HJNO Sep/Oct 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2022 65 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com Terrebonne General Health System, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Partner to Provide STEMProgram Terrebonne General Health System and St. Mat- thew’s Episcopal School have announced a part- nership to provide a new STEM (Science, Tech- nology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program which will strengthen students’ understanding of math and science and encourage careers in healthcare. The partnership will go into effect this upcom- ing school year. Students will receive hands-on STEM activities that promote critical thinking and communication skills as well as creativity and peer collaboration. Participating students will also gain a greater understanding of the real work of STEM and how it can be used in future health- care careers. Students will have opportunities to participate in interactive and educational oppor- tunities on site at Terrebonne General. Through the partnership, the program is available to all St. Matthew’s students. “This partnership will provide students with access to engaging STEM activities,” said Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO of Terrebonne Gen- eral. “By working together with St. Matthew’s leadership and students, we hope to support and encourage the next generation to pursue a career in healthcare.” LakeviewRegional Names Michael Queen, MD, Chief of Staff Michael Queen, MD, a board-certified anesthe- siologist, has been named deputy chief of staff for Lakeview Regional Medical Center, a campus of Tulane Medical Center. In this role, Queen serves as head of the medical staff, providing leadership and guidance and promoting effective communi- cation between medical staff, administration, and the board of trustees. Queen has been employed with Parish Anesthe- sia at Lakeview Regional since 2018. He became department chair in 2020 and has been involved in hospital leadership serving on multiple and vari- ous committees including medical executive com- mittee, credentialing, trauma, and operating room logistics. Queen graduated from Mississippi State Uni- versity with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He received the President’s Award from the Omega Chi Epsilon chemical engineer- ing honor society. He earned a Doctor of Med- icine from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine internship at Tulane Medical Center followed by an anesthesiology residency at Baylor College of Medicine. He is a member of the American Soci- ety of Anesthesiologists and the Louisiana Soci- ety of Anesthesiologists. n processes that would cause the loss of a portion of the plaque that protects against rupture, known as the fibrous cap. Surprisingly, the researchers found that ruptured plaques had increased B-cell mark- ers, a white blood cell whose role in plaque rup- ture has not previously been appreciated. Carotid artery blockage is a common cause of some ischemic strokes, which happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, preventing brain tissue from getting necessary oxygen and nutrients. Because the mechanisms that lead to some strokes and most heart attacks involve the same plaque rupture events, these findings also have implications for heart disease. “Inflammation is a known risk factor in athero- sclerosis, leading to stroke and heart attacks,” said Hernan Bazan, MD, the John Ochsner Endowed Professor for Cardiovascular Innovation at Och- sner Health. “Carotid and coronary plaques develop a protective cap that, for unclear rea- sons, thins, making strokes and heart attacks more likely.” Study senior author Cooper Woods, PhD, Asso- ciate Professor of Physiology and Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, empha- sized, “Identifying the genes that promote this thinning gives us new targets for therapeutics and diagnostics to prevent heart attacks and strokes.” Terrebonne General Health System and St. Matthew’s Episcopal School have announced a partnership to provide a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program. Pictured are Amanda Morgan, SMES associate head of school; Phyllis Peoples, Terrebonne General, president and CEO; Thomas Soudelier, SMES head of school; and Kelly Phillips, SMES associate head of school.