HJNO Mar/Apr 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2024 63 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com occurring weekly, is a community partnership with key contributions from Nielsen’s Farmacy, a two- acre community garden on which the produce was grown; the B.B. Sixty Rayburn Correctional Center, inmates from which harvested and bundled the produce; and the Bogalusa Help Center. “It’s a labor of love and a ministry of sorts,” said pharmacist Bill Nielsen, who plants the garden annually on land adjacent to his pharmacy. “This is just a small way I can give back to the people of Bogalusa. The real credit, though, goes to God. Whatever good we can do comes from him.” In all, 200 bundles of freshly harvested mustard greens were delivered to the food bank. Each was accompanied by a recipe card, along with infor- mation about Nielsen’s Farmacy and the Health- ier Northshore Initiative. Ben Nevers, former state senator, executive committee member of Healthier Northshore and lifelong resident of Bogalusa, gathered all the resources and entities to make this initiative a reality. “Bogalusa is my community, and we want to spread the word about the wonderful resources available here and get this produce to people who need it most,” Nevers said. “My lifelong friends and neighbors were anxious to come together to make this happen. We all want people to know they can utilize this garden whenever they need it, to provide nutrition for their families.” The Bogalusa Help Center serves approximately 100 households each week. The Healthier Northshore initiative was started in 2020 by local health systems, government offi- cials, local experts, and community leaders to serve as a network for healthcare-related educa- tion and resources in the region. Among other things, it promotes early detection and prevention to improve the health of Northshore residents. Terrebonne General Health SystemRecognized for Maternity Care Terrebonne General Health System was rec- ognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisi- ana with a Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) for Maternity Care designation as part of the Blue Dis- tinction Specialty Care program. The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program plays a key role in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) National Health Equity Strategy aimed at reducing racial health disparities across the care spectrum and improv- ing patient outcomes for all Americans. To align with this strategy, the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program enhanced its qual- ity and measurement standards to recognize higher-quality facilities that have taken action to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies, reduce racial disparities, and improve maternal health outcomes. Based on data from the current designation cycle, Terrebonne General, under the Blue Distinc- tion Centers for Maternity Care program, demon- strates higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities, with overall average rates of 26% lower episiotomies, 60% fewer elec- tive deliveries, and 17% lower cesarean births — all of which point to healthier outcomes for patients. BDC+-designated facilities also exhib- ited an average savings of 21% for maternity care. “We believe that every expectant mother deserves the highest standard of care, and our dedicated team works tirelessly towards ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for both moth- ers and newborns,” said Phyllis Peoples, presi- dent and CEO. “At Terrebonne General, we are proud to be at the forefront of delivering quality maternity care, and we recognize the profound impact it has on the health and happiness of our community.” LakeviewHospital Announces NewLab Director Lakeview Hospital has hired Jay Driggers as its new director of laboratory services. As director, Driggers oversees quality control and administra- tion of all hospital laboratory testing and analysis. "We are excited to welcome Jay to Lakeview Hospital," said Chad Cathey, Lakeview Hospi- tal chief operations officer. "As a board-certified medical laboratory scientist with a proven track record, he brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to our team." Driggers was most recently the laboratory operations manager for North Oaks Health System. Driggers received a Bachelor of Science from the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He has a medical laboratory scientist board cer- tification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology as a generalist and a Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners licensure for clinical laboratory specialist as a generalist. STHS Recognized for Higher Quality, Cost Efficiency inMaternity Care The New Family Center at St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital has been designated a Blue Distinction Center+ (BDC+) for Maternity Care by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. This distinction, part of Blue Cross’ Blue Distinc- tion Specialty Care program, is made in recogni- tion of the high quality and cost effectiveness of care provided by the health system. The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program plays a key role in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s National Health Equity Strat- egy, which is aimed at reducing racial health dis- parities across the care spectrum and improv- ing patient outcomes for all Americans. To align with this strategy, the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program raised its quality and measurement standards to recognize higher-qual- ity facilities that have taken action to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies, reduce racial disparities, and improve maternal health outcomes. Based on data from the current designation cycle, St. Tammany Parish Hospital and other facilities designated under the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program demon- strate higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities. This includes over- all average rates of 26% fewer episiotomies, 60% fewer elective deliveries, and 17% fewer cesarean Jay Driggers