HJNO Jan/Feb 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2026 39 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com celebrated medicating a disease, but, unfortu- nately, not solving its cause. Early in the announcement, the president said, “The United States is just four percent of the world’s population and consumes only 13 per- cent of all prescription drugs, yet pharmaceuti- cal companies make 75 percent of their profits from the American customer.” He offered the sta- tistics as proof that his administration was rein- ing in the unfairness of the high drug costs the U.S. has been paying. Ironically, this new agree- ment doesn’t dismantle that profit imbalance; it entrenches it. America will still bankroll the industry’s profits, only now through government- backed prescriptions for a preventable disease that affects half of adult Americans. Kennedy called obesity “a disease of pov- erty.” Yet the administration’s response is to sub- sidize drugs that treat the symptom rather than address the cause — lack of whole, healthy, deli- cious, affordable food for all of our citizens. What was billed as a war on chronic disease feels more like paying gas mask manufacturers to distribute gas masks to citizens, rather than simply turning off the gas. Kennedy projected that Americans would col- lectively lose 125 million pounds within a year because of this agreement. Mehmet Oz, MD, CMS administrator, upped the claim to 135 billion pounds by the midterms — a figure that would require every adult American to shed nearly 400 pounds apiece. A lot of self-congratulations happened as the administration seems focused on trying to secure a “Most-Favored-Nation” drug-pricing model, the very thing nations with socialized medicine have done for decades — negotiating national drug prices on behalf of their citizens. Here, we continue to keep capitalism in our healthcare sys- tem alive and well. This market-driven arrange- ment ensures continued profits at the expense of our citizens, even as we praise the companies for their “generosity.” We now offer them access to half our population — at $149 per month. Throughout the announcement, the word “win” echoed again and again — a “win-win” for com- panies, a “win” for patients, a “win” for America. The president repeatedly praised the CEOs’ suc- cess, calling them “fantastic,” “entitled to their money,” and “stars in the business.” He even marveled that “their stocks all went up” because of this. But this so-called “win” does nothing to change the food supply that makes us sick in the first place. We are a country where millions rely on ultra-processed, nutrient-stripped food because it’s what’s available and affordable — food that other countries would not allow on their shelves. Now, instead of fixing that, we’ll medicate its result. People may lose weight, but many will still be malnourished because of the food choices available to them — thinner, perhaps, but not healthier. If the goal of medicine is vitality, not just vanity, then this isn’t victory at all. This is capitalism at its finest — an expansion of the pharmaceutical economy, financed by taxpayers. Yes, many Americans suffering from obesity will finally have access to these drugs. That matters. But let’s not confuse access with reform. Lower prices don’t fix the system that made them necessary. None of this is to say these drugs have no place in medicine. For some people, they can be a life- line — a reset button, a first step toward regain- ing control of their health. But when access to medication becomes the stand-in for a function- ing food system, we have lost sight of what health means. If the government truly wants to make America healthy again, it must start not with phar- maceuticals, but with food — though that would be labeled a “nanny state” move and would cut into the profits of food manufacturers. Don’t want that. We are watching capitalism at its finest. Make a problem for the masses, then solve it — making money on both ends. Please send comments or questions to editor@ushealthcarejournals.com . Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine Unveils Leadership Team, Accreditation Update Xavier University and Ochsner Health are creat- ing a new medical school. When Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM) opens its doors, it will be the only Historically Black College or Uni- versity medical school in the Gulf South. XOCOM has been granted candidate status by the Liai- son Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the accrediting body for medical degree educa- tion programs in the U.S. Next up in the journey to receiving preliminary accreditation is a survey visit at its Benson Tower location. XOCOM has hired several associate deans, including: • Rajiv Gala, MD, for education and academic affairs; • Brian Moore, MD, FACS, for clinical affairs; • Eboni Price-Haywood, MD, MPH, MMM, FACP, for health equity and public health; • Tamika Webb-Detiege, MD, for student affairs; • Randal (Randy) Langford and Edward Phil- lips for finance and administration; and • Nneka Ifejika, MD, MPH, and Kaneisha Bai- ley Akinpelumi, PhD, for research (interim). Seven Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center Locations Recertified Seven Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Cen- ter locations have received recertification by the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Cer- tification Program, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association for Clinical Oncology and an affil- iate of the American Society of Clinical Oncol- ogy (ASCO). The QOPI Certification Program builds on ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, pro- viding a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet nation- ally recognized standards for quality cancer care. The Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center loca- tions recertified for their cancer care are: • Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medical Center; • St. Tammany Cancer Center; • Ochsner Medical Center–Kenner; • Ochsner Baptist; • Ochsner Medical Center–West Bank Campus; • Ochsner Cancer Center–Baton Rouge; and • Ochsner Medical Complex–The Grove. Smart Health Station Launches at Joe Brown Park On Nov. 1, the American Heart Association, Higi, and the New Orleans Health Department launched a health engagement platform in a