HJBR Mar/Apr 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2021 41 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com ICD, is a small, battery-powered device that monitors heart rhythm for very fast and poten- tially dangerous heart rhythms and sends an elec- trical shock to the heart muscle to restore normal heart rhythm. The Gallant ICD is unique, as its Bluetooth capability pairs with Abbott’s myMerlin- Pulse mobile smartphone app to streamline com- munication between doctors and patients. This remote monitoring enables physicians to iden- tify asymptomatic episodes of cardiac arrhyth- mias or abnormal heart rhythms, leading to ear- lier intervention. Once the ICD is implanted and paired to the myMerlinPulse app, it discreetly collects and shares important information about the patient’s heart with the provider. This is called remote mon- itoring, and it is secure. “This Bluetooth ICD offers enhanced detection and treatment for arrhythmias and safer manage- ment of care,” explained Drennan. “This means a better quality of life for patients, peace of mind with automated daily checks, and discretion and freedom to go anywhere, anytime.” NewLung Association Report: Ending Tobacco Use in Louisiana Critical to Saving Lives, Especially During Pandemic The American Lung Association released the 19th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report, which reveals that Louisiana received mostly fail- ing grades for its efforts to reduce and prevent tobacco use, including electronic cigarettes. This year’s report grades federal and state efforts to reduce tobacco use and calls for meaningful pol- icies that will prevent and reduce tobacco use and save lives. Even amid the pandemic, tobacco use remains a serious public health threat. Tobacco use is the nation’s leading cause of preventable death and disease, taking an estimated 480,000 lives every year. In addition to tobacco-related death and disease, smoking also increases the risk of the most severe impacts of COVID-19, making ending tobacco use more important than ever. Much like COVID-19, tobacco use and second- hand smoke exposure disproportionately impacts certain communities, including communities of color, LGTBQ+ Americans, and persons of lower income. This year’s report finds that in 2021, Louisi- ana can take action to strengthen the state- wide smoke-free law to include bars and casinos in order to support public health. The need for Louisiana to take action to protect youth from all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, is more urgent than ever, with the youth vaping epidemic continuing. With one in five teens vap- ing, children are becoming the next generation addicted to tobacco. Youth vaping and tobacco use overall is largely driven by flavored tobacco products, and the report has added a new state grade calling for policies to end the sale of all fla- vored tobacco products, including menthol ciga- rettes, flavored e-cigarettes and flavored cigars. “In Louisiana, our smoking rate remains at 21.9%, and 22.9% of high schoolers use e-ciga- rettes. The surge in youth vaping combined with the fact that smoking increases the chance of severe COVID-19 symptoms, make it more impor- tant than ever for Louisiana to implement the proven measures outlined in ‘State of Tobacco Control’ to prevent and reduce tobacco use,” said Ashley Lyerly, director of advocacy for the Lung Association. Baton Rouge General Opens NewFamilyMedicine Clinic on Bluebonnet Baton Rouge General (BRG) has opened the Rouge General Physicians – Bluebonnet Family Clinic, led by Benjamin Levron, MD, and Doro- thy Ewen, FNP-C. A Thibodaux native, Levron received an under- graduate degree in biology from Nicholls State University and a doctorate degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. He com- pleted residency training at Baton Rouge Gen- eral’s Family Medicine Program. Levron is board- certified in family medicine and is a member of Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) electrophysiologist, Robert Drennan, MD, implanted the Gallant Implantable Cardioverter- Defibrillator (ICD), the first of its kind with Bluetooth technology. The procedure took place on Feb. 3 at Baton Rouge General. Pictured at the procedure are Chad Clement, RT, Jeremy Martone, RN, Sunita Millhof, RT, Robbie Drennan, MD, Ben Schuler RN, and Jim Overholt (Abbott Rep).