HJBR May/Jun 2023

38 MAY / JUN 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs on preventative screenings and services; and develop and implement a new, more sustain- able payment model for hospitals, dental pro- viders and ambulance providers. “Sec. Phillips led the successful development and implementation of LDH Business Plans in FY22 and FY23 that transparently lay out the Department’s commitments, priorities and mea- surable goals on a range of health issues, includ- ing maternal health, behavioral health and chronic diseases. In FY22, LDH completed 37 of its 42 goals (88%) and 246 of its 258 deliverables (95%) laid out in its Business Plan. “‘I’m a big believer in public service, so the opportunity to return to my home state and give back in such a meaningful way at such a critical time is something that will stay with me for the rest of my career,’ said Sec. Phillips. ‘There’s a great deal to be proud of as the head of LDH, but the intentional effort that went into equita- bly rolling out the COVID-19 vaccines and ulti- mately saving thousands of lives ranks among my top accomplishments. I want to thank Gover- nor Edwards for his leadership and all LDH team members, the Louisiana legislature and the entire healthcare system of Louisiana for their support and partnership over the past three years.’” Ochsner Baton RougeWelcomes NewMedical StaffMembers Ochsner Baton Rouge recently welcomed new medical staff members. They are: • Meredith Hitch, MD, is a pediatric gastro- enterologist at Ochsner Medical Complex – The Grove. After undergraduate studies at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee, she earned a medical degree from St. George’s University School of Med- icine in Grenada, West Indies. She com- pleted a pediatric internship and residency at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, and a pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri. • Ericka Flood, MD, practices family medi- cine, specializing in primary care and bar- iatric medicine at Ochsner Health Center – Gonzales. After undergraduate studies at the University of New Orleans, Flood earned a medical degree in the United Cancer Services Hosts Cooking Demo with Celebrity Chef Celeste Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, along with Chef Celeste Gill, hosted a free, patient- friendly cooking demonstration Feb. 9 for those affected by cancer and their families. The cooking demonstration served 13 guests in person and about 45 virtually. During the event, survivors and their families both learned and tasted recipes prepared by chef, caterer, and television personality Celeste Gill of Chef Celeste Bistro in Main Street Market. The reci- pes were crafted by the chef herself to include healthy, cost-effective meals, that could be pre- pared even by the less experienced chefs of the family. “Food brings people together,” said Krista Bergeron, LPC, Cancer Services counselor and support group director. “However, cancer patients can often be sidelined due to dietary and cost restrictions. Thanks to Chef Celeste, our clients and their families have more culinary freedom no matter their nutritional or budget- ary needs. During the demonstration, Gill discussed how different seasonings, herbs, and spices can be adjusted for those who experience challenges eating during or after cancer treatment. She also demonstrated the versatility of typical ingredi- ents, transforming lima beans from side dish, to hummus, to even soup. This opens up new eat- ing and meal-planning methods for those with sensitive palettes. Cancer Services’ office hours are from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., and new clients are always welcome to visit the center at 550 Lobdell Avenue in Baton Rouge. An appointment can be made by calling 225-927-2273. Visit cancerservices.org for more information. Head of LDH, Courtney N. Phillips, PhD, Resigns Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Courtney N. Phillips, PhD, has resigned from the position. Phillips was appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, whose office released the following announcement about the resignation: “Gov. John Bel Edwards announced today that Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Secretary Dr. Courtney N. Phillips has submitted her resig- nation, effective Thursday, April 6, 2023. “LDH Director of Legal, Audit and Regulatory Affairs Stephen Russo, who has served LDH for 27 years and as executive counsel since 2008, will serve as secretary upon Sec. Phillips’ resignation. “‘Secretary Phillips is one of the hardest work- ing, most capable, and most accomplished peo- ple I’ve ever met. During the COVID-19 pan- demic, her decisive and thoughtful leadership saved lives. She spearheaded our response as we established an unprecedented mass testing program and innovative vaccine rollout and dis- tribution program. Remarkably, she didn’t let the response to the COVID-19 emergency stop LDH from making progress on other important ini- tiatives, like our work to improve health equity, address maternal mortality, and expand access to critical health services. I have no doubt she will continue her dedication to service in this next chapter for her and her family,’ said Gov. Edwards. “Sec. Phillips, who had previously led two state health and human services agencies in Nebraska and Texas, was named LDH secretary in April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She guided the agency through unprecedented challenge, overseeing LDH’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricanes Laura and Ida, but also led proactive efforts to strengthen the pipeline for a more diverse healthcare work- force; expand access to critical health services, including a suite of additional behavioral health services, the extension of dental benefits to adults with intellectual/developmental disabili- ties, the expansion of postpartum Medicaid cov- erage from six weeks to one year, and a focus Courtney N. Phillips, PhD