HJBR Jan/Feb 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATOON ROUGE I  JAN / FEB 2022 57 Daniel Nuss, MD, FACS Transitional Chief Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute AS Our Lady of the Lake turns to a new chapter in cancer care, a blessing event was the first welcomed step in our official opening of the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute on Dec. 20, 2021. During the bless- ing ceremony, there were prayers for, and acknowledgement of, the cancer patients who would soon enter these new spaces. But that is not all. There were also prayers for the nurses, technicians, physicians and all other team members who offer compas- sionate care to patients with cancer in these spaces. What a wonderful, intentional way for us to begin. It has been with the same intentional care that designs were made and carefully executed to provide a new oncology clinic and a 51-chair infusion center supported by seven of our medical oncologists. The same care was instrumental in building a new imaging center with advanced diagnos- tic capacity. Also, there is a new laboratory on-site to serve our oncology patients’needs without their having to go to a different lo- cation and a new outpatient palliative care clinic space. We have also built a new and expanded thoracic surgery clinic space. In addition to the technical build, every design detail was driven with the patient inmind to provide the most convenient and comfort- ing spaces possible. The multidisciplinary care that we provide is organized in such a way that patients have access to every kind of specialist needed for ideal cancer care in close proximity. With the dedicated multidisciplinary teams we have created in multiple specialized cancer areas, including lung, head and neck, colorectal, soft tissue and skin, we go beyond simply treating cancer; we focus on improved can- cer recovery, rehabilitation and return to normal function. These services represent the vital mul- tidisciplinary care that is so essential to modern, holistic cancer care. The vision that drives this care is unique in the region. The model not only embraces state-of-the-art methods, equipment and techniques, but it is also faith-based and mission-driven. The philosophy of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and its parent organization, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, provides a framework for cancer care that serves the physical, as well as the emotional and spiritual needs of every patient. In every aspect of this commitment is an institutional mindset that supports de- cision-making, which is not dependent on consideration of financial profits. The opening of these new spaces repre- sents the first step in our transition toward building a truly comprehensive Cancer In- stitute. Over the next three years, an entirely new $100million facility dedicated to cancer services will be constructed adjacent to the current Our Lady of the Lake hospital. Our goals are clear: • To maintain a nationally accredited, comprehensive cancer program. • To be a destination program for cancer care in Louisiana and the Gulf South. • To excel in providing care across the cancer continuum, including: • Prevention and screening. • Diagnosis and treatment. • Psychosocial wellness and sup- port for patients and families. • Rehabilitation, recovery and survivorship. • To promote and expand cancer-relat- ed education for patients, families and healthcare professionals. • To advance the science of cancer through discovery, outcomes report- ing, clinical and translational research, and clinical trials. Our Lady of the Lake, the largest hospital in Louisiana, has served the region for more than 100 years. This new beginning, ushering in a new era in comprehensive cancer care, is a blessing indeed. n Daniel Nuss, MD, is a world-renowned leader in cancer treatment, bringing extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams to advance cancer research and specialized care. He leads the Head and Neck Center at Our Lady of the Lake,the largest specialty practice of its kind in the Gulf South. Under his leadership, the program has earned Top 50 recognition by U.S. News & World Report . He is professor and chair of otolaryngology for LSU Health Sciences Center with a dual appointment in the LSU Department of Neurosurgery. Nuss is past president of the NorthAmerican Skull Base Society, an international professional group of advanced specialists who treat disorders of the cranial base, and he has also served as a senior examiner for the American Board of Otolaryngology.