HJNO Mar/Apr 2026

48 MAR / APR 2026  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS Hospital Rounds Patient at Manning Family Children’s Receives $31K grant On Jan. 20, the Baskin-Robbins Joy in Child- hood Foundation named nine-year-old Abigail Fisher, a patient at Manning Family Children’s, as its newest Pint-Sized Hero, granting $31,000 to Manning Family Children’s and giving Fisher a year of free ice cream. The Pint-Sized Heroes pro- gram aims to bring happiness and smiles to chil- dren that are facing challenges and receiving care at children’s hospitals across the country. Fisher has Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare inherited group of conditions that affect the growth of a child’s skull and facial bones. The $31,000 grant will support Walker's Imag- inarium, a 15,000-square-foot child enrichment center at Manning Family Children’s that is cur- rently under construction and will be open in the fall of this year. STHS Announces Expanded, Modernized Cath Lab in Covington St. Tammany Health System plans on opening a new, fully modern outpatient cardiac catheteriza- tion lab in Covington in spring 2026. The Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System has been under construction since sum- mer 2025 in the Charles A. Frederick Jr. Medi- cal Office Complex at 1203 S. Tyler St., directly across the street from the health system’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital. Work is scheduled for completion in late March. The 20,317-square-foot facility is expected to serve as many as 30 to 40 patients daily in a range of diagnostic and interventional roles. The health system plans to hire approximately 40 healthcare professionals to staff the center — about 20 upon opening and another 20 once fully operational in 2027 — including registered nurses, radiologic technologists, registered cardiovascular invasive specialists, and cardiac and vascular sonogra- phers. Recruitment efforts are underway. Noninvasive Liver Tumor Treatment Available at Ochsner MDAnderson Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center in New Orleans is now offering histotripsy treatment, an advancement for treating liver tumors, for eligible patients with certain liver diseases. Histotripsy is a noninvasive treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023. It uses high intensity ultrasound waves to destroy liver tumors in a single outpatient pro- cedure. This treatment may be used for primary liver tumors originating in the liver or metastasized tumors resulting from another cancer spreading to the liver. Histotripsy is a new option for patients with liver tumors who may not be candidates for surgery or other traditional therapies. Most patients benefit from single-session ther- apy, with many able to return home the same day and quickly resume normal activities. The effectiveness of histotripsy has been stud- ied for more than two decades in clinical trials. In recent studies conducted in Europe and the United States, histotripsy has been used suc- cessfully in humans to destroy primary and met- astatic liver tumors, leading to its FDA approval for these indications. Other future potential uses are expected for this innovative technology. Cur- rently, Ochsner MD Anderson is one of only a select number of hospitals in the U.S offering this treatment. Terrebonne General Health System, Fletcher Technical Community College Centralize Programs Terrebonne General Health System and Fletcher Technical Community College have centralized all existing nursing and allied health programs into one location on the Fletcher campus. Students have been using the new centralized classrooms and labs at Fletcher since September. Thibodaux Regional Welcomes Jonathan Babin, MD, to theMedical Staff Jonathan Babin, MD, has joined Thibodaux Regional Health System, caring for patients at Thibodaux Regional Surgical Specialty Clinic located 604 North Acadia Road, Suite 207, in Thibodaux. Babin received an undergraduate degree in biology from Nicholls State University. He earned a medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed a surgery internship and residency at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans. Additionally, Babin completed a fellowship in trauma and surgical crit- ical care from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons. Babin’s areas of expertise include general and gastrointestinal surgery, intra-abdominal sepsis and infections, trauma, and critical care. NewExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Ochsner Health Timothy Riddell, MD, is the new executive vice president and chief operating officer at Ochsner Health. Riddell, a Louisiana native, brings 28 years of experience within the Ochsner group practice to his new position. Riddell began his career with the health system as a family medicine resident in 1997. Prior to becoming chief operating officer, Riddell served as the chief medical officer for several Ochsner regions and led the Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast region as CEO from 2022 to 2024. Dur- ing his tenure as CEO, he added new service offer- ings across the region and established Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at St. Tammany Can- cer Center. Riddell is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney Col- lege in Virginia and received a medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. He previ- ously served two terms on the Ochsner Health Board of Directors and held leadership roles, including medical director for Ochsner Home Health Covington. STHS Launches Diabetes Prevention Program Targeting Prediabetics St. Tammany Health System’s Diabetes Edu- cation Department’s PreventT2 is a new initia- tive aimed at helping patients reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The program is designed for adults who have been diagnosed with prediabetes or who are at increased risk for developing the condition. Pre- ventT2 focuses on sustainable lifestyle changes shown to prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. PreventT2 is a yearlong program built on a