HJNO May/Jun 2022

64 MAY / JUN 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds “We are excited to bring this highly advanced diagnostic technology close to home for our patients,” said STHS Pulmonologist Ricardo Blanco, MD. “It enables us to visualize and pur- sue lesions such as ground glass opacities and other challenging lesions that without this technol- ogy are some of the hardest cancers to diagnose.” Tulane Lakeside Hospital Offers New ‘Scarless’ Hysterectomy Procedure A new minimally invasive option for hysterec- tomy procedures with less postoperative pain, no visible scars, and faster recovery time is now avail- able to patients at Tulane Lakeside Hospital. Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, also known as vNOTES, eliminates the need for the surgeon to make incisions in the patient’s abdomen to perform the surgery. In the vNOTES procedure, the doctor uses specialized instruments inserted through the vagina instead of making incisions in the abdomen. This allows the doctor to access the uterus and/or fallopian tubes and ovaries without any visible scarring. Mary Eschete, MD, is Recipient of Terrebonne General Golden Stethoscope Award Terrebonne General Health System named Mary Eschete, MD, as the recipient of the Golden Stethoscope Award. The Golden Stethoscope Award recognizes a Terrebonne General physician for their excep- tional level of professionalism, integrity, and team- work in caring for patients and families, as well as interacting with hospital staff members and other physicians. Nominations can be made by physi- cians, employees, patients, and volunteers. Two physicians a year are recognized with this award. Eschete has been an active Terrebonne Gen- eral staff member for 41 years and served as chief of staff from 2007-2008, as well as Chabert Medi- cal Center chief of staff from 2019-2021. She has served on the Medical Executive Committee and Medical Staff Performance Improvement Com- mittee. In addition, Eschete has been the Infec- tion Control Committee Chairman for more than 25 years. Eschete attended medical school at Louisiana State University. She then completed an internship at Confederate Memorial Center, followed by a residency and fellowship at Louisiana State Uni- versity Hospital. Eschete is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine with a sub- specialty in infectious disease. Ochsner Health Partners with Andrews Medicine Ochsner Health and orthopedic surgeon James R. Andrews, MD announced a five-year partner- ship to create The Ochsner Andrews Orthopae- dics & Sports Medicine Institute. The Ochsner Andrews Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Institute will work in consultation with Andrews to expand Ochsner’s accredited ortho- pedic sports medicine fellowship program and to enhance Ochsner’s physical therapy and sports performance protocols and offerings. Ochsner is home to three Andrews Institute fellowship- trained physicians: Nicholas Goyeneche, MD, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist; Benjamin Guevara, MD, orthopedic surgeon and Physician Vice-lead, North Shore Region Orthope- dics; and Karim Meijer, MD, orthopedic surgeon and head team physician for the New Orleans Saints. Andrews is a founding member of the Andrews Institute, a trademark of Andrews Medicine, LLC, in Pensacola, Florida, and a co-founder of the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, and the Andrews Research and Education Foundation in Pensacola. He has mentored more than 650 ortho- pedic sports medicine fellows and more than 80 primary care sports medicine fellows during his career. Andrews earned a medical degree from LSU School of Medicine and completed a resi- dency at Tulane Medical School. He completed fellowships in knee surgery and sports medicine at the University of Virginia and the University of Lyon in France. “Throughout my career in healthcare, I’ve always admired Dr. Alton Ochsner and the orga- nization he’s built for their commitment to excel- lence in healthcare,” said Andrews. “There are a lot of unique reasons for this partnership. How- ever, the most important reason is the impact we can have on the lives of our patients in my home state. Combining the Ochsner and Andrews com- mitment to excellence in clinical care, the preven- tion of injury and disease, and the ongoing drive to innovate and discover new treatments and best practices is an exciting opportunity for all of us, especially the patients we will serve in the Gulf South Region and beyond.” LCMCHealth Names JoAnn Kunkel as Chief Financial Officer LCMC Health announced that JoAnn Kunkel has been named chief financial officer (CFO) of the hospital system. In addition to leading finance and accounting, Kunkel will serve as a financial and strategic business advisor to the hospital system CEO and broader leadership team. Kunkel brings years of finance and healthcare experience to LCMC Health. For the bulk of her career, Kunkel held positions with the Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In her new role, Kunkel will lead all financial and investor relations activities for the company in sup- port of LCMC Health’s strategic growth plan. She will also serve on LCMC Health Executive Man- agement Team. Mary Eschete, MD JoAnn Kunkel