HJNO Sep/Oct 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2021 61 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com development of a world-class breast disease cen- ter at St. Tammany Health System,” said STQN Medical Director Mike Hill, MD. “She is a part of an integrative team that specializes in breast can- cer as well as other diseases of the breast.” Buonagura’s focus on developing a comprehen- sive breast care program has resulted in shorter diagnosis-to-treatment times while also provid- ing patients with educational resources to make the most informed decision about their person- alized care. Buonagura previously was on the STHS medi- cal staff for nine years before moving to Arkansas. She rejoined the STHS medical staff last year. She is board-certified in general surgery and is a fel- low in the American College of Surgery. The STHS Women’s Pavilion has achieved hon- ors which, include designation as an American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging Cen- ter of Excellence, making it the only facility on the Northshore to have earned that designation. It is also recognized by the American College of Sur- geons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), one of only five such sites in Louisiana. Thibodaux Regional Health SystemProvides Aid for India COVIDCrisis Thibodaux Regional Health System collaborated with Lady of Sea Hospital and Franklin Founda- tion Hospital to provide lifesaving equipment and supplies to aid hospitals in India amid the coun- try’s COVID crisis. The hospitals worked in coordination with Raja Talluri, MD, Thibodaux Regional; C.M. Ramesh, member of parliament for the Republic of India; and Jay Talluri, president of Telugu Association of North America (TANA), one of the oldest and larg- est Indo-American organizations in North Amer- ica. Ramesh and J. Talluri facilitated the shipment of the items to India, which include ventilators, personal protective equipment and other needed supplies. “We are happy that we can collaborate to provide assistance to the doctors and health- care workers in India as they continue to bat- tle the COVID crisis,” said Greg Stock, CEO of Thibodaux Regional Health System. “Working together is paramount in the fight to help those who are suffering and for the healthcare person- nel who are working tirelessly to deliver the criti- cal care that is needed.” Thibodaux Regional Cancer Center Radiation Oncology Earns ACRAccreditation Thibodaux Regional Health System announced that its cancer center has been awarded a three- year term of accreditation by the American Col- lege of Radiology (ACR) in radiation oncology. Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the care- ful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. Accred- itation is awarded only to facilities meeting spe- cific practice guidelines and technical standards developed by ACR after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medi- cal physicists who are experts in the field. Thibodaux Regional’s Cancer Center Radiation Oncology was rigorously evaluated based upon patient care and treatment, patient safety, person- nel qualifications, equipment requirements and quality assurance and control procedures. Cancer Center Names Amy Boudreaux, RN, ProgramDirector Terrebonne General Health System, along with their partner Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, has named Amy Boudreaux, RN, the Cancer Center program director. Boudreaux is a Houma native and is a graduate of the Loyola College of Nurs- ing with 28 years of professional nursing health- care experience. She has served as the manager of medical oncology at the Cancer Center since December 2018. “With the combination of Boudreaux’s passion for oncology and her leadership experience, we are confident we will continue to provide the very best treatment options unique to each patient,” said Monica Allen, Cancer Center service line administrator. In September, the Cancer Center will begin an expansion, which includes adding a spacious infu- sion suite, a fitness and wellness area, and a group activities space for meditation and other alterna- tive therapies. Louisiana Department of Health Taps Ochsner Health to Join the State’s Effort to Sequence COVID-19 Variants As COVID-19 variants continue to spread glob- ally, there is a strong need for continued pub- lic health surveillance of COVID-19, including sequencing variant strains. Here in Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has engaged a team from Ochsner Health led by research scientist Amy Feehan, PhD, to analyze the sequencing of variants circulating in Louisiana. The $1.5 million contract from LDH will enable Feehan and her team at Ochsner Health to con- tinually sequence for the next two years in part- nership with Judy Crabtree, PhD, and Lucio Miele, MD, PhD, of LSU Health New Orleans. The proj- ect will provide valuable insight into the SARS- CoV-2 variants circulating in Louisiana, as well as any emerging variants. The LDH’s epidemiology teams will leverage the data collected to mon- itor mutations in the virus across the state. The first batch of sequences revealed a case of the Delta Plus (AY.2) variant present in New Orleans in early June. Sequencing surveillance delivers critically impor- tant data, both for local and state leadership, to identify and understand which variants are circu- lating, where the variants are geographically and whether post-vaccine infections are the result of exposure to a variant strain of SARS-CoV-2. Individuals who have been vaccinated and test positive for COVID-19 may be contacted by the research team to gauge interest in participating in variant testing. “Near real-time data is crucial to identify and mitigate spread of new variants, and local pub- lic health officials have expressed relief that this Amy Boudreaux, RN