HJBR Jul/Aug 2022

40 JUL / AUG 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs “My Dad has helped me as a full-time student for the past five years as best as he could and I work as a nurse tech at OLOL Regional Medical Center to fill in the gaps,” said DeLaune. In his time at FranU, DeLaune has become a part of the Student Nurse Association where he participates in the mentor program for first semester nursing students. After graduation in the fall, he plans to pursue critical care nursing and eventually CRNA school. LAICU is a statewide nonprofit association, which represents Louisiana’s 10 regionally accred- ited nonprofit private colleges and universities whose members are Centenary College of Loui- siana, Dillard University, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, Louisiana College, Loyola University New Orleans, Saint Joseph Seminary College, Tulane University, University of Holy Cross, Xavier University of Louisiana, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. NCVHConference Attracts More than 1,300 Attendees More than 1,300 medical professionals from 13 countries attended the 23rd annual New Cardio- vascular Horizons (NCVH) conference from May 31-June 3 at The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. The conference featured 20 live case broadcasts from around the world, 175 world-renowned fac- ulty, and more than 300 expert presentations with a focus on continuum of care and limb salvage. Various levels of medical professionals were in attendance, including physicians, nurse practi- tioners, physician assistants, nurses, medical staff, administrators, and fellows and nurses in training. Specialty-specific tracks included family prac- tice, fellows course, podiatry and wound care, healthcare professionals forum, business of car- diovascular medicine, vein form, and industry exhibits. NCVH was founded by Craig M. Walker, MD, interventional cardiologist, president and founder of Cardiovascular Institute of the South. “We have all experienced tremendous challenges over the past two years. Many patients canceled or delayed procedures for fear of COVID, and our hospitals shut down ‘elective’ procedures when many patients faced severe life-threatening con- ditions,” he said. “This year’s conference focused on the resources that we as healthcare profession- als can bring to the table to fill these gaps and provide positive outcomes for patients.” NCVH hosts more than 20 conferences across the U.S. throughout the year. To learn more, or sign up for next year’s annual conference , visit www.ncvh.org . Cardiovascular Institute of the South Named a Best Place toWork in Healthcare Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) has been selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2022 Best Places to Work in Healthcare, earn- ing this title for the third year in a row. This award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare indus- try nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey. “Our physicians and team members drive our unique culture, which has always been the main reason for our success,” said CIS CEO David Konur, FACHE. “Our team members feel that this is not just a job or career, but a calling— and their commitment to our patients has been noth- ing short of exceptional.” “After the many stressors placed on the health- care workforce during the pandemic and the resulting Great Resignation, we know those employees are battling burnout, increased work volumes, and their own physical and men- tal health challenges,” said Modern Healthcare Publisher Fawn Lopez. “The organizations that have focused significant resources and energy to support their staff throughout these especially challenging times deserve the loyalty of their teams and the recognition of the entire industry. At Modern Healthcare, we are honored to cele- brate the Best Places to Work for demonstrating their commitment to their employees, and the communities they serve, with exemplary people care measures.” Cardiovascular Institute of the South will be recognized at the 2022 Best Places to Work in Healthcare Awards Gala taking place on Sept. 29 at the Hilton Downtown in Nashville. International Team Including Two Pennington Biomedical Faculty Awarded $25 Million for Cancer Research Pennington Biomedical Research Center faculty members Steven B. Heymsfield, MD, and Justin C. Brown, PhD, are members of a team led by the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Cold Spring Harbor Lab- oratory that have secured $25 million to take on the challenge of cachexia, the debilitating wast- ing condition responsible for up to 30% of can- cer deaths. The funding comes from Cancer Grand Chal- lenges, a global funding platform supported by Cancer Research U.K. and the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Cancer Grand Challenges has brought together a community of diverse, global teams to think differently and take on some of cancer’s toughest challenges. “Cachexia, the inexorable loss in body weight and muscle mass seen in many cancers, contrib- utes to adverse outcomes. However, its underly- ing mechanisms are poorly understood. Discov- ering causative mechanisms of cachexia may lead to treatments and preventions that improve the course of some common forms of cancer,” said Heymsfield, the Pennington lead investigator on the team, and professor and director of Penning- ton Biomedical’s Body Composition & Metabo- lism Laboratory. “Scientists are driven to discover the root causes of disease and being part of this team and the Cancer Grand Challenge project fulfills that dream.” “Cancer Grand Challenges provides a unique opportunity to tackle complex issues like cachexia