HJBR Jul/Aug 2021

30 JUL / AUG 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs Cassidy. “This will ensure important communica- tion with patients allow physicians and other team members to focus on providing patient care.” Eon uses computational linguistics, a disci- pline of artificial intelligence, to extract abnor- mal findings and clinically relevant information from radiology reports. Using machine learning and advanced business logic, Eon automates tasks for low-risk patients, while triaging high-risk patients for provider review. The result is more patients are captured within the Cancer Center system and longitudinally tracked per evidence- based guidelines. Cancer Center’s Annual Fest for Life Achieves Successful Early Detection Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Can- cer Center held its annual Fest for Life event on May 1 in the Cancer Center parking lot to ensure appropriate social distancing and compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions. This year’s Fest for Life yielded significant participation as cancer screenings continue to rebound after dipping ear- lier in the pandemic. “It is incredible to see our community coming out to put their health first by getting screened,” said Johnnay Benjamin, director, early detection and education. “Catching cancer in its earliest stages is key to better outcomes and it was really important to host Fest for Life this year, as many people have delayed cancer screenings due to the pandemic. Following is an overview of screening statistics for Fest for Life 2021: • Nearly 200 participants received cancer screenings. • 45% were uninsured. • 47% of participants had never been screened for cancer before. • 19 participants had abnormal findings detected from screenings and are currently being supported by a patient navigator for additional testing and follow-up care. Participants received produce boxes at no cost to promote healthy eating as a cancer preven- tion strategy. All cancer screenings were provided at no cost, thanks to the generosity of the com- munity. Special thanks to Fest for Life’s present- ing sponsor, Karnival Krewe de Louisiane, and additional generous support from Unum Dental and Republic Finance. The Cancer Center offers prevention and early detection services, year-round. For information on upcoming screenings, call 225-215-1234 or visit marybirdlake.org . Latraiel Courtney, MHA, is Prevention Division Director for CAHS Latraiel Courtney, MHA, has been appointed prevention division director for Capital Area Human Services (CAHS). Courtney formerly served as the program manager, chronic disease grant manager, for the Louisiana Department of Health, overseeing the creation, action plan, and direction of a statewide population health initia- tive designed to improve quality of care and effi- cient work practices in primary care. Courtney earned a Master of Healthcare Administration from Franciscan University (Our Lady of the Lake College) and attained the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification. According to CAHS Executive Director Jan Laughinghouse, PhD, LCSW-BACS, LAC, Court- ney’s predecessor, Vivian Gettys, RN, MPH, ful- filled the role of prevention division director for more than 16 years. Upon her retirement, Gettys was honored with a certificate of acknowledge- ment, from Gov. John Bel Edwards, signifying her contributions to prevention programming in the state. At CAHS, the Prevention Division staff devel- ops a broad range of evidence-based educa- tional and informational programming, media, and materials designed to positively influence behavioral health and well-being. The agency has been recognized for its award-winning prom and graduation anti-drug and safety awareness for teens. Other initiatives include suicide preven- tion, opioid misuse and recovery, neonatal alco- hol syndrome awareness, medication safety dis- posal methods for parents and the elderly, grief recovery, and women’s health. During the COVID- 19 pandemic, the agency enhanced its preven- tion outreach through video and web-based Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center held its annual Fest for Life event on May 1 in the Cancer Center parking lot to ensure appropriate social distancing and compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions. Pictured at the event are members of Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center’s Guest Services team who distributed food boxes to Fest for Life attendees.