HJNO Sep/Oct 2023

62 SEP / OCT 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds Cooper Life Fund Donates $17K to Terrebonne General NICU The Foundation for Terrebonne General Health System received a donation of $17,000 from the Cooper Life Fund. The annual Super Cooper 5K is hosted by John and Ashley Fontenot of the Coo- per Life Fund and raises money for families of newborn infants with severe medical conditions admitted to Terrebonne General’s neonatal inten- sive care unit (NICU). The 17th annual Super Cooper 5k donation brings the cumulative contribution to $224,600. Over the last 17 years, all Super Cooper 5K pro- ceeds have been donated to The Foundation for Terrebonne General Health System to provide medical and social care needs to the families of infants admitted to Terrebonne General’s Level III NICU with severe medical conditions. A part of the donation enables the foundation to gift these families care bags filled with diapers, wipes, and gas gift cards. Most recently, it allowed for pur- chasing a new fetal demise cradle, which gives parents more time to grieve their loved ones. “The Super Cooper 5K is a shining example of an event encouraging kids and adults alike to get moving and healthier, all for a worthy cause. Through our partnership, we have been able to affect the lives of many, and we look forward to continuing to do so for years to come,” said Phyl- lis Peoples, Terrebonne General Health System, president, CEO. John and Ashley Fontenot founded the Cooper Life Fund after their son, Cooper Fontenot, was born with a congenital heart defect called trans- position of the great vessels. Cooper spent many weeks in the hospital and endured several hours of open-heart surgery when he was only nine days old. Cooper is alive and well today because of advanced medical care and extensive cardiovas- cular research. STQNAnnounces 2023 Second Quarter Medical Director’s Award St. Tammany Quality Network (STQN) presented its Medical Director’s Award for the second quar- ter of 2023 to cardiologist Russell Reed, MD, for his leadership in improving cardiac care coordina- tion and reducing congestive heart failure read- mission rates at St. Tammany Health System’s flag- ship St. Tammany Parish Hospital. “Congestive heart failure is the leading cause of hospital admissions at St. Tammany and across the country. With Dr. Reed’s outstanding leadership, STHS is leading the charge in lowering unneces- sary readmissions,” STQN Medical Director Mike K. Hill, MD, said in announcing the award. Central to that effort has been the implementa- tion of transitional home care evaluations, expert patient navigation, and work to ensure patients receive timely clinic appointments after their dis- charge from the hospital. “Cardiac care coordination presents a host of stubborn challenges, but Dr. Reed has provided crucial guidance to transition complex cardiac patients from the inpatient to the outpatient set- ting,” Hill said. An active member of the STHS medical staff since 2018, Reed serves as chair of St. Tammany Health System’s Cardiology Committee and is a member of the cardiology co-management team. He earned a medical degree from the University of Mississippi, after which he did residency and fel- lowship in cardiology at the University of Missis- sippi Medical Center. In addition to completion of a fellowship in interventional cardiology, he is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology and is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the Ameri- can Society of Echocardiography. Reed sees patients at the STHS Cardiovascu- lar Clinic locations in Mandeville and Covington. LCMCHealth Expands Healthcare Professions Pipeline LCMC Health announced the continued expan- sion of the Healthcare Professions Pipeline Pro- gram, a pathways program aimed at cultivating and supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals. The program now involves 12 stra- tegic partnerships with nine institutions or schools across Louisiana. LCMC Health's Healthcare Professions Pipe- line represents a collaborative effort to address the growing demand for skilled healthcare pro- fessionals, improving access to quality healthcare services, and promoting diversity and inclusivity within the workforce. "Three years ago, we all faced unchartered ter- ritory — a global pandemic — and the dedicated