HJBR May/Jun 2021

30 MAY / JUN 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs of PAD in the legs include pain or cramping after activity, numbness, coldness, sores or ulcers that won’t heal, discoloration, hair loss, shiny skin, or a weak pulse. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Vysioneer Launch Collaboration A new way to rapidly develop, validate, and strategically integrate deep-learning technology into every aspect of radiation therapy for patients is now in the beginning stages at Mary Bird Per- kins Cancer Center. Vysioneer, a precision radiation oncology soft- ware company in Boston, Massachusetts, and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, a regional can- cer care organization headquartered in Baton Rouge, have launched a multi-year collaboration that will transform the practice of this highly-uti- lized form of cancer treatment. The first stage of collaboration aims to develop tumor auto-contouring solutions for most com- mon tumor types treated by radiotherapy such as brain, prostate, and head and neck cancers to expedite treatment times, and improve accu- racy and efficiency of treatments. Vysioneer’s Arti- ficial Intelligence (AI) solution development will be fueled by the clinical expertise and data from Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. The output is being deployed into the existing clinical work- flows throughout all of the organizations’ loca- tions in southeast Louisiana and southwest Missis- sippi, playing the key role as a second set of eyes and hands for medical professionals. “We are committed to leveraging artificial intel- ligence to realize precision medicine that delivers clinical benefits to cancer patients and support clinicians,” said Jen-Tang Lu, founder and chief executive officer, Vysioneer. “Through this collab- oration, Vysioneer and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will bring the field of radiation oncology to a sweeping step forward with the power of advanced deep-learning techniques and cloud platforms. Our partnership could truly impact cancer care on a global scale.” As Vysioneer continues to expand AI offerings across all stages of the cancer patient journey, the associated applications built on big data and analytics will have the potential to achieve next-generation radiotherapy from process auto- mation and treatment outcome predictions to Pediatric Pulmonologist Joins Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health wel- comed Dean Edell, MD, MPH, a board-certified pediatric pulmonologist with more than 30 years of experience, research, and practice to its team of providers serving children across Louisiana. “It means a great deal for our children’s health network to welcome a physician with Dr. Edell’s experience and expertise,” said Trey Dunbar, MD, president of Our Lady of the Lake Chil- dren’s Health. “By expanding our team with expe- rienced physicians, we can ensure we continue to provide exceptional care to our pediatric patients across the state. We’re excited that Dr. Edell will see patients not only in Lafayette, but in Baton Rouge as well.” Edell earned a medical degree from the Amer- ican University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and went on to complete a pediatric residency at New York Medical College and a fel- lowship in pediatric pulmonary at Duke University College of Medicine. He also earned a Master of Public Health with an emphasis on maternal and child health from New York Medical College. Edell is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric pulmonology and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Tho- racic Society. Edell has served in a variety of med- ical leadership roles over the last 15 years in and around the city of New Orleans, most recently serving as director of pulmonary and respiratory care at a children’s hospital in New Orleans. He joins Jessica Brown, DO, and Andre Carrion, MD, in serving pediatric pulmonology patients as part of the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health statewide network. Edell has special interests in chronic lung dis- ease of infancy (CLDI) including bronchopulmo- nary dysplasia (BPD) which is long-term breathing and lung problems in premature babies, acute lung injury, recurrent pneumonia, noisy breath- ing, and recurrent chest infections. Edell will see pediatric pulmonary patients at both Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Pul- monary Clinics in Lafayette and Baton Rouge. CIS Uses Sonic PressureWaves to Treat Blockages in Legs Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) used a new lithotripsy balloon by Shockwave Medi- cal, Inc. to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition where plaque builds in the arteries of the legs and leads to blockage. The proce- dure was performed by CIS interventional car- diologist Nayan Agarwal, MD, at Lane Regional Medical Center. Lithotripsy is an innovative advanced technol- ogy that uses sonic pressure waves to break up hardened calcium buildups so that blockages can be removed, and blood flow can be restored. This technology creates a series of micro-fractures in the calcium, and the balloon expands the vessel, enabling blood flow. This therapy uses a similar minimally-invasive approach that has been used by physicians for decades to treat kidney stones, which are also made up of calcium. The technology was used to treat a critical ste- nosis in abdominal aorta, a condition which is typically treated with open surgery and several days of hospitalization. Agarwal used this new technology to place a stent to open the block- age, without the need for major surgery, and the patient was discharged the same day. “We are proud to be the first to offer this innovative tech- nology to the patients of Zachary,” said Agarwal. “These sonic pressure waves offer a safe and proven treatment option for patients suffering from blockages in the legs, with a lower risk of complications.” PAD affects more than 12 million people in the United States by preventing blood flow to the legs and feet, causing significant pain and lim- ited mobility, and potentially leading to surgery or even amputation in severe cases. Symptoms Dean Edell, MD, MPH