HJNO Jan/Feb 2023

64 JAN / FEB 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds cardio-respiratory care. Meilan has been with Terrebonne General for 28 years, beginning his career as a patient transporter, then transitioning to a staff respiratory therapist. He served as the cardio-respiratory care shift supervisor for many years until he was promoted to the cardio-respi- ratory care program coordinator before taking his current position. In his previous role, Meilan responded to and monitored services delivered by the respiratory staff during emergencies and worked closely with patients and their care teams to assess their respiratory status. He also assisted in supervising and directing the overall care pro- vided by the cardio-respiratory care (CRC) staff. Meilan will be responsible for operational, fiscal, and clinical management of the Cardio-Respira- tory Care Department, which involves two entities, cardiology and respiratory. Meilan earned a degree in cardiopulmonary sciences from Nicholls State University. He is a licensed registered respiratory therapist and a member of the American Association for Respi- ratory Care and the National Board for Respira- tory Care. Slidell Memorial Hospital Breaks Ground on Hospital Expansion Slidell Memorial Hospital broke ground on its surgical services and patient care tower, a three- story building addition. The tower is scheduled to be complete in 2024. The $50 million project will expand the main campus of the hospital with the construction of a new building that will house operating suites, an intensive care unit, and additional inpatient care units with private rooms that can be switched to negative pressure to aid in the treatment of air- borne viruses. The project also includes demo- lition of existing structures and renovating the current operating rooms to create a surgical expe- rience that is completely private for patients with- out the need to be wheeled along public corridors to and from surgery. Seven Children’s Hospital NONurses Honored Seven nurses at Children's Hospital New Orleans were recognized at a statewide awards ceremony hosted by the Great 100 Nurses Foun- dation. Laurie Finger, Elena Vidrine, Valerie Parker, Gwenn Marelo, Kristin Broussard, Kimberly Arce- neaux, and Charlene Hammond were among the 100 honorees and were celebrated for their con- cern for humanity, their contributions to the pro- fession of nursing, and their mentoring of others. “We are thrilled that so many of our nursing staff have received this special award,” said Lindsey Casey, RN, senior vice president and chief nurs- ing officer. “Their compassion and expertise truly make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families.” The seven Children’s Hospital nurses who were honored in 2022 represent a diversity of hospital departments. Finger serves as a provider in endo- crinology; Broussard and Parker work in ambula- tory care under Marelo’s leadership; Arceneaux and Hammond serve in inpatient nursing capac- ities; and Vidrine leads nursing professional development. St. Tammany Health System Recognized for Patient Experience Women’s Choice Award has once again ranked St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tam- many Parish Hospital among the Best 100 Hospi- tals for Patient Experience for 2023. In addition, the Covington-based health system was singled out for distinction in nine areas. That includes being named a Best Hospital for patient safety, obstetrics, heart care, cancer care, compre- hensive breast care, stroke care, minimally invasive surgery, mammography, and women’s services. St. Tammany Parish Hospital was recognized in the “medium” hospital and health system cate- gory, one of four size-based categories in which the Women’s Choice Award is bestowed. Terrebonne General Health System Installs Omnicell XR2 Robot in Pharmacy Terrebonne General Health System announces its new Omnicell XR2 Automated Central Phar- macy System. This device introduces ground- breaking technology for a more fully automated approach to medication inventory management. After eight weeks of building, testing, training, and stocking the robot, the new equipment is now live. n Slidell Memorial Hospital Groundbreaking