HJNO Jul/Aug 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JUL / AUG 2022 33 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com Center uses a multidisciplinary approach in treat- ing cancer by involving consultation among sur- geons, medical and radiation oncologists, diag- nostic radiologists, pathologists, and other cancer specialists. This multidisciplinary partnership results in improved patient care. “Our team is honored to receive this recogni- tion from CoC,” said Mike Miranda, administra- tor, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Coving- ton. “This accreditation serves as validation for all of the hard work each and every team member puts in to continue providing exemplary care to our patients. Receiving this designation further fuels our passion to provide the best care pos- sible so more people can triumph over cancer.” The CoC Accreditation Program provides the framework for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington to enhance the quality of patient care through various cancer-related programs that focus on the full spectrum of cancer care including radiation and medical oncology, pre- vention, early diagnosis, cancer staging, opti- mal treatment, rehabilitation, life-long follow- up recurrent disease, and end-of-life care. When patients receive care at a CoC facility, they also have access to information on clinical trials and new treatments, genetic counseling, and patient- centered services including psycho-social support and a patient navigation process. LCMCHealth Celebrates Called- to-Care Scholars Program LCMC Health is celebrating National Nurses Week around its Called-to-Care Scholars Program in collaboration with Chamberlain University. Last year, LCMC Health and Chamberlain Uni- versity joined forces to help address the nurs- ing shortage and nurse burnout due to the pan- demic. As a result, LCMC Health established the Called-to-Care Scholars Program, an initiative addressing the demand for more nurses and the need for expanding access to high-quality edu- cation by creating a pipeline of nurses commit- ted to serving the community. “Collaboration is key in healthcare and LCMC Health is proud of our alliance with Chamberlain University,” said Greg Feirn, CEO, LCMC Health. “Nurses are the heart and soul of our hospitals, and we are excited to do our part by investing in the future of healthcare.” LCMC Health’s Called-to-Care Scholars Pro- gram offers up to three years of full tuition cov- erage to eligible new students for Chamberlain’s three-year Bachelor of Science in nursing degree program at the new course location. Additionally, these scholars will commit to an up to three-year employment pledge to LCMC Health upon grad- uating and passing the NCLEX-RN and provide care for underserved communities in the New Orleans metropolitan area. In its first year, 120 students have been accepted into the Scholars program. Applications are now open on for the next cohort that starts in September 2022. To learn more about the LCMC Health Called- to-Care Scholars Program or to apply, visit www. lcmchealth.org/chamberlain/. CDC and FDA Expand Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots to Ages 5-11 Following the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis- tration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expanding eligibility of the COVID-19 booster doses to children ages 5 and older. CDC now recommends children ages 5 to 11 should receive a booster shot five months after their ini- tial Pfizer-BioNTech series. Additionally, the CDC is strengthening its rec- ommendation for a second booster at least four months after the first booster for everyone ages 50 and older and ages 12 and older who are immunocompromised. Since the pandemic began, more than 4.8 mil- lion children ages 5-11 have been diagnosed with COVID and more than 180 have died nationwide. In Louisiana, 180,141 children ages 5 to 11 have been diagnosed with COVID and 21 children under 18 have died. As of May 19, total COVID cases in Louisiana have increased nearly 568% over the past month. “We welcome these clear, evidence-based rec- ommendations from the CDC: everyone five and up should be vaccinated and boosted. Every- one 50 and up and everyone 12 and up with immunosuppressive conditions should go fur- ther and receive a second booster. This is all the more important as we unfortunately see COVID- 19 cases rising again throughout Louisiana. As families prepare for summer activities and the upcoming school year, now is the time to make sure your child is up to date on their vaccina- tions,” said State Health Officer Joseph Kanter, MD. Ochsner Transitional Care Clinic Focuses on Heart Failure Some 1.1 million Americans are hospitalized each year with congestive heart failure (CHF), and the average hospitalized patient faces a one-year mortality of 30% and a readmission rate of 50% at six months. With this disease as its top readmis- sion diagnosis, Ochsner Health created a Tran- sitional Care Clinic in October to reduce read- missions and, ultimately, improve the quality of life and survival of these patients. Since then, the clinic has reduced CHF readmission rates by 3%, caring for more than 300 patients post hospital discharge. “CHF is prevalent across the Gulf South, where risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, are high. To address the needs of our population, Ochsner created this clinic to focus exclusively on CHF patients and closely guide them to healthier outcomes,” said Sapna Desai, MD, an advanced heart failure and cardiac trans- plantation specialist who heads up the Transi- tional Care Clinic. “In just six months, we’ve seen a significant reduction in readmissions, showing this approach is working.” Focusing on patients with a diagnosis of acute decompensated heart failure due to reduced left ventricular systolic function (CHFrEF), Ochsner’s Transitional Care Clinic is ensuring the institution of guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) and referring appropriate patients for place- ment of an automatic implantable defibrillators, for cardiac resynchronization therapy, and to the Heart Failure Transplant Service. It is also educat- ing patients and caregivers on CHF and its treat- ment, including GDMT, dietary restrictions, and targeted activity levels. “We’re giving our patients special attention, sit- ting down with them regularly to discuss, in detail, the causes of their heart failure, their individu- alized treatment plans, and the steps they can take to get healthier,” said Desai. “Treatment for acute diagnoses can be quite complex, and so, this level of care is helping patients stay on track and out of the hospital.”