HJNO Sep/Oct 2021

58 SEP / OCT 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds Children’s Hospital NewOrleans, RonaldMcDonald House Charities of South Louisiana Celebrate Groundbreaking Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (RMHC-SLA) celebrated the groundbreaking of a jointly funded, 17,000-plus-square-foot build- ing project that will bring a new, expanded Ron- ald McDonald House to the Children’s Hospital campus. The $6 million project expands the current New Orleans Ronald McDonald House program, bring- ing much-needed housing to families from across the state and region whose children receive vital medical services in New Orleans. Ronald McDon- ald House Charities provides a home-away-from- home for families of seriously ill children and pro- vides programs that give comfort, compassion and family-centered care to children and their families. “Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana keeps families close to each other and the medical care their child needs, by providing free accommodations for the family,” said Cheryl Egan, president of RMHC-SLA’s board of direc- tors. “For a sick child, having family nearby is criti- cal to the healing process. We are thrilled that the joint effort with Children’s Hospital will allow us to provide on-campus housing while increasing our impact for families traveling to our area for pedi- atric medical care.” Upon completion of renovations to the new housing facilities, RMHC-SLA will relocate its cur- rent 15-bedroom home located at 4403 Canal St. to the new space, which increases the available accommodations for families by 33% with an addi- tional seven family rooms. In addition to the expansion of family rooms, the new Ronald McDonald House will feature new common spaces, including a spacious kitchen and dining room that will allow for volunteer and other community groups who give of their time in preparing meals and other activities. The living room, playroom and spacious backyard are spe- cially designed to allow for community and fellow- ship among families. The building project will also include a welcoming lobby, large meeting room, library and office space for staff. Part of the renovation of the future home of Ronald McDonald House New Orleans is a piece of a multiyear campus expansion effort at Children’s Hospital that reflects a $300 million investment. “At Children’s Hospital, we’re building an envi- ronment of health centered on delivering expert care for kids with an extraordinary patient and family experience,” said John R. Nickens IV, presi- dent and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “The Ronald McDonald House project will expand access to housing for those in need, while pro- viding peace of mind and respite for families on our park-like campus that is specially designed for children and families. Our goal is to help alle- viate some of the stress and to be a resource for families.” Construction for the Ronald McDonald House project will begin this summer and is expected to open in late 2022. St. Tammany Health SystemChest Pain Center Lauded Nationally St. Tammany Health System has been awarded the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2021. It is one of only 132 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. The award recognizes St. Tammany Health Sys- tem’s implementation of a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that STHS has reached an aggressive goal of treat- ing these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. To receive the Silver Performance Achievement Award, St. Tammany Health System has demon- strated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain – MI Registry for four consecutive quarters dur- ing 2020 and performed with distinction in spe- cific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improve- ments in adherence to guideline recommenda- tions and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients. “As a Silver Performance Award recipient, St. Tammany Health System has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee and cardiolo- gist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medi- cal Center. “By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, St. Tammany Health Sys- tem has demonstrated a commitment to provid- ing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guide- line recommendations.” Ochsner Health, St. Tammany Health SystemCelebrate Cancer Center Grand Opening Ochsner Health and St. Tammany Health System celebrated the grand opening of the new can- cer center following the completion of the $50 million facility. At 75,000 square feet, it is double in size of the previous cancer center serving the Northshore. The occasion was commemorated with remarks by leadership from local officials, Ochsner Health (Ochsner) and St. Tammany Health System (STHS), and facility tours were offered to those in attendance. The center is located on the campus of Och- sner Health Center - Covington and near St. Tam- many Parish Hospital. Thousands of patients will be cared for annually by a multidisciplinary team of specialists and sub-specialists to meet the chal- lenges presented by more than 20 different types of cancer. Key features include: • Seventy-five thousand square feet over three floors. • Thirty physicians and more than 80 other healthcare professionals dedicated to can- cer care. • Integrative Oncology Services and com- prehensive symptom management, which includes physical therapy, yoga, acupunc- ture, rehabilitation area, survivorship services and meditation space. • Forty-seven private and semi-private infu- sion bays overlooking a tranquil pine forest surrounding Flowers Bayou. • Clinic space with a multidisciplinary design where patients benefit from a collabora- tive approach to cancer care by a team of medical, radiation and surgical oncologists,