HJNO May/Jun 2022

62 MAY / JUN 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds STQNAnnounces 2022 First Quarter Medical Director’s Award St. Tammany Quality Network presented its 2022 first-quarter Medical Director’s Award to John d’Hemecourt, MD, Chris Connell, and Brian Gris- som for initiating the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program at St. Tammany Health System. “This group has been instrumental in helping develop our ERAS program for colorectal sur- gery at STHS,” said Michael K. Hill, MD, STHS vice president for quality and utilization management. “Under their leadership, the multidisciplinary team at STHS has developed a certified level ERAS pro- gram that focuses on improved patient safety and clinical outcomes. This program will next expand across many of our surgical procedures.” The STHS ERAS program is an evidence-based care improvement process for surgical patients. Preoperative and postoperative nutrition, early patient mobilization, and pain control with mini- mal use of opioids are some of the standard prac- tices in ERAS. Enactment of ERAS protocols have resulted in shorter length of hospital stay, reduced hospital readmissions, and reduced recovery time. Head of the anesthesia group at STHS, d’Hemecourt is a board-certified general anes- thesiologist. He is a graduate of St. Paul’s High School in Covington, LSU, and the LSU School of Medicine. He is past chief-of staff at STHS. Chris Connell is the director of surgery and anes- thesia at STHS. Brian Grissom is the lead CRNA at STHS and spearheaded the ERAS program. Terrebonne General Health SystemBoard of Commissioners Welcomes Rev. R. Don Ross Terrebonne General Health System welcomes Rev. R. Don Ross to the Terrebonne General Board of Commissioners. Ross was born in Tal- lulah, La., and grew up in Monroe. He studied at Northeast Louisiana University (now UL-M), where he was active on the Union Program Council and the Wesley Foundation. He graduated from USL (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and Denver’s Iliff School of Theology. He served as a pastor for 50 years in North, Central, and South Louisiana. Ross retired in 2019, but has remained an active presence in the community, volunteering in both church and community. Children’s Hospital NOAchieves NursingMagnet Recognition Children’s Hospital New Orleans is celebrating achievement of the national Magnet Recognition Program certification. The American Nurses Cre- dentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes organizations that meet rig- orous standards for nursing excellence. In addition to achieving Magnet designation, Children’s Hospital received five exemplars in the Magnet Model competency of exemplary profes- sional practice. “Magnet recognition provides our commu- nity with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of patient care,” said Lindsey Casey, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president and chief nurs- ing officer for Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “Achieving Magnet recognition reinforces the cul- ture of excellence that is a cornerstone of how we serve our community, and represents our nurses’ commitment to providing the very best care to the children of Louisiana and the Gulf South.” “Magnet organizations represent those who truly value nursing,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “It is not just an award or a badge of honor, but is a reflection of our continuous com- mitment to excellence in pediatric healthcare, with nurses at the forefront. To patients, Magnet des- ignation means the very best care, delivered by nurses who are supported to be the very best that they can be.” Ochsner Health Network Achieves Tier 5 Status in Quality Blue Program Ochsner Health Network (OHN) has achieved Tier 5 status in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Lou- isiana’s (Blue Cross) Quality Blue program for fall 2021. The insurer’s population health and quality improvement program is designed to optimize care delivery for patients who live with chronic conditions. OHN achieved the top-tier ranking based on its performance relative to chronic dis- ease care goals. “Louisiana is one of the least healthy states, especially when it comes to chronic diseases. Through Quality Blue and OHN’s model of coordinated care, we are improving outcomes and reducing the likelihood of strokes, heart attacks, and other major life-threatening events,” said Beau Raymond, MD, FACP, medical direc- tor, OHN. “Earning the top Tier 5 rank reflects OHN’s strong collaboration, aptitude with digi- tal medicine, and ability to scale best practices. The result is evidence-based clinical and quality improvement.” In Quality Blue, Blue Cross works closely with OHN and others to improve health outcomes and hold the line on costs. The program is designed to transform the Blue Cross primary care network from an episode-driven, physician-based care delivery model to a team-based care delivery model. It improves the identification and man- agement of chronic diseases that are prevalent and burdensome, while providing practices with the data and resources that enable proactive, efficient, high-quality care. Patients benefit from improved care coordination because their doctors have actionable data right at their fingertips to make the most of office visits and promote excep- tional health outcomes. Thibodaux Regional Health SystemRecognized for Outstanding Patient Experience, According to Healthgrades Thibodaux Regional Health System has achieved the Healthgrades 2021 Outstanding Patient Expe- rience Award™. This distinction places Thibodaux Regional among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for patient experience, according to Healthgrades, the leading marketplace that Rev. R. Don Ross