HJBR Nov/Dec 2019

Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge I  NOV / DEC 2019 55 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com by delivering a powerful flow of charged particles that are attracted to surfaces with a force stron- ger than gravity, allowing the solution to easily reach and uniformly coat surfaces, including germ hotspots like the sides, underside, and backside of surfaces, where conventional cleaning meth- ods might miss. The hospital’s EVS team uses the system reg- ularly in its waiting areas, hallways, restrooms, cafeteria, and the Woman’s Child Development Center, allowing staff to easily address the unique cleaning needs that are specific to the hospital and patients it serves. “Many of our patients are mothers who bring their families to appointments and it’s our top priority to thoroughly disinfect our public spaces including waiting rooms, hallways, and play areas for children,” added Landor. “With many children in the community becoming sick from last year’s heavy flu season, we began using and now rou- tinely use the Clorox® Total 360® System in our child play rooms containing toys that can be hard to disinfect manually.” Rachael Kermis, MD, Joins Baton Rouge General Physicians Rachael Kermis, MD, has recently joined Baton Rouge General Physicians (BRGP) as a family med- icine physician, providing care for patients of all ages. Kermis earned an undergraduate degree from Cornell University in human biology, health and society, and a medical degree from Ross Univer- sity School of Medicine. She completed a resi- dency while serving as chief resident at Tulane University Family Medicine Residency Program at Baton Rouge General, where she will now serve on faculty as a preceptor. An active member in the American Academy of Family Physicians and a board member for the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians, Kermis also volunteers as a physician with Baton Rouge EMS at LSU football games and alongside other physicians providing free sports physicals Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Board Elects New Officers, Directors Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center announced that Art E. Favre serves as board chair. Favre has served on the board since 2010. Other elected officers include Thomas J. Adamek, vice chair; Cordell H. Haymon, secretary-treasurer; and Bill O’Quin, immediate past chair. Board members newly elected include Vanessa O. Graham and Mawuena “Mawe” Takyi. Gra- ham is the owner of VGraham, LLC and is actively involved in the community, including serving on the boards of Thrive Charter School, First United Methodist Church, Rotary Club International, and the Louisiana Tech Park. Takyi is a financial advi- sor and financial planner with Dent Asset Man- agement. He is the vice president of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and serves on the boards of Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge and Hope Academy. Other board members include: John C. Boyce; Ronnie Daigle; Mark K. Dearman; Kevin Gardner; Catherine “Cathy” S. Giering; Gerald T. Goss; Alice D. Greer; J. Gerard Jolly; Matthew L. Mull- ins; Anthony O’Connor; Cynthia B. Peterson, PhD; H.N. “Hank” Saurage IV; John F. Smith; Todd D. Stevens; Collis B. Temple, III; and Charles G. Wood, MD. Brett P. Furr and G. Lee Griffin were recognized for their significant contributions to Mary Bird Per- kins with an appointment to the honorary posi- tion of director emeritus. Furr served on the board from 2007-2019, serving as board chair from 2015- 2017. Griffin served on the board from 2009-2019. He also served on the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation board and was elected chair in 2007. “Volunteer leadership is vital to Mary Bird Per- kins Cancer Center. The organization greatly ben- efits from the perspectives and areas of exper- tise all board members contribute to the mission,” said Todd Stevens, president and CEO of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “With their leadership and support, we are advancing the fight against cancer across the Gulf South.” Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Recognized for Higher Quality in Bariatric Surgery Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has rec- ognized Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center with a Blue Distinction® Center for Bar- iatric Surgery designation as part of the Blue Dis- tinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facil- ities that show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community.  To receive a Blue Distinction Center for Bariat- ric Surgery designation, a healthcare facility must demonstrate success in meeting patient safety measures as well as bariatric-specific quality mea- sures, including complication and readmission rate for laparoscopic procedures in sleeve gas- trectomy, gastric bypass and adjustable gastric band. A healthcare facility must also be nationally accredited at both the facility and bariatric pro- gram-specific levels.  In 2017, the Blue Distinction Centers for Bariat- ric Surgery program expanded to include not only the type of service provided, but also the site of care. Healthcare facilities were evaluated as either a comprehensive center, or as an ambulatory sur- gery center.  “As the region’s premier surgical care provider, Our Lady of the Lake is committed to the high- est quality in bariatric surgery services,” said Scott Rachael Kermis, MD Art E. Favre