HJNO Mar/Apr 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2023 63 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com facet of the organization. In the role of chief of pediatrics for LCMC Health, Nickens will lead strategy and provide executive oversight for pediatric affiliations across Louisiana, including the recent affiliation with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health whose presi- dent will report directly to Nickens. He will also continue to work closely with the Children's Hos- pital New Orleans team, working alongside Lou Fragoso, new president and CEO for Children’s Hospital New Orleans, to improve the health and well-being of kids and families. Nickens will continue to represent Children’s Hospital New Orleans in his role as chief and with the Children’s Hospital Association. Nickens began his career at Texas Children’s Hospital in 1990 with management positions in revenue cycle and clinical operations. He went on to hold various administrative positions at Bay- lor College of Medicine in Houston and then returned to Texas Children’s where he ultimately held the position of executive vice president. SMHBoard of Commissioners Selects NewOfficers The Slidell Memorial Hospital Board of Commis- sioners has welcomed new officers and appoint- ments to its membership. The new officers for 2023 are Larry P. Englande Sr., representing Ward 8, chairman of the board; Joseph “Joe” DiGiovanni Jr., CPA-retired, rep- resenting Ward 9, vice-chairman; and Walter J. “Dub” Lane Jr., PhD, representing Ward 8, secretary/treasurer. Cyril V.K. Bethala, MD, will serve a one-year term as SMH Medical staff president/chief of staff; the SMH Medical executive committee recommends this appointment to the appointing authority. J. William “Bill” Newton, a newly appointed com- missioner whose term begins July 1, represents Ward 9. The board members who will continue to serve are Georgia M. Johnson, RN (Ward 8); Robert C. Mercadel, MD, as SMH medical staff represen- tative; Tommy C. Morris Jr., RPh, PhD (Ward 8); Shawn M. Paretti, CPCU (Ward 8); and Kristen R. Stanley-Wallace, JD (Ward 8). St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 2 (dba Slidell Memorial Hospital) is governed by a nine-member board of commissioners. Seven members are appointed by the appointing author- ity (comprised of a local legislative delegation) from nominating committee recommendations. Louisiana Sen. Sharon Hewitt currently serves as the chairperson of the appointing authority. The remaining two members are the president of the medical staff and one medical staff appointee. Each board member brings a unique back- ground of expertise and experience that is invaluable in guiding Slidell Memorial Hospital. The board of commissioners is responsible for the quality of the medical care provided at the hospital. St. Tammany Cancer Center Reaccredited by the Commission on Cancer St. Tammany Health System, in collaboration with St. Tammany Cancer Center, a campus of Ochsner Medical Center, has been re-accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons. This voluntary re-accreditation, which requires adherence to 34 quality care standards, is valid for three years. To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must be evaluated every three years through a survey process and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. Central to the CoC accreditation is St. Tam- many Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medi- cal and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathol- ogists, and other cancer specialists. “This re-accreditation is just further validation and confirmation that St. Tammany Health Sys- tem, along with its partner Ochsner Health, has implemented a model that is patient-centric with an emphasis on several different physician dis- ciplines collaborating simultaneously in a spe- cialized approach,” Vice President of Cancer Services Jack Khashou said. “A change from tra- ditional model, in addition to medical and radi- ation oncologists, the approach also includes other medical and surgical specialists as well as psychologists who are supported by a team of advanced practice providers, integrative oncolo- gists, registered dieticians, nurse navigators, social workers, physical, occupational and speech ther- apists and acupuncture. St. Tammany Health Sys- tem has been continually evolving the model of care since it received its first CoC accreditation in 1995, and we are proud to have earned this most recent recognition.” Like all CoC-accredited facilities, St. Tammany Health System maintains a cancer registry and Larry P. Englande Sr. Walter J.“Dub” Lane Jr., PhD Joseph “Joe” DiGiovanni Jr.,