HJBR Nov/Dec 2019

Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge I  NOV / DEC 2019 57 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com The internal medicine graduates are Shanti Akasapu, MD; Rajendra Boyilla, MD; Navya Eleti, MD; Matthew Casey Geiger, MD; Nic Latuso, MD; Venkat Kishore Mukku, MD; Bilal Saiyed, MD; Ramandeep Singh, MD; Swapna Varakan- tam, MD; and Prathyusha Yeturu, MD. “Our residents work with our doctors to contrib- ute to exceptional patient care,” said Dr. Vincent Shaw, program director of BRG’s Family Medicine Residency Program. “Their success is a represen- tation of the culture of learning we’ve fostered for decades in our medical education programs.” Family and internal medicine residency pro- grams typically require three-year commitments following medical school. Upon completion of res- idency, physicians take exams to obtain board cer- tification, then begin medical practice; or continue with additional fellowship training in sub-special- ties such as sports medicine, geriatrics, cardiology, OB/GYN, global health, or others. Through its education programs, BRG trains annually more than 500 medical students, res- idents, fellows, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified regis- tered nurse anesthetists, and radiation technol- ogists, and provides instructional locations for medical students from other schools, including Tulane and LSU. Woman’s Hospital Selects Dr. Barbara Griffith as CEO Barbara Griffith, MD, has been selected as the new chief executive officer at Woman’s Hospital, one of the largest women’s specialty hospitals in the country. Griffith, who currently serves as the chief medical officer and chief of business opera- tions for Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, N.C., will assume the role of CEO this fall. “Woman’s Hospital is a special system of care for women and their families with a tremendous footprint in our region,” said Donna Fraiche, chair of the Woman’s Hospital Board of Directors. “We needed a unique professional who would embrace and further our mission. The board is confident that Dr. Griffith is the right person to lead Woman’s into an exciting future. Her exper- tise in healthcare delivery and strategy, balanced with the compassion and commitment of a physi- cian, are the perfect combination to lead the orga- nization’s strategic direction.” Griffith’s healthcare experience includes 20 years of clinical practice and more than 15 years in a variety of leadership roles that have spanned hospital leadership, operations, physician practice management, clinical affairs, and board gover- nance. At Duke Regional, Griffith also led business development and strategy for clinical programs while focusing on excellence in patient care, qual- ity, and safety. “It’s an honor to be chosen for this presti- gious role and to have the board’s confidence in my experience and ability to lead Woman’s to a strong future,” said Griffith. “The commitment to providing exceptional care to patients and their families at Woman’s is truly inspiring. I look for- ward to joining the team and building on the foun- dation that has been laid before me.”  Earlier in her career, Griffith served as president (2005-2014) and, more recently, CFO (2014-2019) of Durham Emergency Physicians, the medical practice that staffs Duke Regional Hospital’s Emer- gency Department, caring for more than 60,000 patients annually. As an active leader within Duke Regional’s medical staff of more than 1,000 pro- viders, she served as medical staff president in 2008-2009. Board-certified in emergency medicine, Griffith obtained a medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She trained in emer- gency medicine at Christiana Care in Newark, Del. Her business training includes healthcare exec- utive education at the Wharton School of Busi- ness, University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and American College of Healthcare Executives. Griffith will assume the role of CEO from Rob- ert Burgess, who has acted as interim CEO since Teri Fontenot’s retirement earlier this year. Fon- tenot, who was named CEO Emeritus, served 27 years at Woman’s Hospital, including as CEO from 1996-2019. “We are thankful to Teri for the incredible foun- dation she established at Woman’s and to Robert for upholding our standards of excellence while we searched for our new leader,” Fraiche said. “His guidance helps ensure a smooth transition into Dr. Griffith’s tenure as CEO.” The Woman’s Hospital Board of Directors hired Korn Ferry, a national search firm that specializes in healthcare executive placements, to assist in selecting a new CEO. “We said from the beginning that our plan was to announce a new CEO by September, and we were fortunate to find our candidate ahead of schedule,” said Fraiche. “I believe that’s a true tes- tament to the reputation of Woman’s. I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Griffith to Baton Rouge and our Woman’s family, and I know she will uphold and strengthen our tradition of exceptional care.” Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical CenterReceives ThirdMagnet Designation Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Cen- ter received its third consecutive Magnet desig- nation following an extensive site visit in June. Magnet recognition is the highest national honor a healthcare organization can receive for profes- sional nursing practice from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), with only 498 facili- ties nationwide earning the designation.  “Magnet designation is a badge of honor show- ing our patients and guests that when they come into our facility, they will receive the highest stan- dard and quality of care,” said K. Scott Wester, president and CEO at Our Lady of the Lake. “To achieve this designation three times is no easy feat. It is a culmination of our continued commit- ment to providing exceptional care to our patients and guests each and every day.”  The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, ANCC eval- uates applicants across a number of components and dimensions to gauge an organization’s nurs- ing excellence. The foundation of this model comprises various elements deemed essential to Barbara Griffith, MD