HJBR May/Jun 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAY / JUN 2022 39 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com designed for all levels of medical professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physi- cian assistants, nurses, medical staff and admin- istrators. It is also an opportunity to connect with leading experts in the field. The conference will feature: • 20+ continuing medical education/mainte- nance of certification units. • 1,500+ attendees from more than 30 U.S. states. • 20+ LIVE case broadcasts from around the world. • 175+ world-renowned faculty from 10+ countries. • 300+ expert presentations with late-break- ing research. For the first time, there will be a session open to the public. The topic will be race/gender/age disparities in healthcare. It will take place on the last day of the conference, June 3, at 8 a.m. in the Blue Room at the Roosevelt Hotel. NCVH is 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 will focus on the resources that we as healthcare pro- fessionals can bring to the table to fill these gaps and provide positive outcomes for patients.” To register, learn more, or find accommoda- tions, visit www.ncvh.org/2022. Early bird rates and a virtual option are available. Melinda ‘Mendy’ Richard is LDHAssistant Secretary of Office of Aging, Adult Services The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced the appointment of Melinda “Mendy” Richard as assistant secretary for the Department’s Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS). Richard most recently served as the dep- uty assistant secretary for the Bureau of Commu- nity Preparedness and Health Protection in the Office of Public Health (OPH). Richard will begin her new role as assistant sec- retary on Feb. 28. She will take over leadership from Interim Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Adkins, who will move into the role of OAAS deputy assis- tant secretary. OAAS was formed within the Department of Health as a healthcare reform initiative, bringing together all of the long-term care programs that serve elder residents and people with adult-onset disabilities. Richard joined LDH in 2016 following more than 20 years of public service with the Louisiana State University Pennington Biomedical Research Cen- ter, Department of Public Safety – Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, and the Division of Adminis- tration. She graduated from Louisiana State Uni- versity and the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans with a bachelor of science degree in medical technology. Richard is a member of the American Society for Quality and is a licensed clinical laboratory scientist certified by the Amer- ican Society for Clinical Pathology. She is also a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. 2022 Health Summit Outlines Policy Solutions Public health professionals, education profes- sionals, and individuals invested in the well-being of Louisianans gathered virtually for the 2022 Health Summit: Pathways through Policy for Equi- table Recovery. Local, state, and nationally recog- nized speakers lead discussions around pathways to equitable recovery, renewal, and resilience to move Louisiana forward. “Louisiana has been impacted by so many dif- ferent disasters over the past two years,” said Alma Stewart, summit organizer and Louisiana Center for Health Equity founder/president. “It is important that equity remains at the forefront of recovery and that we build resilient communi- ties with members who can be decision-makers in their own recovery efforts. The summit explored different practices and policies to move Louisiana forward from these storms and COVID-19, focus- ing on whole health and how participants can fur- ther support these efforts.” Gov. John Bel Edwards opened the two-day summit, followed by Gail Christopher, MD, exec- utive director, National Collaborative for Health Equity, who served as the keynote speaker. Davondra Brown, director of the Bureau of Com- munity Partnerships and Health Equity for the Louisiana Department of Health, was also on hand to discuss how the department is address- ing health equity and moving Louisiana forward. The five key objectives that were outlined during the summit included defining equitable recovery and providing examples of policies that have a proven or promising impact on health out- comes, health equity, and achieving LA40by2030; explaining how a data-driven equity approach to social and political determinants of health, includ- ing place, race, and poverty, contributes to Loui- siana’s recovery efforts; engaging participants in advancing policy initiatives, such as addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), improv- ing women’s health, adopting a living wage, and greater accountability on improving health out- comes and equitable recovery; identifying the roles various audiences, including policymak- ers, communities, and individuals, can play in an equitable recovery; and providing updates and promoting collaboration, civic engagement, and collective impact for the State Health Improve- ment Plan (SHIP) and improving Louisiana’s health ranking. The summit was organized via the Louisiana Center for Health Equity in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Health Office of Pub- lic Health and Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Hogs for the Cause Pledges $2.25M to Build Second Hogs House Hogs for the Cause has announced a substan- tial contribution towards a Hogs House on Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital campus in Melinda ‘Mendy’ Richard