HJBR Mar/Apr 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2022 39 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com health and economic impacts have an enormous toll on workers, their families, and communities. For more information, contact Anna Reilly at anna.reilly@la.gov. State Approves Charter School Partnered with Ochsner Ochsner Baton Rouge announced that the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has approved Baton Rouge Discovery Academy as a new charter school. Baton Rouge Discovery Academy is a partner- ship between Ochsner Health and Louisiana- based Discovery Schools. Located at the former Runnels School at 17255 S. Harrel’s Ferry Road, it is expected to open in the fall of 2023 with about 400 students in pre-K through fourth grade. This free, public school will offer a health sci- ences-integrated curriculum with the flexibility to adapt to students’ individual educational needs. In addition, Baton Rouge Discovery Academy is approved as a Type 2 charter, meaning students can enroll from anywhere in the state. Children of current Ochsner employees will comprise about half the enrollment, while the other half will be open for the community. “Ochsner Baton Rouge is very excited to part- ner with the East Baton Rouge Parish School Sys- tem. We know firsthand the system is doing great work, and we’re excited to contribute to the edu- cational community,” says Christy Reeves, Och- sner Baton Rouge vice president, Regional Com- munity Affairs and Government Relations. “The Academy model will give students an early start on careers in healthcare, which ultimately bene- fits patients as well.” For more information about Discovery Schools, visit discoveryhsf.org. BatonRougeHealth-TechCatalyst Announces Inaugural Launchpad Innovation Pilot Awards The Baton Rouge Health-Tech Catalyst, a Baton Rouge Health District project funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Build to Scale Program, announced its inaugural Launchpad Innovation Pilot Awards. The goal of the project is to promote and support collabora- tion between Health District member institutions, while sparking innovation between Baton Rouge Health District anchor institutions, technology and community innovators, and industry lead- ers. Awards will provide up to $30,000 for Health District member institution investigators, provid- ers, and employees. “With the generous support of the EDA and in conjunction with our partners at BRAC and Pen- nington, we are excited to offer this opportu- nity for our Baton Rouge Health District member institutions,” said Steven Ceulemans, MD, Baton Rouge Health District Executive Director. “This initiative will create a launchpad to strengthen innovation, increase a culture of health, and make Baton Rouge a destination for healthcare at the heart of a healthy and vibrant community.” With funding from the EDA – Build to Scale Pro- gram, the Baton Rouge Health District recently established the Baton Rogue Health-Tech Cata- lyst in collaboration with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) and Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The Launchpad Innovation Pilot Awards will support collaborative proposals for novel approaches to further the Health District priorities of: • Healthy Place - to be a vibrant and acces- sible destination that promotes healthy liv- ing beyond the hospital walls. • Health Education and Workforce - to be a center for advanced education, clinical practice, and workforce development in healthcare. • Health Innovation and Research - provide a platform for innovation and research part- nerships that improve health outcomes and contribute to care advancement through technology adoption and development. • Healthcare Coalition - to be a model for resource coordination to facilitate patient- centric, value-driven care. NeuroMedical Center Announces Retirement of Allen S. Joseph, MD Allen S. Joseph, MD, has retired after 38 years of service as a pediatric neurosurgeon at The NeuroMedical Center. “As the first pediatric neurosurgeon in Baton Rouge, Dr. Joseph was a fixture in our community and his medical expertise was second to none,” said Ben Boudreaux, CEO at The NeuroMedical Center. “Dr. Joseph joined The NeuroMedical Center as one of a few and leaves a group of 33 doctors, now recognized as the top neuro- science clinic in the state. His compassion for patients and their families will be his lasting leg- acy,” said Boudreaux. “In addition, Dr. Joseph had an incredible sense of humor and is an enor- mous part of The NeuroMedical Center culture. Dr. Joseph may be retiring from full time practice, but he will always be present, and he will always be a part of The NeuroMedical Center. We wish him the absolute best and we are so lucky to have worked with him all these years.” Joseph completed medical school and surgical residency at Baylor University in Houston, Texas. Following residency, Joseph completed a pedi- atric neurosurgery fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada in 1979. Prior to joining The NeuroMedical Center in 1983, Joseph was the director of pediatric neurosurgery and staff neurosurgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and an active-duty U.S. Army Medical Corps Colonel. In Decem- ber of 1990, Joseph was activated for Operation Desert Storm as one of only eight neurosurgeons assigned to the five evacuation hospitals in Saudi Arabia. He is a recipient of the Army Medal of Commendation in 1981 and 1991 and the Kuwait Medal of Honor. In 2012, Joseph was named the director of pediatric neurosurgery for Our Lady of Lake Regional Medical Center. Joseph plans to continue to support The Neu- roMedical Center and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in an advisory role for the pediatric and adult neurosurgery programs, as well as supporting the adult neurosurgery tri- als at OLOLRMC and working part-time at OLOL Children’s Hospital. Calorie Restriction Rewires Metabolism, Immunity for Longer Health Span Calorie restriction improves metabolic and immune responses that help determine both how long a person lives and how many years of good health they enjoy, a new study shows. “Two years of modest calorie restriction repro- grammed the pathways in fat cells that help reg- ulate the way mitochondria generate energy, the body’s anti-inflammatory responses, and