HJBR Nov/Dec 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  NOV / DEC 2021 65 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com with tremendous appreciation and support for our teams.” The Spine Hospital of Louisiana and DPi Anes- thesia will begin their partnership effective Oct. 2, 2021. Cathy Griffiths Promoted toWoman’s Hospital Chief Quality Officer Woman’s Hospital has promoted Cathy Griffiths, DNS, NEA-BC, RNC-OB, to chief quality officer. Griffiths has dedicated her career to improving patient care with more than 40 years in nursing and healthcare administration, including serving as Woman’s vice president of quality since 2014. She is responsible for quality, regulatory/accredi- tation, risk management, patient safety, infection control, pharmacy, utilization management, orga- nization-wide education and social services. She also provides direction and structure for regula- tory readiness and accreditation survey process. Griffiths has led Woman’s through two success- ful Joint Commission surveys with another on the way this year. She has implemented structure and policies to help Woman’s become a Patient Safety Organization and guided the organization to a four-star rating from the Centers for Medi- care and Medicaid Services (CMS). She has also been responsible for the hospital’s infection pre- vention policies throughout the pandemic and for implementing its COVID-19 vaccine program for employees and the community. Griffiths has also shown a commitment to edu- cation as an instructor of nursing for LSU Health since 2011. Her own education credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Loyola University New Orleans, a master’s degree in healthcare management from the University of New Orleans and a doctorate in nursing science from LSU Health Sciences Center. She achieved a Six Sigma Black Belt in 2018, which means she is certified in the Lean Six Sigma Methodology and is able to lead com- plex improvement projects that can benefit her organization and help improve patient care and outcomes. She also was published for her work on maternal quality outcomes and cost in Criti- cal Care Nursing Clinics North America in 2019. Baton Rouge General to Use Robotic Technology for Lung Cancer Diagnosis Baton Rouge General (BRG) announced a new innovation that holds promise to fight lung cancer. Used to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy, the Monarch Platform can mean earlier, more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach lung nodules. Monarch was recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The technology integrates robotics, software, data science and endoscopy (the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings). The Monarch platform uses a familiar controller-like interface that phy- sicians use to navigate the flexible, robotic endo- scope to hard-to-reach areas of the lung with improved vision and control throughout the entire procedure. Physicians — including pulmonologists and tho- racic surgeons — will begin training on the Mon- arch with patient procedures slated to begin in November. The Monarch platform is powered by Auris Health. Louisiana Department of Health Announces Birth Ready Designations for Louisiana Birthing Facilities The Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC) are recognizing 16 hospitals that have achieved new designations for committing to practices that improve quality and outcomes for persons giv- ing birth. Eleven birthing facilities have achieved the Louisiana Birth Ready Designation and five birth- ing facilities have achieved the Birth Ready Plus Designation. The respective designations recog- nize consistent, thoughtful healthcare improve- ment work that focuses on improving safety, equity, and promoting dignified birth. To achieve designation, facilities met criteria in five dimen- sions such as implementation of policies and pro- cedures and promoting patient partnership and addressing health disparities and equity. “Disparities in birth outcomes experienced by mothers in Louisiana are unfortunately well doc- umented, but through the LaPQC the Louisiana Department of Health is working to change that narrative,” said LDH Secretary Dr. Courtney N. Phillips. “I’d like to congratulate the birthing facil- ities that have achieved these new designations, rising to meet the challenge of improving birthing outcomes and ensuring everyone has equitable opportunity to have a safe and dignified birth.” The work of the LaPQC, an initiative of the Department’s Bureau of Family Health, is dedi- cated to improving perinatal and neonatal out- comes across Louisiana. As of August 2021, the following Louisiana birthing hospitals have achieved Birth Ready Designation: • Baton Rouge General. • Christus Ochsner Lake Area Hospital. • Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. • East Jefferson General Hospital. • Jennings American Legion Hospital. • Lane Regional Medical Center. • Ochsner LSU Health Monroe. • Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport St. Mary Medical Center. • Ochsner Medical Center Kenner. • Willis-Knighton South and the Center for Women’s Health. • Woman’s Hospital. As of August 2021, the following Louisiana birthing hospitals have achieved Birth Ready+ Designation: • North Oaks Medical Center. • Ochsner Baptist Medical Center. • Ochsner Medical Center Baton Rouge. • Our Lady of the Angels Hospital. • Tulane Lakeside Hospital for Women and Children. n Cathy Griffiths, DNS, NEA-BC, RNC-O