HJBR Jul/Aug 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE  I  JUL / AUG 2022 51 Pinki Prasad, MD, MPH Hematologist Oncologist Children’s Hospital New Orleans the only hospitals in the Gulf South with a dedicated pediatric survivorship clinic, and the center is the second highest en- roller of late effects studies in the nation. In the Late Effects Center, the team works with patients on several issues that kids and teens face in the aftermath of the rigorous cancer treatments they undergo. If they are having trouble integrating back into academics, for example, the team helps with that. There is a dedicated edu- cation specialist that meets with almost every long-term childhood cancer survi- vor. Social work and the oncologist also work together to address the long-term side effects that are a consequence of che- motherapy such as infertility, endocrine issues, and psychological issues. The common thread throughout all clin- ical trials is that they are done with an in- tense desire to advance medicine through therapeutic protocols, thereby improving outcomes for many children who are sick with serious illnesses. In the future, our hope is to see more precision medicine, that is, targeted treatments, without as much need for inpatient chemotherapies or radiation and corresponding late ef- fects of toxic treatments. In the meantime, we will continue to work tirelessly toward better treatments leading to cure with less toxicity. n Pinki Prasad,MD,MPH, is associate professor of pedi- atrics and fellowship director of pediatric hematology oncology at LSUHealth NewOrleans.She is a hema- tologist oncologist at Children’s Hospital NewOrleans where she serves as director of the Children’s Hospi- tal Late Effects Clinic (TACLE).Prasad also currently serves as president of themedical staff at Children’s Hospital NewOrleans.She completed a residency at Southern Illinois University, and a fellowship in pedi- atric hematology/oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.Prasad is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric hematology oncology. through Epic, the electronic medical re- cord. From there, the oncologist can see the information and devise an approach to help the patient feel better or more com- fortable. Through the app and real-time report- ing, the SPARK Study aims to decrease pa- tient readmissions to the hospital and the frequency in which the patient experienc- es that symptom. A cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment is a very vulnerable time for families. This is an additional re- source to help them get through it. Another large area of study in pediat- ric oncology is long term effects (LTE) or late effects of cancer treatment. COG has a number of clinical trials that are dedicated to learning about late effects. LTE Centers are multidisciplinary clinics for cancer survivors who have been off treatment for 1-5 years. Children’s Hospital is one of “In addition to groundbreaking cancer treatments, clinical trials encompass the full continuum of care, including pain management, decreasing visits to the hospital, and even improving outcomes by helping kids undergoing cancer treatment to express their emotions.”