HJBR May/Jun 2019

Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge I  MAY / JUN 2019 61 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com “Our freestanding children’s hospital is built from the ground up with kids in mind,” said K. Scott Wester, president and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake. “These playhouses are a fantastic addi- tion to the beautiful outdoor garden space and will be fun distractions for children of all ages.” Since 2013, MAPP, LLC has hosted an annual golf tournament benefiting the Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital, and the proceeds were dedicated to these playhouses.  “It’s our hope that these playhouses put smiles on the amazing kids’ faces, and that as they play, they will also heal,” said Mike Polito, CEO of MAPP, LLC. “We look forward to the grand open- ing of the new children's hospital in the fall, and could not be more excited for this new addition to our community.”  Baton Rouge General Brings Healing throughMusic for Area’s Tiniest Patients Baton Rouge General (BRG) is bringing a music therapy program to its tiniest patients through an expansion of its Arts in Medicine program. Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will be exposed to calming, rhythmic sounds that are designed to help babies grown and heal. Studies show music therapy in the NICU pro- vides a host of benefits, including a stabilized heart rate and improved breathing, feeding, weight gain, and sleep. BRG’s music therapists use breath, voice, and specialized instruments to recreate sounds from the womb that comfort and stimulate babies as they grow. “Music therapy decreases stress and helps both parents and babies bond, which could mean a shorter hospital stay for their baby,” said Director of Women’s Services Erika Moss, RN. BRG created its Arts in Medicine program in 2012. The program brings creative activities to patients to inspire hope and promote healing. On any given day, patients, family members, friends, and staff can be seen painting to reduce stress, playing harmonica to improve respiratory capa- bility, singing or playing musical instruments to decrease anxiety and pain perception, or enjoy- ing live music around campus. “Research shows again and again the benefits of the arts on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health,” said Kim Henderson, supervisor of the Arts in Medicine program. “No matter your age, music and art can help you heal.” Match Day Brings New Residents to BRG’s Family and Internal Medicine Programs On Match Day, Baton Rouge General (BRG) welcomed 20 new doctors who will join its fam- ily medicine and internal medicine residency pro- grams. The physicians will complete their resi- dency training at the Bluebonnet and Mid City campuses, which provide a clinical setting for internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine, critical care medicine, anesthesia, psy- chiatry, and general surgery residency programs. Match Day is the day when medical students find out which residency or fellowship program they are accepted or matched into. “Our family medicine and internal medicine res- idency programs at BRG have been in place for decades, and our residents work side-by-side with our doctors to contribute to exceptional patient care,” said Dr. Venkat Banda, chief academic offi- cer. “We are proud to help foster Louisiana’s future healthcare providers while continuing to advance medical training in Baton Rouge.” Baton Rouge General welcomes the following new residents: Family Medicine Residency Program • Michael Ascuitto, Louisiana State University New Orleans • Jeffry Benjamin, American University of Antiqua • Kathryn Cooper, William Carey University Col- lege of Osteopathic Medicine • Benjamin Ozbun, American University of the MAPP, LLC recently committed $200,000 to the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital playhouses in the garden of the new freestanding hospital. Pictured, left to right, at the check presentation are Theresa Serpas, Beau Wolfe, and Nick Mills with MAPP, LLC and Scott Wester, Danny Fields, and Jeff Mosley with Our Lady of the Lake.