HJBR Sep/Oct 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  SEP / OCT 2022 35 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology Graduates 53rd Class The 53rd graduating class of the North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology celebrated their accomplishments with a commencement cere- mony in July. Program Director Heather Koepp proudly shared that the class of 2022 has a 100% job placement rate with six of the fourteen gradu- ates accepting positions with North Oaks Health System. Graduates include Samantha Vaughn Beyl of Hammond; Nicole E. Dazet of St. Rose; Andrea Ceny Dileo of Hammond; Kevin Michael Harger of Baton Rouge; Chelsea Lea Johnson of Lor- anger; Samantha Rose Liberto-Womack of Kent- wood; Edward Andre’ Mason II of Hammond; Max Allen Miller, McKenzi Grace Oden and Abby Lynn Palmer of Ponchatoula; Audrey Euge- nia Robles of Hammond; Kelsey Marie Saldana of Kentwood; Alexis Rae Shirer of LaPlace; and Madelyn Claire Williams of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Commencement was held at the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center. North Oaks Pas- toral Care Director Keith Kincaid delivered the invocation, and Lisa Raney and Cynthia Thorn- bury of the Auxiliary of Gideons International pre- sented each graduate with a Bible for medical professionals. The health system’s Chief Human Resources Officer Jeff Jarreau presided over the ceremony that concluded two years of study for the students involving 2,000 clinical hours and more than 1,200 classroom hours and 400 exams and quizzes. The commencement address was delivered by Rocky J. Brown, alumni of North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology and programmanager for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. Allen isWinner of RWJF- NCL Health Equity Award The Louisiana Center for Health Equity (LCHE) announced that founder and president Alma C. Stewart Allen is the winner of the 2022 Rob- ert Wood Johnson Foundation-National Civic League (RWJF-NCL) Health Equity Award. The health equity award is presented to indi- viduals that seek to address health inequity and improve health outcomes within their community through the implementation of a systems change approach. Additionally, this award honors individ- uals who are helping to create a culture of health in their communities. Allen has advocated for policy changes and health equity for women, children, and families across the state. Through LCHE, she has spear- headed youth initiatives to gain awareness, opportunities, and understanding of the areas that impact the youth of Louisiana. “In building up community health resources, leadership, and education, Alma’s work has con- tributed significantly to advancing health equity in communities across Louisiana and in the United States,” said a representative of NCL. TheWalls Project Receives Funding to Advance Racial Health Equality The Walls Project received $150,000 in grant funding to address poverty in Baton Rouge. Addi- tionally, the total investment in the city-parish of East Baton Rouge from American Heart Asso- ciation/Voices for Healthy Kids for this work is $450,000. These funds will support the project’s commitment to dismantling the racial and health inequities people of color and people with low incomes face in the community. “The Walls Project is honored to serve as a hub organization helping to pilot this new inno- vative advocacy and policy impact program from American Heart Association/Voices for Healthy Kids in East Baton Rouge Parish. We look for- ward to working with the capital area nonprofits recently awarded competitive grants. This gener- ous investment and technical assistance will bring positive and lasting change to our community”, said Mary Bergeron, director of advancement with The Walls Project. The Walls Project is funded as a hub organi- zation to help support the establishment of the project as well as coordination of the work of the campaigns throughout the pilot. Together, through OneRouge, this layered campaign along with its partners will work toward building pros- perity and empowering people to accelerate their own lives by disrupting drivers of poverty. Big River Economic and Agricultural Develop- ment Alliance (BREADA) will advocate for the expansion of the Women, Infant, and Children Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) participation at farmers markets by seeking fund- ing and/or an executive order that supports WIC clients in purchasing fresh, local fruits and veg- etables. Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) will work with the Power Coalition, the Mayor’s Office, the Baton Rouge Planning Commission, The 53rd graduating class of the North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology