HJBR Jan/Feb 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JAN / FEB 2021 39 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com New Orleans. LeBlanc completed a residency in general surgery at Virginia Tech-Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Va. and a fellowship in thoracic surgery at the University of Manitoba Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. He is board-certi- fied by the American Board of Surgery and spe- cializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and care for benign, malignant, and traumatic diseases involv- ing the esophagus, lungs, mediastinum, chest wall, trachea, pleura, stomach, and diaphragm. LeBlanc works with Emily Cassidy, MD, Emily Kemp, PA, and Katherine Templeton, NP, at Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Thoracic Sur- gery. The clinic is located on the first floor of Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Cen- ter, 4950 Essen Lane. LDH Launches Campaign to End HIV Epidemic In an ongoing effort to reduce the impact of HIV, the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge and the Louisiana Department of Health, in close collaboration with Women with A Vision and numerous community-based organizations, are launching Get Loud Louisiana. Get Loud Louisiana includes a coordinated public engagement and awareness campaign and a series of virtual launch events to publicize the complementary Ending the HIV Epidemic plans developed by New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Department of Health. The development of the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Louisiana Ending the HIV Epidemic plans is part of the national initiative known as Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America. This plan aims to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030 through increased collab- oration and planning at the local levels. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention, Louisiana ranked fourth in the nation in case rates in 2018, while Baton Rouge ranked third and New Orleans ranked seventh among metropolitan areas. Based on these case rates, Baton Rouge and New Orleans were included in a group of 57 priority jurisdictions to receive funds from the federal government, which were used to help develop the citywide plans. The three plans were developed in a coordinated effort and will work together to address the inci- dence of HIV, issues surrounding access to care, and HIV-related stigma across the state. “The state has shown a strong commitment in working toward our goal of eliminating new HIV infections and improving access to care for people living with HIV, but there is still more that needs to be done,” said Courtney Phillips, MD, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. “By working with our local and community part- ners, we’ve shed light on the need for people to know their status and know where to be con- nected with a healthcare professional to assist in their treatment if they are diagnosed with HIV. Ini- tiatives like this allow us to build on the progress we’ve made so far.” “Residents throughout our parish are affected by HIV – regardless of income, the zip code they live in, or their skin color. It is imperative upon community and healthcare leaders to take every action within our purview to end the HIV epi- demic,” said East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor- President Sharon Weston Broome. “Through our work with the Louisiana Department of Health and local community-based organizations, clinics, and hospitals, we have made significant progress in this effort and I am confident our work will con- tinue to create change within our community.” Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, sup- ports their statements and added, “The City of New Orleans and the City of Baton Rouge have joined forces with the State Health Depart- ment to launch a campaign to end the HIV epi- demic. We want you to ‘Get Loud’ and encour- age everyone to get tested for HIV and get into care, because if you are undetectable, you can- not transmit the HIV virus. I encourage everyone to know their HIV status because we are working hard to ensure that every person, regardless of their status, is living a fulfilling and healthy life in the City of New Orleans.” To learn more about Ending the HIV Epi- demic: A Plan for America, visit https://www.hiv . gov/federal-response/ending-the-hiv-epidemic/ overview. Louisiana Department of Health Adds Antigen Tests to COVID-19 Dashboard The Louisiana Department of Health has begun incorporating antigen tests into the state’s COVID-19 reporting and dashboard. There are two different types of COVID tests – diagnostic tests and antibody tests. An antigen test is a type of diagnostic test. A diagnostic test can show if you have an active COVID-19 infection and should take steps to isolate yourself from oth- ers, and if your close contacts will need to quar- antine themselves to protect the larger commu- nity. In some settings an antigen test will need to be confirmed with a more accurate and definitive molecular/PCR test. The use of antigen tests in Louisiana has increased substantially over the past few weeks. On the COVID-19 dashboard, antigen tests are now included in Total Cases, which are then bro- ken down into Confirmed Cases (molecular/PCR) and Probable Cases (antigen). Antigen tests are also now included in Total Tests, which are simi- larly broken down so one can see which are anti- gen tests and which are PCR tests. It is important to note that at this time, PCR tests will continue to be the only type of test used to calculate percent positivity. This follows current best practices and the guidance of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the reporting of parish, region, and state percent positivity will be standardized as a weekly-cumulative metric throughout the dashboard. Testing for COVID-19 is a key tool in respond- ing to the pandemic. It provides vital information about who is likely to have active infection and when they should isolate to prevent the spread of the virus. Physician Assistant Matthew Bruhn Joins North Oaks Orthopaedic Specialty Center Ponchatoula native Matthew Bruhn, MMS, PA-C, has joined North Oaks Orthopaedic Spe- cialty Center in Hammond as a physician assistant. Certified by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Bruhn will work alongside fellowship- trained orthopaedic surgeon Vince Lands, MD. As an orthopaedic traumatologist, Lands special- izes in complex trauma care and joint replace- ment surgeries. Endocrinologist Joins Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group welcomes