HJBR Mar-Apr 2019

Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge I  MAR / APR 2019 59 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com In the U.S., there are nearly 450,000 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the final stage of kidney disease. ESRD patients require dialy- sis to stay alive because their kidney function is too low to remove the necessary fluid and tox- ins. Clinicians need access to the bloodstream in order to administer dialysis, and most commonly, this is done by creating an arteriovenous (AF) fis- tula. A fistula is a surgically created connection between an artery and vein and is typically placed in a patient’s arm. “These patients depend on dial- ysis access as their lifeline for treatment,” said Griffin. “This innovative new procedure does not require open surgery to create the access, which had been the standard of care for over 50 years.” In addition, the endovascular AVF approach lessens the trauma to a patient’s blood vessels and creates the access in a different area in the forearm, near the ulnar artery and ulnar vein. “The new technique also gives patients the best chance to use their natural blood vessels instead of a more complicated, surgical procedure using a graft,” added Griffin. The procedure utilizes the WavelinQ EndoAVF System, which was cleared this summer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  UniversityMedical Center, SONIC Partner to Provide Free Child Safety Seats A statewide program that has provided nearly 3,000 free child safety seats for Louisiana families in need is back for the fourth straight year The program is a partnership of state safety officials, University Medical Center New Orleans, and SONIC Drive-In locations in Louisiana. The car seats are funded by sales of SONIC Drive-in’s Tot Calendar, which is on sale now through Feb- ruary at all participating Louisiana SONIC Drive- In locations. Each calendar is $5 and all proceeds benefit the child safety seat program. The calendars include more than $45 in coupons that are good for pur- chases at Louisiana drive-ins only, along with tips for using car seats correctly. Since 2016, SONIC Drive-In crew members in Louisiana have raised a total of $163,000 in cal- endar sales, which has paid for 2,750 car seats. “These literally save the lives of kids who wouldn’t otherwise have a car seat,” said Ted Kergan, owner of Kergan Bros. Sonic Group, the state’s largest SONIC franchisee. “This is an ini- tiative that our customers love, and our crews are proud to support. It’s a perfect fit for SONIC’s drive-in culture, and best of all, the program works.” SONIC Drive-Ins also support National Seat Check Saturday, an annual statewide event in which the Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force and University Medical Center New Orleans offer free child safety seat education. Nationally cer- tified child safety seat technicians educate the community on the proper use and installation of their child’s safety seat.   “Car crashes kill three children every day across the country. A child safety seat is the best way to prevent these injuries, but the seat must be used properly,” said Bridget Gardner, a registered nurse and coordinator of the Community Injury Prevention Program at UMC New Orleans. “These programs do both; they provide seats to needy families and ensure the seats are used correctly.” BRGPhysicians Recognized as Top Performers by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Nineteen Baton Rouge General physicians were recognized as Top Performers by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana for the treatment of four chronic conditions—diabetes, hypertension, vas- cular disease, and kidney disease. Trey Dunbar, MD Dr. Joseph Griffin, center, is joined by, from left to right, James Myers, Amanda Holden, and Leslie Klein after the successful completion of a new endovascular procedure for patients with chronic kidney disease. The procedure was performed at Baton Rouge General.