HJNO Nov/Dec 2021

60 NOV / DEC 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds Neupert is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is also a member of the American Academy of Neurol- ogy and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. Neupert specializes in the diagnosis and treat- ment of a variety of neurological conditions such as stroke, epilepsy/seizures, headache disorders, neuropathy, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Ochsner Medical Center Offers Robotic-Assisted Option for Lung Biopsy Ochsner Medical Center (Ochsner) is now offer- ing patients a new, minimally invasive option for lung biopsy using the Ion endoluminal system— a robotic-assisted tool for bronchoscopic biopsy of the lung. Ion is designed to address a challenging aspect of lung biopsy by enabling physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung. The Ion system features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuver- able catheter that navigates far into the peripheral lung, and, compared to manual techniques, phy- sicians have unprecedented stability and optimal precision necessary for biopsy. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States. More people die of lung cancer than breast can- cer, prostate cancer and colon cancer combined. In 2021, an estimated 235,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed. For those most at risk, annual lung cancer screenings improve a patient’s lung cancer survival rate. If a nodule is found when it is small and has not yet spread, it is more likely to be successfully treated. “Robotic bronchoscopy using the Ion system is a significant advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with lung cancer, as it reduces the complication rate from the traditional diagnostic method from 20-25 percent to only one to three percent,” said Brian Pettiford, MD, MBA, FACS, thoracic surgeon, Ochsner Medical Cen- ter. “The Ochsner Cancer Institute, in collabora- tion with our surgical and pulmonology teams, work together to offer state-of-the-art lung can- cer care to patients right here at home in Louisi- ana and across the Gulf South, proving each day that local patients do not have to travel for high quality cancer care.” LCMCHealth Provides $7M in Emergency Relief Funds to Employees Leaders from LCMC Health are creating an employee assistance fund for those who were impacted by Hurricane Ida. Dubbed “Operation HOME” (Helping Our Medical Employees), the assistance will come via two separate components. In the initial phase, employees at the manager-level position and below with losses of $1,500 or greater are eligible for $500 (full-time) and $250 (part-time employees) of immediate financial assistance for help in recov- ery and rebuilding from the storm. “Our employees are the heart of our organi- zation, as they cared for our patients, commu- nity, and each other through the storm,” said LCMC Health CEO Greg Feirn. “LCMC Health responded quickly, providing essentials like water, gasoline, housing, and now financial assistance to help our amazing, one-of-a-kind people respond, recover, and rebuild from the impacts of Hurri- cane Ida.” To date, more than 3,375 of LCMC Health’s 12,000 employees have received assistance with a value currently reaching $2 million. The system anticipates providing approximately $4.3 million in this initial phase. One such teammember who immediately ben- efited from Operation HOME is “Ms. Lynette” Hamilton, a long-time and much-beloved mail- room employee at Touro. Hurricane Ida caused severe damage to her home, preventing her from returning to the city without a place to stay. LCMC Health provided her with temporary housing in a local hotel and other forms of relief. “My experience from the moment I called human resources was so wonderful and accom- modating,” said Hamilton. “I was so relieved and could not have asked for better support from my hospital and LCMC Health.” LCMC Health is also developing a $2.5 million fund to provide additional financial support for employees who sustained catastrophic losses from the storm and will invite businesses and individuals to support the effort. Administration of this fund, which has an application process, will be managed by the Greater New Orleans Founda- tion (GNOF). This fund will provide teammembers up to $5,000 for help in recovery and rebuilding from the storm due to devastating damage. “The Greater New Orleans Foundation is proud to support LCMC Health’s efforts to come to the aid of their employees who have suffered cata- strophic losses from Hurricane Ida,” said Andy Kopplin, president and CEO of the GNOF. “These are true healthcare heroes who have cared for our community and region, especially during the pandemic. To play a small role in their recovery is humbling.” LCMC Health offered additional support pro- grams for its employees including: • Providing gasoline. LCMC Health provided a way for team members to fill up their gas tank at a discounted rate on site at some of the hospitals. LCMC also worked with the Retif Oil Chevron station to provide gasoline exclusively to healthcare workers in the area. • Housing at local hotels. LCMC Health partnered with hotels across New Orleans — the Hotel Saint Vincent, the Windsor Court and Sheraton New Orleans — to provide essential housing for team members with the most significant needs. LCMC Health staff worked to get the hotels up and running on generator power so that employees would have an immediate solution for housing close to work. To date, some 300 hotel rooms have been secured for LCMC team members. • Recovery essentials donation. LCMC Health secured donations of generators, gas cans, box fans, extension cords and air conditioning units from Send Relief and Home Depot for team members in need. LCMC Health also provided ice to its employees after the storm. LakeviewRegional Receives GetWith the Guidelines Quality Awards Lakeview Regional Medical Center, a campus of Tulane Medical Center, has been recognized by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association with its achievement awards. The hospital received the Get With The Guide- lines–Stroke GOLD PLUS with Honor Roll and Tar- get: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. The awards rec- ognize a hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke