HJBR Sep/Oct 2022

40 SEP / OCT 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs Fauveau is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She is an active member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology, the Louisiana chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and the Louisiana State Medical Society. She is certified in oncoplastic breast surgery and hidden-scar breast surgery. Her special inter- ests include surgical treatment of breast cancer, nipple-sparing mastectomies, oncoplastic breast surgery, and multidisciplinary care. She provides in-office ultrasound guided biopsy and aspira- tion procedures. Her research interests focus on treatment of DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in-situ. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Grows Clinical Research Program, Adds Genetic Services Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center announced that the organization’s expanded clinical research program and its full offering of genetic services are now available to residents across the region. Through Mary Bird Perkins’ enhanced clinical research, a greater number of trials are now avail- able to more people. At the same time, the Can- cer Center has opened a genetic services clinic — a much-needed asset that will help bolster can- cer prevention and precision medicine strategies. “Expanded research opportunities and a robust genetics programs, together, and individually, offer patients many new opportunities to tri- umph over cancer,” said Daniel LaVie, MD, med- ical oncologist, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. Clinical trials move cancer research forward by looking beyond current standard of care treat- ments and finding new ways to target cancer and deliver improved patient outcomes. Genet- ics is also a powerful tool, helping oncologists develop a care plan tailored to the specific “pro- gramming” of an individual’s cancer cells (preci- sion medicine) or by identifying a person’s pre- disposition to a disease with counseling to help prevent it. “While Mary Bird Perkins has offered an array of clinical trials for years, a new research man- agement system will help us effectively screen patients for trials by matching them with an open study improving access to new and emerging research and protocols,” said LaVie. Additionally, as a benefit of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s recent partnership with OneOn- cology, patients across the area will have access to its clinical trials program called OneR. This pro- gram will allow Mary Bird Perkins oncologists and patients direct access to participate in research studies launched by other members of the vast network. Further, Mary Bird Perkins will expand trials to locations throughout Southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, noted Mandy Shipp, direc- tor of clinical research, Mary Bird Perkins. “Clini- cal trials are offered to patients at no cost, thanks to our generous donor community and it’s always coupled with a standard treatment. Patients who qualify to participate in a trial can rest assured it is a tested protocol that may enhance outcomes.” The understanding of the underlying genet- ics of cancer, which are unique to each patient and their diagnosis, is becoming an increasingly important tool used by oncologists to develop a plan of care that is tailored to the specific make-up of an individual’s cancer cells. To that end, Mary Bird Perkins opened a genetics clinic, located at its main campus, 4950 Essen Lane. It is available to all patients. The clinic consists of two main components: genetic testing and coun- seling. The clinic team can determine if some- one has an inherited mutation in a cancer-related gene that could be passed on to offspring, which promotes education and early detection efforts. The genetics clinic will also help in the Can- cer Center’s establishment of a precision medi- cine program, a significant boost to fighting the disease. “To help support and maximize our investments in our clinical trials and precision medicine pro- grams, we are excited to have distinguished phy- sician scientist, Victor Lin, MD, PhD, join our team of researchers, nurse practitioners and other spe- cialists,” said Jonas Fontenot, PhD, chief oper- ating officer and Dr. Charles M. Smith Chief of Physics, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Infor- mation is power, and with advancements under- way in both clinical research and precision medi- cine, we will propel the future of early detection, prevention and treatment efforts at Mary Bird Per- kins. In the end, it’ll help us save more lives.” Lin is an oncologist who has led the precision medicine program and also served as principal investigator for numerous clinical trials at the NCI- designated University of Alabama Birmingham. He will start at Mary Bird Perkins in August. Prathipa Santhanam, MD, Joins Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health wel- comed Prathipa Santhanam, MD, to its group of providers. A pediatric gastroenterologist, Santhanam treats patients with a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, including abdominal pain, constipa- tion, nausea, vomiting, eosinophilic esophagitis, IBD, and more. She has a special interest in treat- ing patients with nutritional disorders and intes- tinal failure. Santhanam’s office is located on the 4th floor of the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Gas- troenterology building at 8200 Constantin Blvd. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Santhanam received a bachelor’s degree in biol- ogy, physics, and chemistry from Anglo-Chinese Junior College in Singapore before earning a doctoral degree from the PSG Institute of Medi- cal Sciences and Research in India. She went on to complete a pediatric residency at the Brook- dale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and an ACGME Fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, Santhanam was awarded the 2022 Walter Tunnes- sen Award for Best Clinical Science Research at UNC. She is also a member of several societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Prathipa Santhanam, MD