HJBR Sep/Oct 2022

44 SEP / OCT 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs facilities is a wonderful upgrade to what TOM has to offer our clients and their employees through- out South Louisiana. I’m also happy for the staff at TOM. They work hard and deserve to be in this new space.” State Supreme Court Denies Plaintiffs’ Appeal in Abortion LawCase Ongoing litigation between a Shreveport clinic that provides abortions, as the main plaintiff, and the Louisiana attorney general and the Louisiana Department of Health secretary, as the defen- dants, reached the Louisiana Supreme Court in early August. The appeal was made by plaintiffs in regard to a lower court’s ruling and was denied Aug. 12, 2022. The lawsuit, filed in July by the clinic and its director, the reproductive healthcare advocacy group Medical Students for Choice, and a Tulane University School of Medicine professor and prac- ticing physician against Louisiana Attorney Gen- eral Jeff Landry and LDH Secretary Courtney N. Phillips, challenges the clarity and enforceability of state laws banning abortion, outlining social media and press responses to the laws by vari- ous state and local officials and providing affi- davits expressing concern by numerous medical professionals. An initial injunction had been issued by the 19th Judicial District judge who oversaw the case, which was then suspended by the First Cir- cuit Court of Appeals. The appeal to the Louisi- ana Supreme Court sought to uphold the initial injunction ruling, which would have temporarily blocked enforcement of abortion bans. Litigation is ongoing, but as of printing, state officials have the authority to prosecute violators of the current laws as interpreted by the state. Cancer Services Hosts CAMP CARE For the first time since 2019, CAMP CARE, hosted annually by Cancer Services, was held in-person for children with cancer and their sib- lings from July 18-22. Kids, ages five-13, partic- ipated in numerous activities over the five-day camp, including touring Tiger Park and meeting Coach Beth Torina and the LSU Softball staff, par- ticipating in a field day hosted by Acadian Swamp Tours, and creating works of art at Painting with a Twist. After being held virtually in both 2020 and 2021, camp participants also competed in fit- ness games, bowling, rock climbing, and visited Baton Rouge’s Knock Knock Children’s Museum. “Our campers had a terrific week making life- long memories with friends, old and new,” said Jamie Collins, child and family coordinator, Can- cer Services. “For one week, these kids were able to focus on having endless fun without thinking about the stressors associated with a cancer diagnosis.” CAMP CARE, hosted at Baton Rouge Commu- nity College, gives campers the opportunity to socialize with other peers who are facing similar experiences. The weeklong day camp, nearing its 30th anniversary, allows these patients and their siblings to experience a sense of normalcy and stability. “Anytime we can bring a smile to a child’s face, it is worth it,” Collins said. “Our camps provide us the opportunity to do that tenfold. We couldn’t put on CAMP CARE, or any of our other camps, without the support of so many who made this heartwarming week possible.” For more information on Cancer Services and additional camp opportunities, visit cancerservices.org . Children and family pro- grams are made possible by generous commu- nity donors. n