HJNO May/Jun 2024

38 MAY / JUN 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs Presentations, networking sessions, and moder- ated discussions focused on common challenges and new advances in care. Nearly 50 providers and professionals from community practices, Tulane, LSUHSC-NO, Ochsner, LSUHS, OLG, Our Lady of the Lake, Thibodaux Regional Health System, and Children’s Hospital New Orleans attended. Participants connected to build a shared vision for improving clinical care, access to care within the state, and patient safety and outcomes. The consortium aims to foster inno- vative research that will set the future standard of care for epilepsy. The conference keynote speaker was Swaroop Aradhya, MD, chief of global medical affairs and chief scientific officer for rare diseases, Invitae Corporation. He shared insights into the future of precision medicine in epilepsy. DePaul Community Health Centers’ Medical Director to Receive Public Health Leadership Award DePaul Community Health Centers (DCHC) announced that its medical director, Robert M. Post, MD, was honored with the 2024 Public Health Leadership Award by the Medical Asso- ciation of Southeast Louisiana (MASELA). Post received his award at the Jefferson Parish Medi- cal Society, Orleans Parish Medical Society, and MASELA Celebration of Medicine on March 8 at the Metairie Country Club. The MASELA Public Health Leadership Award is presented to a physician who was nominated as a leader who is, or has been, dedicated to protect- ing and improving the health and health equity of communities. This includes promoting healthy lifestyles, decreasing barriers to care, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, pre- venting and responding to infectious diseases. The mission and vision of MASELA is to unify and empower physicians in Southeast Louisiana to enhance medical care and the quality of life in our community and to create a medical prac- tice environment which supports and encour- ages physicians’ professional satisfaction and well-being. MASELA also enables physicians to provide accessible, equitable, and quality med- ical care. "I am honored to be recognized for the work that we began in the early 1990's at Daughters of Charity Health Centers, known now as Depaul Community Health Centers, to improve the health of the communities that we serve,” said Post. “Hopefully this will be an opportunity to high- light the importance and effectiveness of commu- nity health centers in providing access and elimi- nating health disparities. In addition, I hope that we can also bring attention to our new residen- cies in family medicine and nurse practitioners, as well as our ongoing relationships with univer- sities in the area to train the next generation of healthcare professionals to continue the work in underserved communities. Terrebonne General’s Nancy Faucheaux, APRN-BC, is Certified Geriatric Care Professional Terrebonne General Health System announced Nurse Practitioner Nancy Faucheaux, APRN-BC, is now a certified geriatric care professional. Cer- tified Geriatric Care Professional (CGCP) Certi- fication is a comprehensive training program designed to equip healthcare professionals with insights for improving the quality of care provided to aging and complex patients. To qualify for this certification, Faucheaux, an NP for 24 years, had to complete rigorous train- ing in core geriatric care educational competency. This curriculum covers assessment, pharmacol- ogy, pain management, fall prevention, cogni- tive decline, psycho-social wellbeing, behav- iors, patient empowerment, documentation, legal issues, transition of care, end-of-life care, and ethnogeriatrics. A minimum of four years of focused experience with geriatric patients was also a prerequisite for Faucheaux’s achievement. Faucheaux sees adult patients ages 18 years and older at Terrebonne General Internal Med- icine Specialists at 8120 Main Street, Suite 301, in Houma. Ochsner Health Hosts Ribbon Cutting for NewOchsner 65 Plus inMetairie Doctors, nurses, and staff, along with local gov- ernment leaders, came together on March 5 to cut the ribbon and officially open the new Och- sner 65 Plus – Lafreniere. The facility will bring specialized health and wellness services for patients 65 and older conveniently to the Metai- rie neighborhood. Ochsner 65 Plus is designed exclusively for older adults and offers personalized healthcare, social support, and wellness resources to tend to the needs of a senior’s lifestyle. Ochsner 65 Plus also helps these patients to access much- needed medications, navigate the insurance pro- cess, acquire financial assistance, and gain knowl- edge on operating Ochsner’s Digital Medicine technologies. The facility is located at 7060 Veterans Memo- rial Blvd. in Metairie. Louisiana Considers Medicaid Coverage for Menopausal Treatment Louisiana lawmakers would mandate the state’s Medicaid program cover treatment for meno- pause and perimenopause symptoms under pro- posed legislation. Rep. Aimee Freeman, D-New Orleans, drafted House Bill 392 after hearing from a physician that health insurance companies refuse to cover hor- monal treatment for perimenopause and meno- pause. The doctor told her estrogen and pro- gesterone supplements were among the most commonly rejected. The legislation only requires Medicaid to offer menopausal and perimenopausal treatment. Freeman said private insurance plans, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, already cover those medical needs and do not need to be addressed in her bill. Menopause and perimenopause typically affects women in their 40s and 50s as they Nancy Faucheaux, APRN-BC