HJNO Jan/Feb 2025

62 JAN / FEB 2025  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds St. Tammany Health SystemHosts First NICUReunion Since COVID Care providers from St. Tammany Health Sys- tem’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit reunited Oct. 27 with some of their former patients, the first such reunion held by STHS since the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2019. Held at Coquille Park near Covington, the fall- themed event featured such kid-friendly activi- ties as a petting zoo, a slide, face painting, bub- bles, games, and an antique firetruck for use as a photo op. “Meeting the patients and families again answers the ‘why’ for NICU nursing at St. Tam- many Health System,” said STHS Director of Women and Children’s Services Suzanne Fraiche. “It was beautiful weather, and a fun time was had by all!” Although interrupted by COVID, the health sys- tem’s NICU reunions have traditionally been an annual event, in which families that spent time in the NICU over the previous five years are invited back to reconnect with the nurses, nurse practi- tioners, neonatologists, and other providers who cared for them during their stay at the Coving- ton hospital. STHS Maternity Care Recognized by U.S. News &World Report The New Family Center at St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital has again been included on U.S. News & World Report ’s list of Best Hospitals for Maternity Care for 2024-2025. “With a record-breaking number of hospitals evaluated, U.S. News ’ 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings represent the most com- prehensive resource yet for expectant parents,” said Jennifer Winston, PhD, health data scien- tist at U.S. News . “These high-performing hos- pitals showcase exceptional care for expectant parents, demonstrating significantly lower C-sec- tion rates and severe unexpected newborn com- plications compared to hospitals not recognized by U.S. News .” St. Tammany was deemed a high-performing hospital, with an “excellent” rate of minimizing avoidable C-sections and at avoiding earlier-than- recommended deliveries. Other areas in which it was held out for distinction includes a breastfeeding rate (53.1%) that exceeded both the Southern average (38.8%) and the national average (49%); its demonstrated commitment to improving maternal outcomes by participating in quality improvement collabora- tives; and the rarity of newborn complications in full-term newborns with normal birthweight and no pre-existing conditions. “St. Tammany Health System has been welcom- ing babies into the world for a long time – since Dec. 2, 1954, in fact, when we delivered our first child – so we have a lot of practice,” President and CEO Joan Coffman said. “That said, I have to give a shout-out to our entire New Family Center team, which with every birth continues to demon- strate the same unflagging commitment to main- taining our reputation as the safest, most comfort- able and most professional birthing hospital on the Northshore.” In addition to its space and homelike patient rooms, the New Family Center includes a 14-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and, as of September 2023, a purpose-built Obstetric Emer- gency Department. The STHS New Family Center also serves as a breast milk donor depot, part of the Mother’s Milk Bank of Louisiana; and offers an array of childbirth and parenting classes. Terrebonne General Health SystemHonors Bedford Nieves-Cruz, MD Terrebonne General Health named Bedford Nieves-Cruz, MD, as the recipient of the Golden Stethoscope Award. Nieves-Cruz has been a neo- natologist at Terrebonne General for 26 years and is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. Nieves-Cruz graduated from medical school at the Universidad Nordestana, Dominican Repub- lic. He then completed an internship at Guayama Regional Hospital in Puerto Rico and a residency at Caguas Regional Hospital in Puerto Rico. Fol- lowing this, he pursued a fellowship in neonatol- ogy at San Juan Hospital in Monticello, Utah. The Golden Stethoscope Award publicly recog- nizes a Terrebonne General physician for “pro- fessionalism, integrity, and teamwork” in caring for patients and families and interacting with hos- pital staff members and other physicians. Physi- cians, employees, patients, and volunteers can make nominations. Two physicians are recognized with this award each year. Bollinger Shipyards President, CEOElected to Ochsner Health Board of Directors Ochsner Health announced that Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, LLC, has been elected to serve as a board member for its 46-hospital health system. Bordelon will begin his four-year term effective January 1, 2025. The Ochsner Health Board of Directors oversees the system’s leadership and strategy to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. “The Ochsner Health Board of Directors plays an integral role in guiding our decisions, inspir- ing our actions and shaping our relationships with our patients, team members and communi- ties,” said Pete November, CEO, Ochsner Health. “Ben is a trusted member of our community who brings decades of strong leadership and ser- vice throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. I am thrilled to welcome him to the Ochsner Board as we all work together to build a healthier region and strengthen our communities, today and into the future.” Bordelon graduated from Louisiana State Uni- versity where he was a member of the LSU Tigers football team. Following a career in the NFL, Bor- delon joined Bollinger Shipyards in 2000 as proj- ect manager. He has held a variety of leadership positions throughout his tenure, including exec- utive vice president of repair and chief operating officer. In 2014, Ben assumed the position of pres- ident and CEO. “I am honored to join the board of Ochsner Bedford Nieves-Cruz, MD