HJBR Jan/Feb 2020

42 JAN / FEB 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs John Wilkinson, MD, joined BROC and is accept- ing patients at the Zachary Clinic, 6550 Main Street, Suite 2300. Wilkinson provides compre- hensive orthopedic care to Zachary and the sur- rounding communities, and will specialize in hand, wrist, elbow, and microvascular surgery. In addition, Benjamin “Ben” Robichaux, MD, joined BROC is accepting patients at the Gon- zales Clinic, 1023 W. Hwy 30 on the campus of OLOL Ascension. He specializes in the treatment of injuries and conditions affecting the hand, wrist, and elbow. Wilkinson is a native of West Baton Rouge and attended Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. He graduated summa cum laude from Louisi- ana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. He received a Doctor of Medicine Degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he graduated in the top of his class and received the Alumni Award for Excellence in Anatomy. Wilkinson then com- pleted orthopedic residency training at the Uni- versity of Arkansas in Little Rock. He further spe- cialized in Orthopedic Hand, Upper Extremity and Microvascular Surgery by completing a Fel- lowship at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Robichaux is a native of south Louisiana, raised in Baton Rouge, where he graduated from St. Michael the Archangel High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. He then graduated from the Tulane School of Medicine and completed residency training in general surgery at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. After residency, Robichaux trained at the prestigious University of Connecticut Hand Surgery Fellowship, founded by Dr. Kirk Watson. CIS is First to Use NewMISAGO Stent for Peripheral Interventions Dr. Charles Thompson, interventional cardiol- ogist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South, is the first in the Baton Rouge region, and sec- ond in the state, to use the R2P™MISAGO® RX self-expanding stent, the longest stent platform that is specifically designed for above-the-knee peripheral artery disease (PAD) interventions via radial access through the wrist. The procedure took place on Oct. 31 at Lane Regional Medi- cal Center. Manufactured by Terumo Interventional Sys- tems, this self-expanding peripheral stent incorporates Rapid Exchange (RX) technology and innovative bare metal stent design. The increased flexibility lowers the potential for stent fracture, and the simplified thumbwheel system allows for single and precise operator deploy- ment. This stent is used with the R2P™ META- CROSS RX PTA Balloon Dilatation Catheter, also manufactured by Terumo, with the longest radial to peripheral capability. “This is a game changer,” explained Thomp- son. “It allows for more patient comfort by offer- ing a mechanism to treat both legs in a single procedure, reducing cost for the patient and hospital. Plus, there is a lower risk with the use of radial artery access in the wrist rather than femoral artery access in the groin." Jesus ChuaMD_Physician Summit Award 2019 On December 11, 2019, Jesus Chua, MD, a family physician in Franklin, La., was awarded the Physician Summit Award from Louisiana Healthcare Connections for demonstrating a commitment to high quality, accessible care. The award is given annually to the primary care provider who achieves the highest scores in key Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) quality measures across the health plan’s provider network. Dr. Chua scored the highest among Louisiana Healthcare Connections’ 25,000+ healthcare provider network in measures like Comprehensive Diabetes Care, Adolescent Well Care and Adult Access to Preventive Care. Pictured left to right are Joseph Tidwell, Vice President of Network Development for Louisiana Healthcare Connections; Bethene Newland, Louisiana Healthcare Connections Provider Network Specialist II; Stewart Gordon, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Louisiana Healthcare Connections; Jesus Chua, MD; and Marlette Chua, Office Manager.