HJNO Nov/Dec 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  NOV / DEC 2022 35 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com Stewart Gordon, MD, Receives Child Advocacy Award Recognized for his commitment toward reducing the barriers to care for Louisiana’s youngest Medicaid recipients, Louisiana Healthcare Connections Chief Medical Officer Stewart Gordon, MD, FAAP, was recently honored at the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (LA AAP) Annual Awards Luncheon. The Charles M. Vanchiere Child Advocacy Award is given to recognize special efforts to improve the health of children in Louisiana by increasing their access to needed healthcare. Charles M. “Buzzy” Vanchiere, MD, was a private pediatrician in Lake Charles for nearly 30 years and a tireless advocate for children’s services. Vanchiere died in the year 2000, and the chapter established this award in his name to honor outstanding child advocates. “Eliminating disparities in health care is essential to improving the quality of care we provide to our members,” said Louisiana Healthcare Connections CEO Jamie Schlottman. “Dr. Gordon is a tireless advocate for our members and the children of Louisiana, and we are so proud that he is being recognized for his efforts.” Gordon is an advocate for children’s health issues and has spearheaded many programs, such as the successful Cribs for Kids distribution program, helping babies sleep more safely throughout the state. He also works holistically with providers in the community at the local level to increase access to care. “Providers play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare,” said Gordon. “When we collaborate with local providers and community organizations, we can develop the most effective wellness programs, prevention strategies, early detection of health issues and social determinants of health, and then help coordinate needed care for our most vulnerable populations.” Loyola Ochsner Nursing Simulation Lab Opens Due to donations from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Selley Foundation, the Edward G. Schlieder Educational Foundation, and the Alden and Margaret Laborde Foundation, the Loyola University New Orleans College of Nursing and Health opened a state-of-the-art nursing simulation laboratory in partnership with Ochsner Health. The new $1.9 million Loyola Ochsner Nursing Simulation Lab — the “Sim Lab” — on Loyola’s campus is a high-tech, outfitted center that allows students immersive and hands-on learning opportunities in simulated inpatient and outpatient settings as they prepare for careers in hospitals, labor and delivery rooms, emergency rooms, and other clinical settings. Simulation can replicate clinical practices in a safe environment and provide nursing students with opportunities to practice their clinical and decision-making skills through varied real-life situational experiences, without compromising an actual patient’s well-being. “Being able to practice basic nursing skills on high-tech mannequins in a simulated environment is an invaluable opportunity we are thrilled to offer our students, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped to make the Sim Lab possible,” said Cherie Burke, MD, director of the School of Nursing. “Whether students are practicing simpler tasks such as taking blood pressures or more advanced nursing practice skills like delivering a baby, these hands-on experiences and opportunities allow the instructor to stop in the moment and provide detailed guidance and feedback. They also allow the student the opportunity to ask questions and repeat skills over and over again before working in a real healthcare environment.” The experiential learning space will be used to educate students in Loyola and Ochsner’s joint Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for undergraduate students and Loyola’s new accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, initiating January 2023. The ABSN program is designed for career changers who have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a field Louisiana Healthcare Connections Chief Medical Officer Stewart Gordon, MD, FAAP, receives the Charles M. Vanchiere Child Advocacy Award from LA AAP Chapter Vice President John Vanchiere, MD, FAAP, at annual awards luncheon.