HJBR Jan/Feb 2020

38 JAN / FEB 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs authoring more than 350 peer-reviewed scien- tific papers, he is one of the three most-cited authors in the bariatric surgery literature. He led the STAMPEDE trial, which found that bariat- ric surgery could reverse type 2 diabetes in up to 80 percent of patients. These findings have changed the guidelines for treating diabetes around the world. “The recruitment of Dr. Schauer represents a new day for obesity research at Pennington Bio- medical, and indeed for Baton Rouge and the State,” Pennington Biomedical Executive Direc- tor John Kirwan said. “We now have a unique opportunity to establish Pennington Biomedi- cal as THE research institution in the world for metabolic surgery, and the opportunity to bring bariatric clinical research trials to the people of Louisiana.” “We are thankful to all of our partners – the state of Louisiana, Our Lady of the Lake, LSU Health New Orleans and Pennington Biomed- ical Research Foundation – for partnering with us on this initiative,” Dr. Kirwan said. “Through their support and Pennington Biomedical’s rep- utation as a global leader in obesity and nutri- tion research, we outcompeted several large aca- demic health centers around the country and successfully recruited Dr. Schauer and his team to Louisiana.” “This project at Pennington Biomedical and Our Lady of the Lake will deliver great value to Louisiana by combining clinical research, advanced surgery and economic development to produce better health for our people,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “Currently, obesity affects over 1.6 million individuals in Louisiana, Outpatient Pilot Yields Reduction in Hospital Readmissions, ERUtilization A year-long, innovative outpatient behavioral health pilot has yielded an 84 percent reduction in hospital readmissions and a 58 percent reduc- tion in ER visits, reducing costs, and increasing positive health outcomes for participants. The pilot program, a joint endeavor of Oceans Healthcare and Medicaid health plan Louisiana Healthcare Connections, established an intensive outpatient treatment model for members who demonstrated a need for behavioral healthcare. Implemented at Oceans Behavioral Hospitals across Louisiana, the pilot yielded significant reductions in hospital admissions, readmissions, and emergency room use for Medicaid members enrolled in Louisiana Healthcare Connections. Oceans provided members with outpatient ser- vices that included intensive daily counseling, relapse reduction strategies, and coordinated care management planning. These services enable patients with mental health diagnoses, such as schizophrenia and severe depression, to receive treatment outside the often-costly set- ting of a hospital ER or inpatient unit. In many cases, patients managing chronic mental illness were able to increase the frequency of treat- ment contributing to better long-term out- comes. Through outpatient services, patients are empowered to maintain jobs and live at home with their families while receiving care. “Care delivery is changing, and we want to cre- ate a system in which individuals are best posi- tioned to seek treatment in the least restric- tive environment,” said Stuart Archer, CEO of Oceans Healthcare. “Through our pilot program, we have clear evidence that our proven clinical model is critical to supporting the most vulner- able individuals in our communities, enhancing patient outcomes and addressing expensive hos- pitalizations and readmissions.” Kendra Case, Louisiana Healthcare Connec- tions chief operating officer, said, “Our joint goal for this pilot was to demonstrate that these ser- vices were a missing step in the life cycle of patients with complex psychological conditions. Too often, when these services are not available, behavioral health patients may fall through the cracks in the system. This model ensures they have the support they need, from the moment they leave the inpatient setting, and the result is both improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.”  Between August 1, 2018, and July 31, 2019, results achieved include: • A 50 percent increase in care management engagement among enrolled members • An 84 percent reduction in hospital admissions among enrolled members • An 84 percent reduction in hospital readmis- sion rates among enrolled members • A 58 percent reduction in ER visits among enrolled members “The results of our pilot shine a light on a solution that could help so many individuals in need,” Archer said. “We’re looking to the future as we put a greater emphasis on supporting the patient wherever they may be along their health care journey.” “Oceans Behavioral Health shares our commit- ment to helping our members achieve improved health through evidence-based, cost-effective care,” said Case. “We look forward to a contin- ued partnership with Oceans in expanding this pilot in our state and engaging other facilities and hospitals in this innovative model of care.” Dr. Phil Schauer Joins Pennington Biomedical to Head NewBariatric/ Metabolic Surgery Program LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Cen- ter, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Cen- ter, Louisiana Economic Development (LED), LSU Health New Orleans, and the Office of the Gov- ernor of Louisiana joined forces to establish a new bariatric/metabolic surgery program, which will include an outpatient center on Pennington Biomedical’s Baton Rouge campus, in 2020. Dr. Phil Schauer, professor of surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and director of the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (BMI), has been named director of the program. Schauer is renowned for being the first surgeon to perform laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery (1997). He has since per- formed more than 8,000 operations for severe obesity and handles many of the most difficult bariatric surgery cases in the world. Besides Phil Schauer, MD