HJBR Jan/Feb 2020

40 JAN / FEB 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs EVALI report use of nicotine alone. Users of vaping products should immediately seek medical attention if they develop symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, fever and/or nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and vomiting. The Louisiana Tobacco Quitline, (800) QUIT- NOW (800-784-8669), a 24-hour-a-day, confiden- tial, free tobacco cessation helpline links peo- ple who want to quit using tobacco with trained tobacco cessation specialists who create an individualized plan to quit. This free service is available in English, Spanish, and 150 other lan- guages to people calling from anywhere in Loui- siana. TYY and TDD accommodations for hearing impaired and deaf individuals are also available at (866) 228-4327. CIS Breaks Ground on Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gray CIS celebrated the groundbreaking of its Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gray. The facil- ity, which will be located at 4089 W. Park Ave- nue in Gray, will have two outpatient cath labs, two ultrasound rooms, the CIS medical labora- tory, patient exam rooms, and a recovery area. The primary focus will be on the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral vascular disease in an outpatient setting.  State-of-the-art medical technology will be used in the center, including lasers and other devices to treat peripheral vascular disease, and a highly-sensitive vascular ultrasound system to identify small vessels more clearly and easily. CIS will also train cardiologists from across the country at this location with hands-on experience. The Ambulatory Surgery Center is expected to be operational by August of 2020. LDEQ gets two newMobile Air Monitoring Laboratories LDEQ Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown announced that the agency has accepted deliv- ery of two new Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory (MAML) vehicles. LDEQ’s current MAML is still an effective resource but it is aging, Brown said. “These new MAMLs will greatly enhance LDEQ’s ability to respond to air quality issues across Louisiana and will allow us to sample and analyze air quality data on-site and in real-time,” Brown said. Assistant Secretary Lourdes Iturralde, who oversees LDEQ’s Office of Environmental Com- pliance, said settlements of civil penalties cov- ered the $1.4 million price tag for one of the vehicles and $1.5 million for the second MAML. “They have all the bells and whistles – gas chro- matograph, reduced sulfur compounds analyzer, methane/nonmethane analyzer, and more,” said Roger Gingles, LDEQ assistant secretary for Envi- ronmental Assessment. “They have all the capa- bilities of the MAML we have now, testing for all criteria pollutants -- ground-level ozone, par- ticle pollution, lead, sulfur dioxide, carbon mon- oxide, and nitrogen oxide, as well as hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, speciated reduced sulfur compounds, speciated hydrocarbons and atmospheric mercury.” The vehicles are mounted on a 35-foot truck chassis with a custom body to house equip- ment, supplies and work gear with benches. The MAML currently in use will remain active in a support role, said Bob Bailey, environmental scientist manager in the Office of Environmen- tal Assessment. “We will have them all out at the same time if it is necessary,” Bailey said. The new MAMLs will have an awning and exterior lighting to facil- itate night work and will also have the capabil- ity of collecting meteorological data. One of the new MAMLs is equipped for water analysis, Bai- ley said. LDEQ personnel are looking forward to having these new, fully functional assets in their work to protect the health and environment of Louisiana, he said. “It will be exciting.” The new MAMLs are currently undergoing a shakedown phase as LDEQ personnel train with representatives of Farber Specialty Vehicles of Columbus, Ohio, the company that built the vehicles. CISHosts GrandOpening for New Intensive Cardiac Rehab Center Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) hosted a Grand Opening event for its new, first-of-its-kind intensive cardiac rehab facility in Lafayette, located at 425 Settlers Trace Boule- vard, Suite 200. Intensive Cardiac Rehab at Cardiovascular Institute of the South is designed for patients who have recently experienced a life-changing cardiac event, such as a heart attack. Through a holistic approach, the program is tailored to improve health and quality of life and allow for the best possible recovery. This is achieved with a focus on modifying lifestyle behaviors that relate to cardiovascular disease, such as physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. The In October, CIS celebrated the groundbreaking of its Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gray, La. The facility will be located at 4089 W. Park Avenue in Gray. LDEQ Mobil Air Monitoring Laboratories