HJNO Mar/Apr 2025

62 MAR / APR 2025  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds medical efforts for this global event, including: • Supporting medical staff for both Super Bowl teams and their fans, with medical support at events during Super Bowl week, including the Super Bowl Experience at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center Feb. 5-8, in partnership with New Orleans EMS. • Staffing three conveniently located Och- sner Urgent Care locations near the Caesars Superdome and downtown New Orleans. • Ochsner Urgent Care — Warehouse District, 900 Magazine Street. • Ochsner Urgent Care — Uptown, 4605 Magazine Street. • Ochsner Urgent Care —Mid-City, 4100 Canal Street. • Ochsner medical providers, in collaboration with Acadian Ambulance, will staff two out- door medical stations pre-game outside the stadium and seven medical stations inside the Superdome during the game. First responder support In gratitude for their life-saving work, Ochsner recently donated iPads to the New Orleans Fire Department to assist in critical documentation. The New Orleans Police Department recently created an Emergency Medical Responder pro- gram, and Ochsner donated automated exter- nal defibrillators (AEDs) to the organization so patients can be rendered aid quickly during a medical emergency before being transported to the hospital. UniversityMedical Center Partners to Establish Fund to Support Victims of Bourbon Street Attack In the wake of the recent mass casualty event on Bourbon Street early New Year’s Day, which claimed multiple lives and left others gravely injured, University Medical Center New Orleans (UMC), in partnership with the Spirit of Charity Foundation, announced the establishment of the NOLA Strong Fund. "In the face of unimaginable loss and heart- break, our community consistently shows its true strength,” said John Nickens, CEO of University Medical Center New Orleans. “The NOLA Strong Fund is a testament to the resilience and unity that defines New Orleans and the Spirit of Char- ity. Together, we rise to support those impacted, ensuring that care, compassion, and hope are always available when it’s needed most. We show up, we take care, and we choose excellence. This is who we are, and this is how we heal – together." “The Spirit of Charity Foundation is proud to partner with UMC for the NOLA Strong Fund, which will provide critical support for medical expenses, counseling services, and other essential needs for patients and their families,” said War- ren Bell, president of the Spirit of Charity Founda- tion Board. “Standing NOLA Strong, this initiative aims to strengthen our community by fostering unity and encouraging others to contribute to the healing process.” How to Help UMC and the Spirit of Charity Foundation invite the community to join this effort and stand in sol- idarity with the victims and their families during this challenging time. Individuals, businesses, and organizations are encouraged to donate to the NOLA Strong Fund by visiting www.umcno. org/NOLAStrong to support those affected by the tragedy. For more information and to donate, visit www. umcno.org/NOLAStrong. STHS Holds Free Advance Care PlanningWorkshops for 2025 St. Tammany Health System’s Palliative Medicine program has announced the continuation of its free Advance Care Planning and Education Walk- Up Workshop series in 2025. This series is designed to help community neighbors learn the steps needed to communi- cate their wishes about their medical care before they are faced with a serious illness that might result in the inability to communicate those wishes with loved ones. Attendees of the workshops will receive assis- tance in preparing living wills and related docu- ments on-site at no charge. Save the dates for the following workshops for the first half of 2025. All are free and open to the public. • March 12, 9 a.m., St. Tammany Health Sys- tem Women’s Pavilion (301 North U.S. 190, Covington). • April 16, noon, Healthcare Decisions Day “donuts and documents” event, St. Tam- many Health System Palliative Care Clinic (1010 South Polk St., Covington). • May 6, 10 a.m., Cinco de Mammo event at Avanti Senior Living Center (2235 Watercross Parkway, Covington). • June 19, 4:30 p.m., Alzheimer’s Support Group and Advance Care Planning event at Avanti Senior Living Center (2235 Water- cross Parkway, Covington). For more information or to set up an appoint- ment to complete an Advance Care Plan, con- tact the STHS Palliative Medicine team at (985) 871-5975. Children’s Hospital NO, Now Manning Family Children’s, Breaks Gound forWalker’s Imaginarium The groundbreaking for Walker’s Imaginarium at Children’s Hospital New Orleans was held Jan. 28. The event will was held at the hospital, located at 200 Henry Clay Ave. in New Orleans. Walker’s Imaginarium is made possible entirely through philanthropic support. The project is a first-of-its-kind, 15,000-square-foot child enrich- ment center planned for the main campus of Chil- dren’s Hospital New Orleans that will provide a therapeutic environment for children of all ages and abilities to find joy and thrive throughout their hospital stay. Named in memory of Walker Beery, who founded nonprofit Kids Join the Fight before losing his own battle to pediatric brain can- cer, Walker’s Imaginarium will serve as a place of healing and enrichment for children — a space where kids can play and momentarily forget they are sick. Child enrichment leads to improved quality, outcomes, and patient family experiences. Fami- lies also need a space to be families while expe- riencing a hospital stay, which can be a hard and stressful time for both parents and siblings. Some- thing as simple as a walk outside or a moment to step away and dance can provide a tremen- dous amount of respite. The imaginative escape of Walker’s Imaginarium will also offer patients and their families an opportunity to connect and form communities of support that would other- wise be difficult in isolated patient rooms or nurs- ing units. n