HJNO Sep/Oct 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2024 63 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com of the state and drives economic development and opportunity. We’re grateful to Governor Jeff Landry and LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois for their leadership and are excited to work along- side them to grow jobs in the state.” In the past six years, Ochsner Health has com- mitted $12M to funds and companies in Louisi- ana. This includes nine investments in early-stage companies whose products and services range from healthcare delivery and health tech to life sciences and value-based care. These companies are located throughout the state and support over 235 jobs. Because of Ochsner’s size and focus on healthcare, its portfolio companies benefit from expertise and mentorship from top-tier clinicians and healthcare management professionals, along with access to national networks of venture capital and healthcare experts. Terrebonne General Health SystemNames Monique Clark, MBA, Director of Physician Practice Services Terrebonne General Health System has named Monique Clark, MBA, director of physician prac- tice services. Clark brings valuable experience from her previous role as the director of oper- ations at LSU Healthcare Network. She will be responsible for enhancing relationships with the health system’s physician practices, growing the practices, and ensuring quality patient care is at the forefront. Clark earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemis- try from Dillard University in New Orleans, and an MBA in Healthcare Management from the Univer- sity of Phoenix. She participated in the Executive Emergency Department. Gros, also an emergency medicine special- ist, graduated magna cum laude with a Bache- lor of Science from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. He earned a medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and did a residency at the Univer- sity of Alabama Birmingham Department of Emer- gency Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. “We are proud to welcome these highly sought-after emergency medical specialists to our growing team of physicians who are essen- tial in delivering critical, life-saving treatments to our community,” said Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO. Ochsner Health Announces $10MOchsner Louisiana Innovation Fund Ochsner Ventures announced the creation of the Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund, a $10 mil- lion fund for investments in early-stage, innovative health and health-adjacent companies in Louisi- ana. The fund is a partnership between Ochsner Health and Louisiana Economic Development (LED) through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a program of the U.S. Treasury Department. The Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund will identify and invest in venture and seed-stage health companies that are headquartered or have a meaningful nexus in Louisiana. The fund will make equity investments in companies whose innovations will improve the health of Louisianans and the experience of healthcare professionals across the industry. Priority will be given to com- panies whose solutions advance Ochsner’s stra- tegic priorities of accelerating value-based care, digital transformation of care delivery, and improv- ing access and community health across the state, with a focus on supporting founders from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds (SEDI). “The Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund is one of the many ways we’re inspiring healthier lives and building stronger communities,” said Pete November, CEO of Ochsner Health. “Support- ing Louisiana entrepreneurs who are developing innovative programs, services and technologies, furthers our commitment to improve the health Ochsner Health Named Among America’s Greatest Workplaces by Newsweek For the second consecutive year, Ochsner Health, has been named one of America’s Great- est Workplaces for 2024 by Newsweek and Plant- A Insights Group. Ochsner’s inclusion on this year’s list highlights the health system’s dedication to delivering excellence in inclusivity, employee empowerment and innovative culture. Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group rec- ognize the America’s Greatest Workplaces in the United States by conducting a large-scale employer study based on 1.5 million comprehen- sive company reviews from more than 250,000 employees. Ochsner Health was awarded a five- star rating in the large-size company category. “At Ochsner, we prioritize both the health of our patients and the well-being and growth of our employees who are the heart of our organi- zation. Receiving this honor from Newsweek reaf- firms our commitment to an inclusive, support- ive and dynamic work environment,” said Tracey Schiro, executive vice president, chief people and culture officer, Ochsner Health. “Finding a great workplace is an important deci- sion that needs to factor in pay, respect, training and advancement as well as healthy work-life bal- ance. Newsweek and market-data research firm Plant-A Insights are proud to publish “America’s Greatest Workplaces 2024,” the second annual ranking that highlights companies which are com- mitted to offering a positive and supportive work- ing environment,” said Nancy Cooper, global edi- tor in chief, Newsweek . Terrebonne General Health SystemWelcomes Emergency Physician Specialists Terrebonne General Health System welcomes Rory A. Eschete, II, MD, and Brendon J. Gros, MD. Eschete, an emergency medicine specialist, attended Nicholls State University in Thibodaux for a Bachelor of Science. He completed a medi- cal degree at the American University of the Carib- bean in St. Maarten and an emergency medicine residency at the University of Mississippi Medi- cal Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Before attend- ing medical school, he worked as an emergency medical technician in the Terrebonne General Monique Clark, MBA