HJBR Nov/Dec 2020

52 NOV / DEC 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Hospital Rounds most SIDS deaths happen in babies between one month and four months of age, and the major- ity (90%) of SIDS deaths happen before a baby reaches six months of age. The baby’s sleep envi- ronment can influence sleep-related causes of death. “Learning about safe sleep guidelines is impor- tant not only for parents but for all caregivers who might spend time with a baby,” added Vidrine. As the state’s largest birthing hospital, Wom- an’s has partnered with the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to develop and implement initia- tives to promote safe sleep practices among our patients and in the community. LDH has named Woman’s Hospital a Safe Sleep Champion for its efforts aimed at reducing the rate of SIDS. Woman’s Hospital has created a Safe Sleep Task Force to bring attention to this issue and to pro- vide education to staff, patients, and the commu- nity. The LSU Health OB-GYN clinic on the Wom- an’s campus has also incorporated education on safe sleep for their patients as part of this work. Recently, Woman’s was approved for a $2,600 grant from Entergy to fund Pack ‘n Play portable cribs for patients who need assistance with a safe environment for their baby to sleep. There are many resources available to help care- givers create a safe sleep environment for babies, but a simple way to remember the basics is ABC: • Alone • On My Back • In a Crib For more information, or to view the full safe sleep checklist, visit giveyourbabyspace.org . Baton Rouge General Expands OB/GYN Services at Mid City Baton Rouge General (BRG) announced that it expanded OB/GYN services at its Mid City cam- pus. Johnathan Wise, MD, and Richshell Smith, NP, a women’s health nurse practitioner, will pro- vide a full range of women’s health services, from personalized maternity care and annual gyneco- logic exams to preventive treatment options and osteoporosis consultations. Baton Rouge General Physicians – Obstetrics & Gynecology is also located at the Bluebonnet campus and will have an office at the Ascension Neighborhood hospital opening this fall. “We’ve continued to grow and are providing Our Lady of the Lake Children’s HealthWelcomes Pediatric Neurosurgeon Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health expands its pediatric neurosurgery services with the addi- tion of another pediatric neurosurgeon, Jillian Ploof, DO. Ploof is one of only nine pediatric neurosurgeons in Louisiana and the fourth in the Children’s Health network. The pediatric neuro- surgery team cares for patients with all types of neurologic disorders including, but not limited to, hydrocephalus, spina bifida, brain and spinal cord tumors, traumatic brain injury, and craniosynosto- sis - which occurs when one or more of the fibrous joints between the bones of a baby’s skull close prematurely before the brain is fully formed. “As one of the largest providers of pediatric healthcare in Louisiana, we believe that a health- ier generation means we must ensure our chil- dren’s health services meet the needs of not only children in Baton Rouge, but all of Louisiana,” said Trey Dunbar, MD, president of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health. “Dr. Ploof joining our team is a testament to the state-of-the-art chil- dren’s services we provide. We know she will be an asset to our communities and look forward to seeing her provide the best treatment available to our children.” Ploof received a doctorate of osteopathic med- icine degree and completed a residency in neu- rosurgery at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia. She went on to com- plete a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She is certified by the American Board of Osteopathic Surgeons and is a member of sev- eral industry societies including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Ameri- can Osteopathic Association, the Association of Women Surgeons and the Congress of Neuro- logical Surgeons. Ploof is the latest addition to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health – a collaborative, coordi- nated, and child-focused statewide health net- work that provides patients with more access to physicians and providers specifically trained to care for children. The network includes hospi- tal-based services at the main campus in Baton Rouge, as well as in Monroe with St. Francis Pedi- atrics and Lafayette with Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s. It also connects pediatri- cians, pediatric specialists, and other health pro- viders across our state with clinics in the Baton Rouge region, Lafayette, Bogalusa, Alexandria, and Lake Charles. Ploof joins fellow pediatric neurosurgeon Lori McBride, MD, in providing care to children in the Baton Rouge region and surrounding areas. The Children’s Health network also includes pediatric neurosurgeons, Jose Bermudez, MD, at St. Francis Pediatrics in Monroe and Ann Marie Flannery, MD, with Lourdes Physician Group caring for patients in Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Alexandria. Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Neu- rosurgery is located at 8200 Constantin Blvd. in Baton Rouge. Woman’s Hospital Reinforces Safe Sleep Guidelines During SIDS Awareness Month During Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month in October, Woman’s Hospital is reminding caregivers of the importance of fol- lowing safe sleep recommendations for infants. SIDS is a sudden and silent medical disorder that typically occurs while a baby is asleep and is the leading cause of death among babies between one month and one year of age. “Approximately 100 infants die of SIDS every year in Louisiana, and almost all of these deaths are preventable,” said Dana Vidrine, director of Mother/Baby, Lactation and Transition for Wom- an’s Hospital. “Knowing the steps to safe sleep is one of the best ways to prevent sleep-related deaths in infants” According to the National Institute of Health, Jillian Ploof, DO