HJNO Mar/Apr 2023

32 MAR / APR 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs AIDS Memorial Quilt Exhibits Open in NewOrleans and Baton Rouge with an Outpouring of Love and Support The AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibits in New Orleans and Baton Rouge opened with an out- pouring of love and support Tuesday. The world’s largest community arts project is a catalyst to highlight Louisiana’s high HIV rates and to intro- duce “Change the Pattern,” a national initiative to end HIV and AIDS in Black, Brown, and mar- ginalized communities across the Southern U.S. Through Sat., Feb. 11, the National AIDS Memorial, Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC), and Gilead Sciences showcased displays of the AIDS Quilt at two Historically Black College and Uni- versity (HBCU) campuses — Dillard University in New Orleans and Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge. The five-day AIDS Quilt displays opened with a breakfast in New Orleans and an afternoon welcome reception in Baton Rouge. Students, administrators, and community members at both events honored loved ones lost to HIV/AIDS by making new quilts. Attendees also learned how they can “Change the Pattern” in the fight to end HIV in Louisiana. The HIV epidemic continues to disproportion- ately affect communities of color and marginal- ized populations. According to AIDSVu, Louisiana ranks 4th in the nation for the highest diagnoses rates, with over 27% occurring in New Orleans and nearly 20% in Baton Rouge. Of those new diagnoses living with HIV in the state, 78.5% are Black or Hispanic. Nearly 60% of new HIV diag- noses are under the age of 34. Both exhibits are free to the public and include quilting workshops, educational forums, and stu- dent events. For more information about Quilt locations, event times, Quilt stories, and special programming, visit changethepattern.org/LA. Louisiana Healthcare Connections Honors Local Providers for Commitment to Clinical Excellence Louisiana Healthcare Connections recently hon- ored six healthcare providers with Physician Sum- mit Awards for clinical excellence in their local communities. Physician Summit Awards are given annually to outstanding healthcare providers who achieve the highest scores in key Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) quality mea- sures across the health plan’s network. Award recipients represent a wide variety of medical disciplines and areas of service through- out Louisiana. Practice Awards: • Collins Family Clinic (Jamie Collins, MD), Sunset. • Pediatric Associates (Michael Quinn MD and Kathryn Elkins, MD), Plaquemine. Individual Awards: • Luis Apellaniz, MD, Jennings. • Joni Nickens FNP, Baton Rouge. • Evelyn Pryor, MD, Shreveport. • Michael Haydel MD, Marrero. These healthcare providers scored the highest among Louisiana Healthcare Connections’ net- work of nearly 40,000 providers in measures such as immunizations, well-care visits, and follow-up with patients. “We appreciate these medical practices and physicians for sharing our commitment to pro- viding excellent care for Louisiana families,” National AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit on display at Dillard University in New Orleans. (Photo: Courtesy of Chansey Augustine/National AIDS Memorial)