HJNO May/Jun 2023

56 MAY / JUN 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS MEDICAL SOCIETY COLUMN MEDICAL SOCIETY ON Friday, March 10, at the Celebration of Medicine & Awards Night sponsored by the Medical Association of Southeast Lou- isiana (MASELA), awards were presented to physicians in several categories. These included MASELA’s Physician Well-being Champion, Public Health LeadershipAward, Patient & PhysicianAdvocate, Medical Role Model Award, and LifetimeAchievement in Medicine Award. PHYSICIAN WELL-BEING CHAMPION AWARD Recipient: Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD Girgrah is the chief wellness officer at Ochsner Health in addition to being the medical director of the Multi-Organ Trans- plant Institute. According toWilliam J. Daly, Jr., MD, also with Ochsner Health, who nom- inated Girgrah for the award, “He has de- veloped many programs to help physicians cope with this challenging and changing medical delivery system.” He was particu- larly instrumental during COVID-19, sharing his ownmental health challenges as a means of getting others to recognize and address theirs. He and other Ochsner Health leaders strive to create a culture that encourages well-being in physicians and other health- care clinicians. Now, Girgrah is sharing this message with other health system leaders to encourage their own initiatives aimed at improved well-being. Medical Association of Southeast Louisiana Presents Awards at Recent Celebration of Medicine Gabriella Pridjian, MD, MASELA’s current president, said, “One of MASELA’s highest priorities is physician professional satisfac- tion and well-being. We are striving to make a difference in this arena, and it is important for us to recognize trailblazers in the field of physician well-being like Dr. Girgrah.” PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP AWARD Recipient: Holly Gore Groh, MD Groh is an ophthalmologist, public health advocate, and activist. According to Robert Fortier-Benson, MD, ND, CCN, who nominated her for this award, Groh’s public health activism and advocacy have impacted policy at both the state and na- tional levels. The first area of focus relates to the negative health impacts in children from the use of digital devices. Groh worked over the past years with State Representa- tiveAimee Freeman to pass legislation that createdmedical oversight for students using school-issued digital devices. Groh’s second public health campaign has addressed the toxic metals used in Mardi Gras beads. She founded an organization to make Carnival krewes and the public aware of the heavy metals used to color the beads. Recently, she authored a children’s book, illustrated by her daughter, reading to and educating children and families in a playful way of these toxins. In addition to these important initiatives, according to Fortier-Benson, “Dr. Groh has done unher- alded work volunteering as an ophthalmol- ogist seeing homeless with the NewOrleans Mission for many years.” Pridjian noted, “MASELA is proud to recognize physicians who are active in our communities and leading public health ini- tiatives to improve the health of people in our region. We appreciate Dr. Groh’s advo- cacy on behalf of children and adults.” MEDICAL ROLE MODEL AWARD Recipient: Amelia Jernigan, MD Jernigan serves as division director, Gynecology Oncology, at LSU Health Sci- ences Center in New Orleans. Navya Nair, MD, MPH, who nominated Jernigan for this award, said, “Dr. Jernigan exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional physician and in her drive to deliver the highest quality of cancer care for women in Louisiana and across the Gulf South, she inspires all those around her. She has developed innovative solutions to address cancer prevention and treatment barriers. She is a fierce advocate for her patients, mentees, and colleagues. I cannot think of a person more worthy for this award.” Jernigan has been dedicated to improv- ing access and quality of gynecologic care for women in South Louisiana and across the Gulf South including those patients who often have access issues such as the