HJBR Mar-Apr 2019

38 MAR / APR 2019  I  Healthcare Journal of baton rouge   Healthcare Briefs The Healthy Louisiana Medicaid health plan announced its sponsorship of the Red Stick Rewards program in September of 2018. Louisi- ana Healthcare Connections then began working with BREADA to promote the program among its members and within its network of healthcare providers and community partners as part of its efforts to improve access to healthy, fresh foods in the Baton Rouge area. “The Red Stick Rewards program creates a healthy local food system that serves everyone in our community, regardless of income level,” says BREADA Executive Director Copper Alva- rez. “The matching program increases access to fresh, locally grown, and nutritious foods for SNAP customers, and provides additional reve- nue for Louisiana’s small-scale family farmers. It is a win-win program, and BREADA is fortunate to partner with Louisiana Healthcare Connections in promoting healthy lifestyles for children and fam- ilies in our community.” BREADA’s report of the increased program uti- lization comes on the heels of Louisiana Health- care Connections’ announcement of a similar SNAP matching program partnership in the New Orleans area. On January 2, 2019, the health plan announced that it is partnering with Sankofa, a New Orleans-based nonprofit, to match up to $10 in SNAP/EBT purchases at any of the organiza- tion’s Fresh Stop markets. “There is a very clear relationship between a lack of access to healthy foods and poor health within underserved communities and vulnerable populations,” says Louisiana Healthcare Con- nections Chief Operating Officer Kendra Case. “Organizations like BREADA and Sankofa share our commitment to helping Louisiana families improve their access to healthy, fresh foods, and we are proud to have them as our partners.” CIS, Lane Cardiovascular Center Host FreeWine &Wellness Event Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) and Lane Cardiovascular Center offered a free Wine & Wellness event, featuring electrocardiogram (EKG) screenings in February at the CIS clinic located on Main Street in Zachary. In addition to free EKG screenings, the event featured blood pressure screenings and on-site consultations with a CIS provider. Refreshments and wine were served. An EKG is recommended for those with risk fac- tors of heart disease, or those who experience symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or an irregular heartbeat. The Baton Rouge Clinic Adds Hospital Medicine Group and Psychiatry Associates Recently, Hospital Medicine Group and Psychi- atry Associates joined The Baton Rouge Clinic, AMC. Hospital Medicine Group is one of the larg- est hospital medicine groups in the state of Lou- isiana, with more than 10,000 admissions and in excess of 70,000 patient encounters yearly. Through this addition, The Baton Rouge Clinic is able to offer senior-focused care in several long-term care facilities throughout the greater Baton Rouge area, and medical care of hospi- talized patients.  Smile Generation Partners with Special Olympics Smile Generation is partnering with the Special Olympics to help provide dental care for local athletes. While our dentists are on the fields and in the stands, The Smile Generation patients and the community at large are encouraged to give back by donating online to help support the dental care needs of their competing neighbors, including on-site screenings and mouth guards. The Smile Generation created a special offer of $50 off dentistry with a $25 donation, valid through February 28. The funds raised will truly make a difference and continue to inspire all that can be accomplished through sports. Since the beginning of their partnership, The Smile Generation has raised more than $75,000 for the Special Olympics and looks forward to continuing to help benefit these amazing athletes. Angela Hintz is BCBSLA Vice President, Project Management Office and Integrated Services Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) Angela Hintz has joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana as vice president, Proj- ect Management Office and Integrated Services. Hintz brings more than 20 years of experience in project management, operations, and IT experi- ence to the nonprofit health insurer. Hintz will report to Blue Cross Chief Informa- tion Officer Sue Kozik, though she will have enter- prise-level responsibility as she joins a collabor- ative, six-person IT leadership team. She will oversee the insurer’s corporate project manage- ment office, quality management (including test- ing and quality assurance), and resource/work- force management and engagement. Hintz will be responsible for ensuring that all projects are planned, prioritized, tracked, and justified, as well as yielding personal and business produc- tivity gains. “Angela’s role is critical to our company’s suc- cess,” Kozik said. “She is bringing us a strong healthcare business background, 20 years of proj- ect leadership experience, and a robust knowl- edge of industry best practices.” Hintz comes to Blue Cross from Medecision, a health management company that offers a state- of-the-art population health management system. Based in the company’s Dallas office, she was vice president of the Enterprise Project Management Office. Before Medecision, she worked as direc- tor of operations for Customer Information Tech- nology at Concentra, a national healthcare com- pany located in Addison, Texas. Previously, Hintz held several senior manage- ment roles of increasing responsibility, directing projects and strategy at national and even global leaders in finance, healthcare, transaction auto- mation, and data management. Hintz earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in manage- ment information systems, at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. She achieved Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) certifica- tion from the Project Management Institute (PMI) Dallas Chapter. She was PMI Finance Committee Member–Registration Team at the same chapter. Baton Rouge General Foundation Announces Changes to Board of Governors The Baton Rouge General Foundation recently announced that Scott Kirkpatrick has been named chair of its board of governors. Kirkpatrick has served on the board since 2015 and is also an