HJBR Jan/Feb 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JAN / FEB 2022 41 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com RN, process improvement analyst. “We also ask patients to record their blood pressure at home to provide us with a more accurate picture of their hypertension readings.” CIS Uses NewTriClip Valve Repair System Peter Fail, MD, interventional cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) in Houma, is using the TriClip Transcatheter Tricus- pid Valve Repair (TTVr) System to treat tricuspid valve regurgitation, a condition in which the valve between the two right heart chambers does not close properly. A recent procedure took place at Terrebonne General Health System. TriClip G4 TTVr is built on a clip-based plat- form that is uniquely designed for the right heart as an alternative treatment for high-surgical-risk patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR). It fea- tures several enhancements that offer physicians more treatment options, which can be tailored to a patients’ unique tricuspid valve anatomy. It offers four implant sizes to give physicians the ability to choose an implant size for each patient. Physicians can also grasp leaflets simultaneously or independently with its controlled gripper actuation. “Tricuspid regurgitation has long been ignored by the cardiovascular community, often referred to as ‘the forgotten valve,’” said Fail. “Yet, when you look at the data on patients with severe TR, they typically do not respond to medical ther- apy. The TriClip offers us the ability to treat these patients.” Patients with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation may experience the following symptoms: • Fatigue. • Swelling in your abdomen, legs or veins in your neck. • Abnormal heart rhythm. • Pulsing in the neck. • Shortness of breath with activity. • Pulmonary hypertension. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, OneOncology Finalize Agreements Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and OneO- ncology announced the organizations have finalized agreements to become partners, effec- tive Jan. 1, 2022. This partnership will expand access to resources for cancer patients at every Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center location. Mary Bird Perkins is an independent, com- munity-owned nonprofit organization serving patients throughout southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi. The Cancer Center is a national leader in clinical research, prevention and early detection and patient care. OneOn- cology focuses solely on enhancing community- based cancer care. “There are so many benefits to partnering with a like-minded organization such as OneOncology. They’ve done the research, and just like us, they understand that patients battling cancer want to be cared for by a team that focuses entirely on high-quality cancer care,” said Tom Adamek, board chairman, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Cen- ter. “Throughout the process of defining our relationship with OneOncology, they have been clear, straight-forward and, like Mary Bird Perkins, always placing the patient first. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for both organizations. It’s going to be amazing for patients in Louisiana and the Gulf South.” There are numerous benefits for patients and Mary Bird Perkins that will soon be noticeable: • Through OneR, OneOncology’s research network, new clinical trials will be avail- able to patients, offering new opportu- nities to participate in a study that may enhance their treatment and how cancer care advances for future generations. • In some cases, infusion drug costs and med- ical supplies for patients and insurance companies may drop below the national average as a result of OneOncology’s national buying power. • Efforts will begin to further expand ser- vices and recruit additional oncologists to the Mary Bird Perkins network. • The relationship with OneOncology will help the Cancer Center to continuously reinvest in advanced treatments, technol- ogies and support services. • A new electronic medical records platform and technology support will allow Mary Bird Perkins to focus resources on expand- ing patient services and pursuing clinical advancements. OneOncology is conducting research in bio- marker and next generation sequencing. Under- standing current testing patterns and strategies to increase their uptake is a vital component to bringing precision medicine to patients who are