HJBR Mar/Apr 2023

44 MAR / APR 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs healthcare is best when delivered locally, and fol- lowing the transaction’s close, the Louisiana plan headquarters will remain in Baton Rouge and will continue to serve its customers locally through its workforce of approximately 3,000 employees. An additional benefit of this transaction will be the creation of a multibillion-dollar foundation, the Accelerate Louisiana Initiative. This founda- tion is being created to address the unique and complex needs of the people of Louisiana with the mission to improve the health and lives of the people of Louisiana by addressing health inequi- ties and strengthening local communities. The acquisition is expected to close later this year and is subject to customary closing condi- tions and receipt of certain required approvals. Upon closing, Elevance Health’s affiliated Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans will now operate within 15 states across the country. Louisiana State Nurses Association Issues Statement on Fraudulent Nursing Degree Schemes The Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida, recently announced that 25 defendants were charged in a scheme to sell and obtain fraudulent nursing degrees for the purpose of obtaining a license and practicing as a nurse. Louisiana State Board of Nursing CEO/Executive Director Karen C. Lyon, PhD, MBA, APRN-CNS, NEA, stated, “As of January 27, 2023, three individuals on the FBI list have connections to Louisiana. Louisiana State Board of Nursing staff acted swiftly in respond- ing to each of these individuals and is committed to safeguarding the life and health of citizens of Louisiana by assuring persons practicing as Reg- istered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are competent and safe.” Louisiana State Nurses Association (LSNA) Pres- ident Ecoee Rooney, DNP, RN, AFN-C, NPD-BC, SANE-A, DF-AFN stated, “As a nurse I am dis- appointed to learn of this deceitful endeavor to defraud. These types of fraudulent schemes, while few, and far between, have exponential impact on the profession of nursing. Ultimately, it will be patients who suffer the greatest impact in an already overburdened health system. We are grateful for a strong and positive relationship with Louisiana State Board of Nursing and are grateful for their transparency and action. We encourage organizations, academic and prac- tice, to rely on LSBN and the Department of Jus- tice OIG to provide reliable accounts of the story as it develops.” LSNA Executive Director Ahn- yel Burkes, DNP, RN-BC, NEA-BC, stated, “This fraudulent act is not a reflection of the integrity of the nursing profession or the code of ethics which guides our profession. LSNA commends the Louisiana State Board of Nursing and others for their prompt actions to continue protecting our communities.” For more than two decades, the public has rated the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as the highest among all evaluated profession- als. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Special Agent Omar Pérez Aybar stated in a news conference, “To date, we have not learned of, nor uncovered, any evidence of patient harm stem- ming from these individuals potentially providing services to patients.” Louisiana nurses are encouraged to contact the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, 225-755-7500 or lsbn@lsbn.state.la.us with any concerns about a colleague’s ability to practice safely and com- petently. Formal complaints should be submit- ted online using the LSBN complaint portal, lsbn. boardsofnursing.org/complaint. CIS Launches National Cardiology Platform in Partnership with Lee Equity Partners Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) announced the launch of a national cardiovascu- lar platform, Cardiovascular Logistics, in partner- ship with private equity firm Lee Equity Partners, headquartered in New York City. The launch of Cardiovascular Logistics will build and support a network of cardiovascular prac- tices in the U.S. CIS currently employs 60 phy- sicians across 21 locations in Louisiana and Mis- sissippi, with an additional 23 physicians under management in Chicago. CIS was founded by Craig Walker, MD, in 1983 in Houma, Louisiana. CIS and its clinics will strive to operate in the same way and support their communities, with the same high level of care, innovation, exper- tise, and top-notch staff. “Our mission at CIS from day one, from incep- tion, has been to provide our patients with the highest-quality cardiovascular care available, and it has been our guiding light. We are eager to execute our mission on a much broader scale with national impact,” said Walker. “This partner- ship will better serve our patients, as we strive to improve healthcare. This will be a win for our patients.” David Konur, CEO of Cardiovascular Logistics said, “We are pleased to partner with Lee Equity given their long-term track record of building stra- tegic partnerships with clinically strong health- care companies across the nation and helping them grow into market-leading national health- care platforms focused on clinical excellence and high patient satisfaction. Together, we will seek to partner with the leading cardiovascular prac- tices across the country, share best practices and improve cardiovascular care for all. We look for- ward to announcing additional partnerships with leading cardiology practices, who will help form the foundation of Cardiovascular Logistics, in the coming months.” “We are excited to partner with Dr. Craig Walker, David Konur, and the entire physician and management teams at CIS,” said Collins Ward, partner at Lee Equity. “CIS has a global reputa- tion in cardiovascular care, and we believe Lee Equity’s experience in multi-site healthcare will help build Cardiovascular Logistics into the lead- ing national platform of cardiology practices.” Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, Hogs for the Cause Break Ground on Family Support Home Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital and Hogs for the Cause broke ground on a previously announced Family Support Home. The Family Support Home will serve as on-campus hous- ing for families from Louisiana and beyond who have a child receiving ongoing healthcare treat- ment at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge. Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital serves children from every parish in Louisiana in addition to neighboring states and beyond. The average length of stay in the hospital is four days, with many children visiting routinely due to complex