HJBR Sep/Oct 2020

58 SEP / OCT 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Hospital Rounds learn more at https://www.TestBR.org. Results will provide valuable insights into the rate of active infections and previous exposure to the virus in the region. NewGroup of Physicians Transition into Healthcare SystemAmid Pandemic Eighteen physicians are beginning new careers at health systems and physician practices across the country after graduating from Baton Rouge General’s (BRG) residency programs in fam- ily medicine and internal medicine. COVID-19 changed the course of the final months of their residency, many jumping in to help wherever needed to care for patients. “The Class of 2020 proved what it means to be a doctor during the unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Vasudev Tati, pro- gram director for IMRP. “All of these graduates gave themselves over to their patients and were selfless to the cause, and it has been an honor and privilege to teach them, work with them, and watch them serve their fellow man.” Six graduates will remain at BRG – Rachel Brady, DO, Benjamin Levron, MD, and Robert Sudduth, DO, at Baton Rouge General Physicians clinics and Amar Dave, MD, Bayley Hubble, MD, and Aaron Williams, MD, as hospitalists. Family and internal medicine residency pro- grams typically require three-year commitments following medical school. Upon completion of res- idency, physicians take exams to obtain board cer- tification, then begin medical practice; or continue with additional fellowship training in sub-special- ties such as sports medicine, geriatrics, cardiology, OB/GYN, global health, or others. Through its education programs, BRG trains annually more than 500 medical students, res- idents, fellows, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified regis- tered nurse anesthetists, and radiation technol- ogists, and provides instructional locations for medical students from other schools, including Tulane and LSU. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Enrolls First Participants in COVID-19 Study Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center enrolled the BRG’s Family Medicine Residency Program graduates are, from left to right, front row, Vineeth Kumar, MD; Cassandra Barnes, MD; and Rachel Brady, DO; and back row, Robert Sudduth, DO; Luciano Mancera, MD; Patrick Cudahy, MD; Benjamin Levron, MD; and Jeremy Knott, MD. BRG Internal Medicine Residency Program graduates are, from left to right, Amar Dave, MD; Sai Malireddy, MD; Bayley Hubble, MD; Aaron Williams, MD; Vasudev Tati, MD, Program Director; Dasha Lopez, MD; Ankitha Nukala, MD; Nipur Patel, MD; and Abhishek Methukupally, MD. Dillon McCarty, MD and Nikhil Tarte, MD not pictured.