has served in this role since 2001. Hebert has been with CIS since 2014, previ- ously serving as the executive vice president of Cardiovascular Services. He was responsible for the overall management, supervision and qual- ity of catheterization labs as well as the new CIS Ambulatory Surgery Center and office-based lab in Gray, Louisiana. He served as the cath lab direc- tor and practice administrator at the CIS Luling practice. Hebert completed a master’s degree in health- care administration from Louisiana State Uni- versity in Shreveport. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Uni- versity of Phoenix and is certified as a radiologic technologist. LAHealthcare Connections Grants Help with Care Accessibility Louisiana Healthcare Connections has granted 10 providers across the state with funding for making their facilities more accessible to patients with disabilities. In collaboration with the National Council on Independent Living’s (NCIL) Provider Accessibility Initiative and through their Barrier Removal Fund, Louisiana Healthcare Connections will increase the number of practitioner locations that meet federal and state disability access standards. Selected by a rigorous application process, recip- ients receive funding for projects that are dedi- cated to making access to their facilities easier. Eligible projects include the purchase of adap- tive equipment, including accessible examina- tion tables and chairs, the production of accessi- ble formats of printed materials, and the purchase of equipment that reduces auditory or visual dis- tractions for members with autism or other devel- opmental disabilities. Providers receiving grants through this program include: • St. Gabriel Health Clinic, Inc. - St. Gabriel. • The Pediatric Center - Leesville. • Strawberry Patch Pediatrics & Family Clinic - Amite. • Primary Care Providers for a Healthy Felici- ana, Inc. - Clinton. • Marillac Community Health Centers - New Orleans. • Chaudhry Clinic, LLC - Jena. • David Raines Community Health Centers - Shreveport. • Mitchells Pediatrics - Alexandria. • Family Healthcare of Loranger, LLC - Loranger. • Northlake Physicians Group - Mandeville. Louisiana Department of Health Announces Birth Ready Designations for Louisiana Birthing Facilities The Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC) recognized 16 hospitals that have achieved new designations for committing to practices that improve quality and outcomes for persons giv- ing birth. Eleven birthing facilities have achieved the Lou- isiana Birth Ready Designation and five birthing facilities have achieved the Birth Ready Plus Des- ignation. The respective designations recognize consistent, thoughtful healthcare improvement work that focuses on improving safety, equity, and promoting dignified birth. To achieve designa- tion, facilities met criteria in five dimensions such as implementation of policies and procedures and promoting patient partnership and address- ing health disparities and equity. Hospitals that achieve Birth Ready Plus Desig- nation have met a higher threshold of compliance and achievement of requirements, but all facili- ties that achieve this designation — regardless of level — have done the hard work of improving the consistency and culture of care at their facili- ties. Facilities receiving this honor went through a rigorous application and review process by the LaPQC to receive designation. Applications are reviewed and renewed annually for sustained compliance. “Disparities in birth outcomes experienced by mothers in Louisiana are unfortunately well doc- umented, but through the LaPQC the Louisiana Department of Health is working to change that narrative,” said LDH Secretary Courtney N. Phil- lips, MD. “I’d like to congratulate the birthing facilities that have achieved these new designa- tions, rising to meet the challenge of improving birthing outcomes and ensuring everyone has equitable opportunity to have a safe and digni- fied birth.” “I am so proud of the work birth facilities are doing to reduce maternal morbidity and mortal- ity in Louisiana, as well as address disparities. In partnering with the LaPQC, we have seen a 35% reduction in adverse outcomes from hemorrhage, with a 49% reduction in Black individuals; and a 12% reduction in adverse outcomes from hyper- tension,” said Veronica Gillispie-Bell, MD, medi- cal director of the LaPQC. “While all of our hos- pitals are making efforts to implement changes to improve outcomes, this designation recog- nizes those hospitals who have gone above and beyond to contribute to the improvement we are seeing for our mothers and families in Louisiana.” The work of the LaPQC, an initiative of the Department’s Bureau of Family Health, is dedi- cated to improving perinatal and neonatal out- comes across Louisiana. Birth outcomes in Loui- siana have historically been among the worst in the nation: between 2011 and 2016, about half of all deaths that were associated with a recent birth were preventable. The LaPQC was cre- ated to promote the implementation of evi- dence-based practices to reduce significant fac- tors that contribute to poor birth outcomes. The Ryan Hebert