HJNO May/Jun 2024

56 MAY / JUN 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds St. Tammany Health System Pharmacy at Braswell’s Celebrates Grand Re-Opening Five months after acquiring Braswell’s pharmacy in Covington, St. Tammany Health System leaders held a ribbon cutting and grand re-opening of the newly branded St. Tammany Health System Phar- macy at Braswell’s. In addition to uniting two long-standing local healthcare institutions, the acquisition ensures Braswell’s, which has served Northshore residents since 1981, remains locally owned and operated. “We are, of course, excited and grateful to expand St. Tammany Health System’s retail oper- ation today,” health system President and CEO Joan Coffman said. “But I am particularly gratified that we were able to purchase this iconic business and keep it locally owned. Under our stewardship, our Northshore neighbors can rest assured that Braswell’s will continue to serve the Northshore community with compassion and professionalism for years to come.” With the rebranding comes new signage and several behind-the-scenes operational adjust- ments. Otherwise, the health system has worked to make the transition as seamless as possible, both for customers and for Braswell team mem- bers, who were invited to join the St. Tammany Health System workforce. “We are proud to retain many of the colleagues who have served the Covington community for years under the Braswell’s name and welcome them to our St. Tammany family,” said Sharon Toups, senior vice president and chief operating officer of St. Tammany Health System. “Through this acquisition, we are able to meld our histories, keep the pharmacy local, and serve our commu- nity in yet another capacity, with the same care and compassion we have for the past seven decades.” Coffman, Toups, and other health system lead- ers were joined by local dignitaries including Cov- ington Mayor Mark Johnson, who characterized the acquisition of Braswell’s – located right across South Tyler Street from the health system’s flag- ship St. Tammany Parish Hospital – as a win-win for the community. “This is the story of icon meets icon,” Mayor Johnson said. “Two trusted long-standing local businesses become one. When St. Tammany Health System decided to acquire Braswell’s, we knew then that it would remain a local commu- nity pharmacy. I always love it when history takes a positive turn. This is fantastic for the city of Cov- ington and the entire St. Tammany community.” In addition to Braswell’s, St. Tammany Health System will continue to operate its employee and inpatient pharmacy within St. Tammany Par- ish Hospital. Newsweek Names Ochsner Health One of ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces forWomen 2024’ Ochsner Health announced its recognition as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2024 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. This recognition underscores Ochsner’s commit- ment to fostering an inclusive environment that values diversity, equity, and inclusion and pro- motes career advancement for women. In a survey conducted by Newsweek that included more than 142,000 women across more than 848,000 American companies, Ochsner Health, classified as a large company on the list, earned five out of five stars. “We are immensely proud that Ochsner’s ded- ication to creating an environment where our female employees can thrive has been recog- nized. Women are the core of our organization, accounting for 79.9% of the workforce across our system at Ochsner Health. Through empower- ment, respect and equal opportunity, we strive to equip each employee with the tools for both professional and personal growth. We firmly believe that excellence is an ongoing journey, and together, we can accomplish great things,” said Tracey Schiro, executive vice president and chief people and culture officer, Ochsner Health. At Ochsner, numerous programs have been implemented to support its female employees. Ochsner’s Career Development Program offers free regional and systemwide courses leading to career opportunities within the organization and the Ochsner Learning Institute serves as a resource for professional development available to all within the organization. Employees have access to an array of digital and in-person edu- cational courses, podcasts, and books designed to support professional well-being and growth. Furthermore, a career center is available to assist employees as they explore career advancement opportunities. Comprehensive and unique benefits, such as lifestyle benefits, education assistance, and fam- ily-building benefits, are also available, ensuring that the well-being of our employees remains a priority both at work and at home. The Women Empowering Women (WoW) group is open to all employees and supports women of diverse ages and backgrounds through professional develop- ment, community outreach, wellness resources and more. Ochsner Health Joins Academic Consortium’s Global Integrative Health Network Ochsner Health is joining nearly 80 of the world’s most recognized academic medical centers and health systems as a new member of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. For integrative medicine professionals and stu- dents, the Academic Consortium is the world’s most comprehensive community for advancing the practice of whole healthcare, with leading expertise in research, clinical care, education, and policy. Ochsner’s integrative oncology program at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in New Orleans joins this community to further advance its holistic approach to cancer care. “Innovation, community, humanity, and science are all core values of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health,” said Academic Consortium Chair Amy Locke, MD. She added, “Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center’s commit- ment to developing and maintaining a robust and diverse integrative oncology program is exem- plary of these values. We are thrilled to welcome them as our newest member.” Under the leadership of Medical Director Eliza- beth Lapeyre, MD, FACOG, ABOIM, Ochsner MD Anderson’s integrative oncology program sup- ports patients in Louisiana at every step of their cancer journey. By bringing together a diverse group of healthcare providers, Ochsner MD Anderson provides integrative oncology care that includes nurse navigation, social services, mental health services, massage therapy, acupuncture, therapeutic yoga, integrative nutrition, medita- tion, and rehabilitative wellness services. Ochsner Health continues to expand the