HJNO Mar/Apr 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2024 43 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com that all sexually active people get screened for STIs,” said Louisiana Healthcare Connections Chief Medical Officer Stewart T. Gordon, MD, FAAP. “STIs are often asymptomatic, so make February your month to get screened.” STI screenings are not always part of a regular checkup or gynecological exam, so this screen- ing should be requested at yearly checkups. In addition to testing by a personal physician, CDC also offers an online tool to find a free, fast, and confidential testing center nearby. No personal information is necessary to use the tool, only a zip code or city and state to locate a nearby test- ing center. Visit https://gettested.cdc.gov to use this locator tool. STHS Announces Expansion of Pediatrics Practice inMandeville St. Tammany Health System has announced an expansion of its pediatric practice into the heart of Mandeville, with the planned opening in March of a new St. Tammany Pediatrics clinic and an integrated Express Care for Kids after- hours and weekend clinic, all under one roof at 3663 U.S. Highway 190. New and existing patients can schedule appointments or walk in for an appointment with any of the clinic’s care providers during nor- mal operating hours, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Additionally, they can make afterhours and weekend visits to Express Care for Kids, a walk- in clinic that — like the health system’s Express Care walk-in clinic in Covington — provides tra- ditional primary care services including well-child visits during nontraditional office hours for the convenience of local families. Express Care visits are billed like a traditional office visit, so copay amounts are much lower than those for a typical urgent care visit. Between traditional office visits and Express Care availability, patients will be able to make office visits at the new clinic between 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. Seth McVea, MD, and Jennifer Miles, MD, who currently see pediatric patients at the St. Tam- many Physician Network office in Mandeville, will relocate to the new clinic, along with Nurse Prac- titioner Perry Russell. MDs Rob Faucheux, Linda Keefer, and Marga- ret Leefe will continue seeing pediatrics patients at the St. Tammany Physicians Network clinic in Madisonville. LSU Dental Students and Faculty Give Kids a Smile LSU Health School of Dentistry invited pre-K to fourth grade students from Esperanza Academy to participate in Give Kids a Smile Day. Faculty, students, and residents from the dental and dental hygiene programs teamed up to cre- ate a special day for the nearby school. Students dressed as dental characters welcomed the stu- dents off of their buses, as dentists and hygienists prepared for education, screenings, and sealants. “Today is our kickoff of Children's National Oral Health Month with the program Give Kids a Smile, where we have invited Esperanza Acad- emy, a nearby elementary school, to participate in activities that promote oral health,” said Ster- ling Roberts, DDS, local pediatric dentist and fac- ulty member. “We’re teaching children appropri- ate oral hygiene habits, along with doing cursory dental examinations.” This year’s theme, “Your Smile Is Out of This World,” gave the entire building a space-age motif complete with space suits, planets, and rockets. Students received screenings, educa- tional programming, arts, crafts, activities, and oral hygiene instruction. Children’s Hospital Opens Northshore Outpatient Therapy Clinic Children’s Hospital New Orleans celebrated the opening of its new, expanded Northshore Out- patient Therapy Clinic located at 5024 Keystone Blvd. in Covington on the campus of Lakeview Hospital with a ribbon cutting Feb. 1. The event, attended by St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper and St. Tammany Chamber of Com- merce CEO Lacey Osborne, celebrated the new clinic, which adds to the existing pediatric ser- vices already provided by Children’s Hospital on the campus of its LCMC Health sister hospital. “We are thrilled that our new, expanded out- patient therapy clinic will bring even more spe- cialized pediatric rehabilitation services to the children and families of our Northshore communities,” said Lucio A. Fragoso, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital. “This exciting growth builds upon the partnership we have enjoyed with Lakeview for many years, and we look forward to bringing even more pediat- ric services close to home for families on the Northshore.” The new 4,100-square-foot clinic offers pediatric physical, occupational, and speech and language therapies in a facility that features specialized gyms, therapy, and treatment rooms in a kid- and family-centered environment. The clinic was designed by architecture firm Eskew Dumez Rip- ple, and built by Bradley Design & Construction. “With the expansion of space, and the addition of new staff, our capacity to provide outpatient rehabilitation services has nearly doubled,” said Todd Danos, assistant vice president of hospital operations at Children’s Hospital. “That means more children will have access to the care and support they need, when and where they need it.” Children’s Hospital first opened its doors in 1955 as a rehabilitation hospital following the polio epidemic and today is the only CARF- accredited pediatric rehabilitation program in Louisiana and one of two children’s hospitals nationally to hold its prestigious level of certi- fication. Children’s Hospital recently added an additional accreditation in spinal cord Injury to its lineup of specialty programs offered, which also includes accreditations in inpatient rehab, pediatric specialty, and brain injury specialty by CARF International. Flu Cases in Louisiana Among the Highest in the U.S. The Louisiana State Health Department recently released that Louisiana and South Carolina hold among the highest rates of flu activity in the U.S. LDH also confirmed the first flu-related death of a child for this season. The death hailed from the Baton Rouge area. State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol was quoted as saying, “Activity in the U.S. this year, and really it’s pretty much the same usually from year to year, starts to increase in the southeastern and the south Atlantic states first.” Hospitalizations are on the rise, as well. n