HJNO Jan/Feb 2023

36 JAN / FEB 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs DCHC Pediatricians Stress Importance of Flu Shots for Young Kids Pediatricians Sandra Robinson, MD, and Corey Hebert, MD, who both practice at DePaul Com- munity Health Centers’ Prytania location, believe it is vitally important for children ages 12 months to three years to receive the flu vaccine annually. Per the CDC, children younger than five years old — especially those younger than two — are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications. Children of any age with certain chronic health conditions are also at higher risk. During the 2021-2022 flu season, 65% of children zero to 17 years old who were hospitalized with flu had at least one underlying health condition, such as asthma, neurologic disease, obesity, or immune suppression. While not at higher risk, children five years and older can spread flu to their higher risk fam- ily members, like infants younger than 6 months old and adults who are 65 years and older or peo- ple of any age who have certain chronic health conditions. Every child from 12 months to 3 years old who receives a flu shot at any DCHC site will receive free goodie bags while supplies last. SUNO Partners with Ochsner Health to Open Ochsner Health Center - SUNO Created in partnership with Ochsner Health, this new clinic and its providers will serve stu- dents, faculty, and staff by treating non-emer- gency illnesses and injuries that are most tra- ditionally seen by an urgent care provider and non-physician. The clinic is located on the sec- ond floor of the University Center. The center is open to SUNO students, faculty, and staff Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Students enrolled at SUNO will not incur an out-of-pocket cost for health center services. Charges may apply for lab services. Louisiana Healthcare Connections Distributes 10,000th Crib After a pilot program in North Louisiana noted a 56% reduction in infant mortality, Louisiana Healthcare Connections expanded the Cribs for Kids safe sleep program statewide, recently dis- tributing its 10,000th crib across the state. Sleep-related incidents are the leading cause of death in babies up to 12 months, and Louisi- ana has the second highest infant mortality rate in the country according to the CDC. Launched in 2019, pregnant Louisiana Healthcare Connec- tions members received Safe Sleep Survival Kits containing a portable crib and educational mate- rials teaching sleep safety for infants. “We have had so many wonderful comments from happy, expectant members who received safe-sleep packages from Louisiana Healthcare Connections,” noted President and CEO Jamie Schlottman. “We are pleased to bring smiles to our members and safer sleeping for their babies.” While the COVID-19 pandemic brought a slight uptick in infant mortality, this program has noted a downward trend with approximately 50% fewer sleep-related deaths statewide from pre-program levels, with an even larger percentage in the orig- inal pilot region. “Data-driven insights help us target real-world problems with innovative solutions,” noted Lou- isiana Healthcare Connections Chief Medical Officer Stewart Gordon, MD. “This milestone 10,000th crib marks many more babies waking up healthy throughout Louisiana today, and that’s the sort of healthcare that makes a difference.” LSUHealth Research Finds NewDrug Target for Triple- Negative Breast Cancer Research led by Suresh Alahari, MD, profes- sor of biochemistry at LSU Health New Orleans’ Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies, reports a combination of a novel small inhibitory molecule and an FDA-approved chemotherapy drug suppresses the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells synergistically. The findings are published in the Nature journal, Oncogene. After screening the National Cancer Institute’s Diver- sity Set IV (a collection of compounds selected for structural diversity and potential anti-tumor efficacy), the research team selected the mole- cule, NSC33353, as a potential anti-tumor com- pound against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). They tested it on human triple-negative breast cancer cells and found that it significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The researchers then turned their atten- tion to using the molecule in combination. Tri- ple-negative breast cancer cells develop resis- tance to doxorubicin, one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs against these tumors. The researchers showed that the combination of NSC33353 and doxorubicin suppresses the growth of TNBC cells synergistically, suggest- ing that NSC33353 enhances TNBC sensitivity to doxorubicin. More common in younger women, triple-nega- tive breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15-20% of breast cancers. It’s called triple-negative because these tumors lack estrogen and progesterone receptors and the human epidermal growth fac- tor receptor 2 (HER2). Because the cancer cells don’t have these pro- teins, hormone therapy and drugs that target HER2 are not helpful,” said Alahari. Triple-negative breast cancer is aggressive and responds poorly to treatment, so therapy options are very limited. “The discovery of new drugs will be of immense help for TNBC patients,” said Alahari. “Our data indicate that the small molecule inhibitor, NSC33353, exhibits anti-tumor activity in TNBC cells and works in a synergistic fashion with a well- known chemotherapeutic agent.” The project was supported by LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine and the Fred G. Brazda Foundation. Delgado to Open Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health Delgado Community College, in partnership with Ochsner Health, will feature an evening and weekend track for pre-nursing and allied health, offering courses outside of regular business hours for adults who need flexibility. Classes will begin during the spring semester in the Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health building, slated to open on Delgado’s City Park campus in January. The pre-nursing and allied health track pre- pares students who wish to apply for the regis- tered nursing program and any of Delgado’s 29 allied health associate degree and certificate pro- grams. It is one of three options rolled out for the upcoming spring semester in the Delgado