HJNO Jan/Feb 2024

38 JAN / FEB 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs Governor-elect Leadership Appointments Announced Governor-elect Jeff Landry announced new Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) leader- ship assignments with Ralph Abraham, DVM, MD, serving as secretary. Landry also appointed David Matlock secretary of Department of Children and Family Services. Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, Ralph Abraham, DVM, MD Secretary Ralph Abraham, DVM, MD, is a prac- ticing family medicine physician in Richland Par- ish and a former three-term congressman for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District and for- mer first lieutenant in the Army National Guard. Abraham has a DVM from LSU School of Veteri- nary Medicine and practiced veterinary medicine for 10 years before earning an MD at LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. Abraham served on humanitarian missions for Free Burma Rangers in Burma, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine and has volun- teered on humanitarian missions in Afghanistan and the Amazon. He is a fixed-wing and helicop- ter pilot who currently flies reconnaissance mis- sions for the Coast Guard Auxiliary; is a mission pilot for the Air Force’s Civil Air Patrol Green Flag Program; is a certified flight instructor; and works with Pilots for Patients, an organization that pro- vides free air transportation to patients needing treatment. Secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, David Matlock David Matlock is a Shreveport native with a BA from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and a JD from Baylor University. He served as judge since 1994 and chief judge of the Juvenile Court for Caddo Parish from 1999-2023. His juvenile court programs during tenure include Juvenile Drug Court, Family Drug Court, Juvenile Men- tal Health Court, Truancy Court, Sex Trafficking Community Response Team, Specialized Vic- tims Intensive Unit, onsite drug treatment clinic for children, S.T.A.R education program, and the teen court program. Other LDH assignments include: Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Depart- ment of Health, Pete Croughan, MD Pete Croughan, MD, is an Internal Medicine physician with a background in health policy and state-level administration. He grew up in Crowley, Louisiana, before heading to Yale Uni- versity, where he majored in History of Science and Medicine. He then worked in health policy research at PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before heading to UCSF for medical school, where he served as president of the stu- dent body. In 2017, he took time away to work as Policy Director for LDH, where he spearheaded a statewide cancer strategy, analyzed state funding of graduate medical education, and led devel- opment of the Hepatitis C pharmaceutical pay- ment subscription model. In 2018, he became chief of staff for LDH secretary, Rebekah Gee, MD, where he was responsible for policy devel- opment, quality improvement, communications, external affairs, and legislative strategy. In 2020, he returned to clinical practice to complete an internal medicine residency, with a concentration in primary care, at Massachusetts General Hospi- tal. Since completing this training, he has worked as an addiction medicine physician at the Aca- diana Area Human Services District in Lafayette and his hometown of Crowley, where he cares for patients with substance use disorders. Under-Secretary of the Louisiana Depart- ment of Health, Michael Harrington Michael Harrington is a former CEO/COO of adult/pediatric tertiary and community health services, including post-acute services with over 25 years in for-profit and not-for-profit health systems. Chief of Staff of the Louisiana Department of Health, Drew Maranto Drew Maranto is a former congressional staffer, campaign advisor, and small business owner based in Baton Rouge. He has worked with three of Louisiana’s U.S. Senators, serving in a number of roles, including deputy chief of staff, campaign manager, and senior advisor. Maranto has mas- ter’s degree in public administration from Louisi- ana State University. Executive Counsel to the Louisiana Depart- ment of Health, Nick Gachassin III Nicholas Gachassin III has provided counsel and guidance to healthcare providers and healthcare businesses, including hospitals, physicians, home health and hospice agencies, federally qualified health centers, and ambulatory surgery centers. He has also advised community hospitals and service district hospitals on the purchase and lease of facilities, advised physicians on the sale of the practice and employment with hospitals, and advised physician investors on the develop- ment of new healthcare real estate ventures. He has served as outside general counsel to several hospitals in Louisiana, executive vice president and general counsel for LHC Group, Inc., and currently serves as Gachassin Law Firm’s manag- ing partner and general counsel and corporate secretary for Sanara MedTech, Inc. Gachassin is a graduate of Tulane University, Loyola Univer- sity New Orleans College of Law and has an LLM in healthcare law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Acadian Ambulance Responds to Severe Crashes Due to Fog Acadian Ambulance responded to multiple crashes in Louisiana and Texas as a result of severe foggy conditions. Fog combined with smoke from marsh fires created super fog con- ditions, extremely reducing visibility. On Oct. 21, along Highway 73 in Jefferson County, Texas, multiple separate major vehicle crashes occurred along a seven-plus mile stretch. Emergency responders from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Texas DPS, TxDot, TDEM, Port Arthur PD, Port Arthur FD, Jefferson County ESD-4 FD, Winnie-Stowell Volunteer EMS, and Acadian Ambulance service responded. Acadian Ambulance also responded with Ambus Multi- Patient Vehicle MPV 6-04. More than 28 people involved in separate accidents along the stretch of highway were evaluated and treated for inju- ries sustained, with six people being transported to local emergency rooms for further evaluation and treatment. On Oct. 23, on I-55 in Louisiana, Acadian responded to a multi-car pileup involving around 100 vehicles near milepost 22 in St. John the Bap- tist Parish, just outside of New Orleans. Aca- dian responded with 18 ambulances and four supervisor vehicles. A total of 46 patients were transported to area hospitals. Other agencies responding included Louisiana State Police, Man- chac Volunteer Fire Department (VFD), Poncha- toula VFD, Hammond Rural VFD, 8th Ward VFD, Natalbany VFD, Independence VFD, Loranger VFD, Tangipahoa Parish Fire District 1, and St. John Parish Fire Department.