HJNO Sep/Oct 2022

32 SEP / OCT 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology Holds Graduation The 53rd graduating class of the North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology held their commencement ceremony on July 6. The class of 2022 has a 100 percent job placement rate with six of the 14 graduates accepting positions with North Oaks Health System. Graduates include Samantha Vaughn Beyl of Hammond; Nicole E. Dazet of St. Rose; Andrea Ceny Dileo of Hammond; Kevin Michael Harger of Baton Rouge; Chelsea Lea Johnson of Loranger; Samantha Rose Liberto-Womack of Kentwood; Edward Andre’ Mason II of Hammond; Max Allen Miller, McKenzi Grace Oden and Abby Lynn Palmer of Ponchatoula; Audrey Eugenia Robles of Hammond; Kelsey Marie Saldana of Kentwood; Alexis Rae Shirer of LaPlace; and Madelyn Claire Williams of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Commencement was held at the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center. State Supreme Court Denies Plaintiffs’ Appeal in Abortion LawCase Ongoing litigation between a Shreveport clinic that provides abortions, as the main plaintiff, and the Louisiana attorney general and the Louisiana Department of Health secretary, as the defendants, reached the Louisiana Supreme Court in early August. The appeal was made by plaintiffs in regard to a lower court’s ruling and was denied Aug. 12, 2022. The lawsuit, filed in July by the clinic and its director, the reproductive healthcare advocacy group Medical Students for Choice, and a Tulane University School of Medicine professor and practicing physician against Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and LDH Secretary Courtney N. Phillips, challenges the clarity and enforceability of state laws banning abortion, outlining social media and press responses to the laws by various state and local officials and providing affidavits expressing concern by numerous medical professionals. An initial injunction had been issued by the 19th Judicial District judge who oversaw the case, which was then suspended by the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court sought to uphold the initial injunction ruling, which would have temporarily blocked enforcement of abortion bans. Litigation is ongoing, but as of printing, state officials have the authority to prosecute violators of the current laws as interpreted by the state. LDH Issues Recommendation on COVID Vaccine for Children Ages 6Months and Up All Louisiana children ages six months and up are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) accepting the recommendation of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization of the three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the two-dose Moderna vaccine. The CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) recommend that all eligible children receive the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and their families. The COVID- 19 vaccines are proven to be safe for children ages six months and up and help guard against severe COVID-19 outcomes, including certain heart conditions, long-term complications, hospitalization, and death. As we continue to experience an increase in positive COVID-19 infections throughout the state, it is critical that all eligible Louisianans get the COVID-19 vaccine. Tragically, LDH has reported a total of 21 children in Louisiana have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, all of whom were not up-to-date on their COVID- 19 vaccinations. COVID-19 can cause severe complications in some children, including more than 300 Louisiana children who have been diagnosed with the life- threatening condition multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). “The COVID-19 vaccines have saved thousands of lives in Louisiana. Many parents are eager to extend this protection to their younger children and we are pleased they now have the opportunity to do so,” said LDH State Health Officer Joseph Kanter, MD. “With the addition of this younger age group, we recommend everyone in the family ages six months and up receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Studies have shown vaccination confers additional protection even for those who have previously been infected. While most children experience only mild symptoms from COVID-19, unfortunately some do get quite ill. As it has for adults and older children, vaccination of younger children will save lives.” LDH has notified all providers that this guidance is effective immediately. LDH has published a list of all providers who have ordered initial allocations of the COVID-19 vaccine for under-five-year-olds on its website: ldh.la.gov/kidsvax Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington Acquires PET/CT System Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington announced its investment in new technology that can help doctors better understand, track, and treat/CT cancer patients. With GE Healthcare’s Discovery IQ PET/CT system, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington clinicians can pinpoint the smallest tumors and lesions due to the high sensitivity of the PET technology. The aim of this product is to continuously improve diagnostic confidence for referring physicians and patients. The Discovery IQ also allows for fast and efficient scanning, which enables both half the PET dose and half the scan time. Speedy scans are helpful for elderly or sick patients that cannot hold still for a long time. “Mary Bird Perkins has long prided itself on being on the leading-edge of cancer care, and GE Healthcare’s Discovery IQ PET/CT system will allow for the Cancer Center to continue leading the way with advanced early disease detection capabilities as well as tools to ensure patients’ optimal response to treatments,” said R. Scott Bermudez, MD, radiation oncologist, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington. “Our investment in this equipment will help us better examine, monitor, and provide enhanced care for our patients.” The Discovery IQ system is primarily used to scan cancer patients and uses intelligent quantitation (IQ) to quantify changes in tumors and diseases. Quantitation can help clinicians detect cancer early and understand whether patients are responding to their current treatments. With those insights, clinicians