HJNO Jan/Feb 2024

42 JAN / FEB 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs granddaughter are study participants. “We depend on the community and the com- munity depends on us. It’s overwhelming the amount of good this study has done for the com- munity, but I’m just honored to be a part of the legacy,” Cothern said. CIS Earns Gold Awards for Cholesterol, Blood Pressure Control Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) has received two gold awards from the American Heart Association for its commitment to reduc- ing the risk of heart disease and stroke through cholesterol and blood pressure management. For the fifth year in a row, as part of the Tar- get: BP initiative, CIS has earned Gold Plus rec- ognition for the accuracy of blood pressure man- agement, with controlled blood pressure in more than 83% of hypertensive adult patients, surpass- ing the target of 70%. High blood pressure is the nation’s No. 1 risk factor for heart attack and stroke, but out of 116 million U.S. adults living with high blood pressure, less than half have it controlled to target level. “Through collective dedication to evidence- driven practices and consistent care, CIS achieved system-wide blood pressure control,” said Vinod Nair, MD, interventional cardiologist at CIS in Houma, Louisiana. “Our journey is a testament that when purpose aligns with persistence, the health of our community thrives.” In addition, CIS also received the Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol Gold Award this year for having more than 83% of at-risk cardio- vascular disease patients appropriately managed with statin therapy. High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, but only half of 94 million adults with elevated cholesterol are appropriately managing their condition. Cardiovascular Logistics Names New Executive TeamMembers Cardiovascular Logistics (CVL) has named new executives to its growing team. Nick Zaunbrecher, CPA, MHA, joins CVL as the chief financial officer. He brings 30 years of health- care financial experience to this role, having previ- ously served as CFO at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) for 17 years. Zaunbrecher is also a licensed certified public accountant. Claire Fair joins CVL as chief people officer. With a background in human resources, she brings knowledge of employee relations, acqui- sition integration, compliance, employment law, and organizational development. She previously worked for 21 years as the senior vice president and chief people officer of Pediatrix. Shannon Leonard, RN, MBA, joins CVL as the chief compliance officer. In his career, he had held various lead nursing positions such as chief nurs- ing officer. In the 12 years he worked at CIS, he served as the chief compliance officer and the director of quality and hospital relations. Pamela Pratt, MHA, FACMPE, joins CVL as the vice president of practice management. Her knowledge of healthcare administration can be seen from the various practice administrator roles that she has held at Cardiovascular Institute of the South over the past 29 years. She is also a fellow in the American College of Medical Prac- tice Executives. Alia Chiles, MBA, joins CVL as the vice presi- dent of practice integration. She brings nine years of healthcare experience to the company, most recently serving as the senior manager of busi- ness transformation at LifeStance Health. Jude Hebert, RN, BSN, MBA/HCA, joins CVL as the vice president of clinical programs. Hebert has years of clinical leadership experience, hav- ing worked in various nursing and clinical service roles at Cardiovascular Institute of the South since 2000. Kerry Domangue, MBA, CPA, CGMA, joins CVL as the vice president of accounting and financial reporting. Domangue is a licensed certified pub- lic accountant and charted global management accountant. He worked for CIS for 27 years man- aging accounting and financial reporting of the organization. “The extensive experience and knowledge pos- sessed by these individuals supports the mission of CVL and its partner practices to provide the highest quality cardiovascular care available,” said David Konur, FACHE, CEO of CVL. “As CVL continues to grow, we are excited to bring on the top talent and experts in the field, with a proven track record of improving care.” ALA: Louisiana Has Among Highest Rates of COPD in the Country November was COPD Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness, take action, and help make a difference in the lives of people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The disease, which includes chronic bronchi- tis and emphysema, is long-term, progressive, and makes it hard to breathe. There is currently no cure for COPD, but the disease is treatable. As the month came to a close, the American Lung Association drove attention to its recently released COPD State Briefs, which include data about prevention, diagnosis, health outcomes, and treatment of the disease for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The state briefs found that Lou- isiana has one of the highest COPD prevalence rates in the country. Nationally, approximately 5% of adults, or 12.5 million people, are living with COPD. In Louisiana: • 308,151 of adults have been diagnosed with COPD. • The COPD prevalence rate is 8.7%. • 2,125 people die each year from COPD. • Annual cost of COPD treatment is $439 million. • 317,340 days of work are lost each year due to COPD. “Unfortunately, here in Louisiana, we face a higher burden of COPD, but together we can work to help prevent COPD and support our community members living with the disease to live longer and more active lives,” said Ashley Lyerly, senior director of advocacy for Louisiana at the American Lung Association. “The new COPD State Briefs also examine key indicators for COPD in Louisiana, such as air quality, tobacco use, edu- cation, income level and vaccination rate, which can help us determine where to focus our pre- vention efforts and help those most impacted by the disease.” The Lung Association recommends the fol- lowing actions to reduce the burden of COPD in Louisiana: • Use a validated COPD screening tool for people who may be at risk of COPD or reporting symptoms. • Confirm a COPD diagnosis using spirome- try, especially in primary care.