HJBR Jan/Feb 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JAN / FEB 2020 13 and resources on the patients who come to us for care. We can’t be distracted from our mission because it is at the core of every- thing we do. It’s both a great privilege and responsibility to be able to do this for the community of Baton Rouge. Editor  As the largest birthing hospital and neonatal intensive care unit in Louisiana, and the only independent, nonprofit wom- en’s hospital in the country, why do you think others haven’t duplicated the unique model of Woman’s Hospital? Griffith Woman’s Hospital has earned the trust of this community over many, many years. Our patients know that when they come toWoman’s for care, they will receive the very best. That reputation positions us well in the Baton Rouge market, despite the many forces affecting healthcare orga- nizations today. The depth of commitment that has made this possible is not easy to replicate. Editor  According to the Louisiana Tumor Registry’s most recent statistics, female breast cancer was the most common cancer in Louisiana, and the second leading cause of cancer death in Louisiana women from 2010 to 2014. Is there anything Woman’s Hospital can or is already doing to improve those statistics? Griffith  Early identification and treat- ment of breast cancer is the key to improving those statistics. In addi- tion to caring for patients in the Breast & GYN Cancer Pavil- ion, Woman’s strives to pro- vide access to many under- served women in rural areas of the state. We’ve invested in a second mammography coach with state-of-the- art technology. Our two coaches serve 22 parishes. As researchers con- tinue to learn more “Woman’s Hospital has earned the trust of this community over many, many years. Our patients know that when they come to Woman’s for care, they will receive the very best. ” about what can place a woman at increased risk, Woman’s is addingmore technology to its arsenal. The goal is to narrow down who may be at risk, let those women know, and then give them a path to stay healthy.  Editor  Can you tell us about the partner- ship between Woman’s Hospital and Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center to create the Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion? Griffith The Breast & GYN Cancer Pavilion is a partnership between Woman’s Hospi- tal andMary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. It is one of the only can- cer centers of its kind in the nation, bringing the strengths of three organizations together to provide women with the most advanced, coordinated care in one location.   Our partnership on clinical research allows us to give women who have been diagnosed, and also not yet diagnosed, hope for the future. For example, the Pavilion is offering breast cancer immunotherapy trials. Immunotherapy is one of the most promis- ingmethods to fight cancer, rapidly advanc- ing treatment and outcomes over the last few years.   Editor Woman’s Hospital has been recog- nized for promoting wellness to your staff. How do you specifically promote wellness within the organization? Griffith  At Woman’s, we both promote and offer incentives for healthy lifestyles. We provide nutritious food in our cafete- ria, and have a walking path on the hos- pital grounds. Our employees can submit their lifestyle and health information to be eligible for discounts on health insurance costs. OurWellness Center offers discounts for staff to use the facility or participate in fitness classes, among themany options they can choose there. n