HJNO Sep/Oct 2022

64 SEP / OCT 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds “When we restarted this event that was oper- ated by our fathers back in the 1970s and 1980s, we talked about ways to impact our community. The discussion quickly moved to Children’s Hos- pital and all of the ways they impact young lives and families dealing with all pediatric health issues in our community. It was an easy decision to sup- port their cause and the great work they do in NOLA,” said Allen Catorie, Italian American Fish- ing Rodeo co-director. Children’s Hospital New Orleans Holds Pediatric Mental Health Summit Children’s Hospital New Orleans and the LSU Health Foundation held the second annual “Let’s Talk About It” Pediatric Mental Health Summit on Aug. 4 at Children’s Hospital. The summit brought together more than 100 professionals in the edu- cation and behavioral health professions to dis- cuss mental health issues affecting our youth, with a special focus on trauma and teen suicide. “Young people and their families are battling a mental health crisis that’s widened and deepened over the past two years. Mental disorders are an enemy that’s very good at hiding in plain sight,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and chief exec- utive officer at Children’s New Orleans. “Through our High5 challenge, we encourage kids to open up and talk about what’s going on. We hope the summit provided attendees with tools they can now bring back to their communities to encour- age our youth to engage in real conversations about their mental health.” The summit featured prominent speakers from Children’s New Orleans including Mark Kline, MD, physician in chief and chief medical officer at Chil- dren’s, who discussed the current state of child mental health in our country. Following the key- note address, attendees participated in a series of breakout sessions discussing: • The realities of social media and child men- tal health. • Real talk: How to have conversations with kids about mental wellbeing. • Understanding trauma in young children. • School communities and mental health in a post-COVID world. This year’s event was geared toward any pro- fessional who works with kids, including teachers, social workers, community or youth-focused orga- nizations, and healthcare professionals. Social workers had the opportunity to earn three pro- fessional CEU credits by attending the event. One of the highlights of the Pediatric Mental Health Summit was the screening of My Ascen- sion. My Ascension is a documentary film that focuses on the story of 16-year-old, Dutchtown High School varsity cheerleader Emma Benoit, who was paralyzed by a suicide attempt. Her attempt propelled her on a mission to use her painful experience to help others find hope and stay alive. Her journey is chronicled in the full- length feature film produced by award-winning producer, Greg Dicharry. To learn more about the Behavioral Health Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, visit www.chnola.org/behavioralhealth. For more infor- mation on the film, My Ascension, visit the web- site www.myascension.us . Xavier University of Louisiana Announces Planning Phase for Graduate School of Health and Sciences Medical School Xavier University of Louisiana announced that it is entering the planning phase to establish a Graduate School of Health Sciences and Medi- cal School. For decades, Xavier has consistently produced more African American students and students of color who achieve Medical Degrees and PhDs in the health sciences than any other higher education institution in the nation. Xavi- er’s College of Pharmacy is the oldest in Louisi- ana and continues to rank amongst the highest performing. Building upon this success, Xavier University of Louisiana has continued to add innovative gradu- ate degree programs, including a physician’s assis- tant program, a master’s in public health program, speech pathology, pharmaceutical studies, and health analytics that expand representation in health professions. Reynold Verret, PhD, president of Xavier Uni- versity of Louisiana, has long been a champion for addressing health disparities and underrep- resentation in the medical and health sciences. “Xavier was founded with the mission of pro- moting the creation of a just and humane soci- ety through education,” Verret stated. “The establishment of graduate education programs dedicated to the preparation of more black healthcare professionals is a natural extension of our foundress’ legacy as we approach our second century of service. It is also where we are called to answer a critical need of our nation.” The pandemic emphasized the necessity for greater diversity in the medical profession, as rep- resentation and trust are essential determinants underlying the health disparities affecting under- represented populations. A recent Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) report noted, “Gains in diversity are not shared by all groups. In particular growth of Black or African American applicants, matriculants and graduates lagged behind other groups.” Ochsner, Tulane Collaboration Identifies Genes Active During Strokes Researchers at Ochsner Health and Tulane Uni- versity School of Medicine have identified the genes that become active in carotid arteries when plaque rupture causes a stroke. The work, pub- lished in Scientific Reports , was made possible by acquiring samples closer to the time of the stroke than previously possible. The results provide a pic- ture of what the cells in the plaque are doing near the moment they induce a stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, responsible for an estimated 17.9 million deaths annually and is often the result of plaques that build up in the arteries. When these plaques burst, they can release material into the bloodstream that blocks oxygen from reaching the heart or brain. There is no way to determine precisely when a plaque will rupture. Previous studies have relied on carotid artery samples obtained after the patient’s death or months after the stroke or heart attack. This either limits the information that can be obtained or misses events that occur only at the time of rupture. For the first time, the current study sequenced the RNAs in plaques from patients who had experienced a stroke within two to five days. In doing so, the team created a picture of the RNAs active closer to the time of rupture than previously possible. The investigators found that plaques that rup- ture have increased inflammation coupled with