HJNO May/Jun 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAY / JUN 2026 49 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com therapy into clinical care models for patients experiencing cognitive decline. The brain health collaboration will also explore pathways to integrate Spectris into programs serv- ing dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid popula- tions, an area where Alzheimer’s disease places significant clinical and economic burden. The col- laboration will seek to generate clinical and health economics data to better understand the cost- effectiveness of noninvasive neuromodulation therapies and their role within value-based care models, including potential exploration of cover- age pathways with payers. Together, Cognito and Ochsner aim to develop a new framework for brain health measurement, care delivery, and evidence generation, helping to accelerate the translation of innovative therapies from research to real-world clinical practice. LCMCHealth Hospitals Announce Recent Bariatric Designations East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) and Uni- versity Medical Center New Orleans (UMC), both members of the LCMC Health system, have both officially received the Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery designation from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS). The Blue Distinction Center designation is awarded to healthcare facilities that demonstrate expertise in delivering specialty care safely and effectively. For both LCMC Health facilities, this validation confirms that their bariatric programs meet rigorous national benchmarks set by BCBS for patient safety, program structure, and clinical outcomes. The Blue Distinction program evaluates hospi- tals based on objective measures, including lower complication rates and fewer hospital readmis- sions following bariatric procedures. Ben Adams, MD, Receives Golden Stethoscope Award Terrebonne General Health System honored Ben Adams, MD, with a Golden Stethoscope Award. Adams is board-certified in anesthesiology and echocardiography, and previously served as vice chief of medical staff, chief of staff, director of anesthesiology, and medical director of surgery at Terrebonne General. He has been on staff at Terrebonne General for 16 years and is currently a member of the Terrebonne General Board of Commissioners. Adams graduated from medical school at the University of Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville, Kentucky, completed his residency at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, and his fellowship at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. STHS Cuts Ribbon on The Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System The new Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System was officially dedicated March 25 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by health system leadership, members of the medi- cal community, and local public officials. The 22,000-square-foot facility, located across South Tyler Street from St. Tammany Parish Hospital, brings centralization of cardiology procedures and diagnostics under one roof. Incorporating input from the care providers who will work there, every detail of the center was designed with the patient in mind, with a specific goal of providing a more accessible, less fragmented care journey. Health system leaders said the move reflects a nationwide trend toward outpatient cardiovascular care and aims to increase capacity to meet the needs of the growing Northshore community while also improving convenience and reducing stress for patients. The center includes: • Two fully equipped cardiac catheterization labs, with the ability to expand to add a third should patient volumes require it. • Four echocardiography and vascular ultra- sound rooms. • Two noninvasive cardiology procedure rooms for stress testing, transesophageal echocardiograms, and cardioversion. • Fifteen pre- and post-procedure rooms. The facility will open with 17 full-time employ- ees and is expected to grow to 35 staff members when fully operational. The inpatient cardiovascular program at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, including its four catheterization labs, will remain unchanged and separate from the new outpatient Cardiology Center. The Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System will feature original works of local artists — including Peggy Hesse, Mary Helen Seago, and Rachelle Woodard — provided through the nonprofit St. Tammany Health Foundation’s Healing Arts Initiative. The Cardiology Center at St. Tammany Health System is on the third floor of the Charles A. Fred- erick Medical Office Complex at 1203 S. Tyler St., which is connected to St. Tammany Parish Hospital by a pedestrian skybridge spanning Tyler Street. Ochsner MDAnderson to Offer Precision Cancer Radiation Treatment Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in New Orleans will soon be one of only eight cancer treatment facilities in the world, and the first in the South, to offer biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT), a breakthrough treatment currently FDA approved for patients diagnosed with primary or metastatic tumors to lung and bone. The new treatment uses the unique biology of the cancer itself to guide radiotherapy deliv- ery, even in tumors that are in motion. It is the first platform to combine PET (positron-emission tomography) imaging technology with a linear accelerator (LINAC) to deliver a radiation dose that tracks the cancer’s motion in real-time. BgRT therapy is engineered to treat multiple tumors in the same treatment plan while spar- ing healthy tissue, resulting in less toxicity for the patient. This new treatment will soon be available to eligible patients from across the region. n Ben Adams, MD