Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has announced that Andre Bonnecaze, MD, will oversee the organization’s Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic, a specialized facility focused on helping patients attain the highest possible quality of life by focusing on pain relief, other symptoms, and stresses of cancer or other serious illness. The Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic is located in Baton Rouge at 4950 Essen Lane, but patients from across Mary Bird Perkins’ network have access to the clinic’s full range of services.
Bonnecaze is a graduate of Louisiana State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. He earned a medical degree from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Bonnecaze is currently a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Society of Hospital Medicine, and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
“We are so excited to welcome Dr. Bonnecaze to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center,” said Jonas Fontenot, PhD, MBA, chief operating officer and Dr. Charles M. Smith chief of physics. “We know that living with cancer can impact a patient’s quality of life and make accomplishing even the most routine daily activities challenging. Our Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic provides a wide range of support services designed with each patient’s specific needs in mind. Bonnecaze and his talented team will work to ensure every patient within our network has the support and resources they need in their fight against cancer.”
“Triumphing over cancer requires strength of body, mind and spirit,” said Fontenot. “Studies have shown that when patients enroll in palliative care at an early stage, they tend to have better outcomes. Providing this specialized care helps us succeed in our mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer.”