HJBR Mar/Apr 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2021 61 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com transformational change. Clients include the United States Department of Homeland Security, Neiman Marcus Group, the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Association of Junior Leagues International, the California State University System, Notre Dame University, and the University of Nebraska, among others. Kathleen Healy-Collier is New President of Our Lady of Lourdes Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health Sys- tem announced that Kathleen Healy-Collier, DHA, MHA; has been named market president for the Acadiana Region and will join the ministry on Feb. 22, 2021. Healy-Collier’s responsibilities include leading the 328 beds at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s, Our Lady of Lourdes Heart Hospital, the rapidly expanding Lourdes Physician Group, and the full complement of healthcare ser- vices offered by Our Lady of Lourdes and its many partners and locations. In announcing this new appointment, Francis- can Missionaries of Our Lady President and CEO Richard R. Vath, MD, said, “Kathy brings an excep- tional track-record of experiences both in leading large, acute care operations as well as developing strong physician relations in very competitive mar- kets. As aligned as those skills are to this role, we are even more impressed with her commitment to Catholic healthcare. Devoted to her faith and family, Kathy is an authentic and effective leader grounded in the values of serving those most in need.” Healy-Collier most recently served as the chief operating officer at HSHS St. John’s Hospital and St. John’s Children’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill. Her career spans more than 20 years in oper- ations roles including serving as the COO at 650-bed Brookwood Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala. and as the executive/adminis- trative director, operations and systems at LeBon- heur Children’s Hospital in Memphis for 15 years. Her expertise includes key areas of finance, reve- nue cycle, technology, and strategy. She has also served as teaching faculty for several healthcare graduate programs. Healy-Collier holds both doctorate and master’s degrees in health administration from the Medi- cal University of South Carolina and the Univer- sity of Memphis, respectively. She holds a Bach- elor of Science, Health Informatics/Management from Saint Louis University and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Healy-Collier has actively contributed to the healthcare profession with par- ticipation on numerous national organizations as well as to the communities in which she has lived, through many civic and volunteer boards and leadership roles. Our Lady of Lourdes Board Chair Bryan Hanks added, “Kathy Healy-Collier is an exemplary leader and I’m especially impressed by her com- mitment to the calling of Catholic healthcare. I am confident that our national search has brought us the best candidate and that our physicians and team members will continue their outstanding performance under her guidance. We’re looking forward to Kathy’s arrival in Acadiana.” BRGRecognized for Improving Quality of Care for Seniors For the seventh consecutive year, Baton Rouge General (BRG) has earned national recognition as a NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsys- tem Elders) facility for its ongoing commitment to excellence in caring for patients age 65 and older. BRG first earned the NICHE designation in 2013, later achieving the enhanced level of NICHE dis- tinction of Seniors-Friendly. BRG offers skilled nursing care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, behavioral health ser- vices, wellness classes, wound care and hyper- baric, and patient navigator services. Seniors- Friendly status is awarded to NICHE hospitals that have undergone a rigorous evaluation of their seniors’ programs and services. Specific areas targeted by the NICHE program include: • Decreasing length of hospital stay, • Reducing hospital-acquired complications, • Educating staff on enhanced sensitivity to seniors’ needs, • Redesigning patient care areas to enhance function and comfort. “Seniors today are a lot different than genera- tions past, with many still working and still active physically and in the community,” said Venkat Banda, MD, medical director at BRG Mid City. “Whether they have underlying health conditions, need help recovering from an injury, or are work- ing through mental health issues, our team is here to provide the highest level of care.” BRG’s senior-focused programs and services are led by a multidisciplinary team of nurses and phy- sicians trained in geriatric care in collaboration with related care areas, including physical thera- pists, pharmacists, and social workers who have specialized geriatric sensitivity training. Woman’s Hospital’s Cheri Johnson Selected for National Council onMaternal and Child Health The American Hospital Association (AHA) has selected Cheri Johnson, senior vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer of Woman’s Hospital, to serve on its 2021 Maternal and Child Health Council. This council represents AHA- member women’s and children’s health provider organizations and participates in the AHA’s advo- cacy, policy, and resource development. As part of this council, Johnson will have the opportunity to work toward addressing and solv- ing disparities in maternal health on both a local Cheri Johnson Kathleen Healy-Collier, DHA, MHA