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22 JUL / AUG 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs Jamie Schlottman, CEO of Louisiana Healthcare Connections, right, and Joseph Sullivan, senior vice president of operations, left, are shown as they deliver 100,000 face masks to the Louisiana Primary Care Association (LPCA) on April 9. The LPCA distributed the masks among the state’s network of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19 exposure. to stay safe while caring for their patients during this unprecedented crisis.” To learn more about the Louisiana Nurses Foun- dation’s Care Package Relief Fund, visit www. LSNA.org/donation/. At this time, based on its most recent needs assessment, the fund has a high priority need for PPE, including N95 masks, face shields, cloth gowns, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer. Cardiovascular Institute of the South Urges Patients to Keep Appointments, Assures Safety Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) urges patients to keep appointments and remains focused on providing quality cardiovascular care in a safe environment. At this time, CIS assures patients that it is not only safe, but that it is impor- tant to stay alert to symptoms of cardiovascular disease and not delay care. CIS is keeping the following precautions in place for the continued safety of patients: • CIS screens all patients and visitors for COVID-19 symptoms prior to their appoint- ment and again upon arrival. • Visitors are limited to one per patient. • Patients can check into their appointment from a mobile device in their car and will be notified when their provider is ready, avoid- ing the need to sit in the lobby. • CIS continues to practice social distancing in the clinic. • CIS requires all guests to wear a face mask when visiting a clinic, and will furnish them as needed. • CIS staff members conduct rigorous cleaning after each patient in exam rooms, diagnostic testing areas, bathrooms, and labs—follow- ing all CDC guidelines. • CIS staff members continue to wear Personal Protective Equipment and always wash their hands before and after every patient interac- tion. All employees are screened before work each day. • Door handles, countertops, telephones, and other clinic equipment are cleaned frequently throughout the day. The CIS care team remains available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the CIS Virtual Care Center to respond to patient questions and concerns. CIS also continues to offer virtual video visits for patients who are unable to come in to the clinic. However, in most cases, an in-person appointment is still necessary to properly evalu- ate and treat a condition. Louisiana Healthcare Connections, Louisiana AgCenter Produce Videos on Stretching Food Dollars Louisiana Healthcare Connections and the Lou- isiana State University Agriculture Center (LSU AgCenter) have partnered in the production of a series of videos to educate Medicaid enrollees and resource-limited families in the purchase, planning, and preparation of healthy, budget- friendly meals. The video series, called Build A Healthy Meal , features LSU AgCenter Extension Agents from