HJBR May/Jun 2023

44 MAY / JUN 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs “With her wealth of knowledge and experience, Nicole is the perfect person to lead our health equity work in North Baton Rouge,” said Angela Hammett, MSN, director of patient navigation and support services, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Over the course of her career, Nicole has demonstrated her unbridled passion for improv- ing the education, health and well-being of res- idents in North Baton Rouge and beyond. As director of our Alliance project, Nicole will ensure that Mary Bird Perkins is effectively directing its resources to helping the community overcome barriers to cancer care and expanding access to services and treatment. She will leverage input and on-the-ground feedback from the community so that our organization remains tuned into the nuanced challenges and social drivers of health impacting residents in North Baton Rouge.” Mary Bird Perkins was one of only a handful of cancer care organizations from around the country awarded with a Merck Foundation Alli- ance grant in 2022. With this funding, Mary Bird Perkins will work to improve the coordination of patient care from diagnosis through survivor- ship, strengthen patient engagement in treat- ment decisions and overall patient-provider com- munication, build community partnerships that address barriers to care related to social determi- nants of health, and provide essential psychoso- cial support services for residents in North Baton Rouge. In North Baton Rouge, the incidence of cancer is higher than in any other area in Louisiana. This fact is attributed to the area’s high poverty rate. Those living in poverty have higher cancer inci- dence rates, poorer five-year survival rates, higher mortality rates, and are more likely to be diag- nosed with a later staged disease. Under Honoré’s leadership, the alliance’s plan- ning work has already begun. Mary Bird Perkins is hosting eight community listening sessions so that residents of North Baton Rouge can share their feedback on barriers to cancer care, health- care experiences, and support services needed in the community. “I am so proud to lead this life-saving project on behalf of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center,” said Honoré. “For too long, communities across North Baton Rouge have suffered from a vari- ety of health inequities, including poor access to cancer care services and treatment. Whether it’s finding access to reliable transportation, secur- ing health insurance coverage or simply finding a healthcare provider close to home, for gener- ations, this community has worked to overcome barriers to healthcare. As I’ve done my entire career, I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work in the community.” The Alliance project is only the latest effort by Mary Bird Perkins to advance health equity across the region. In addition to this grant, the cancer center is involved in four other health equity- related projects across the region. All of these projects involve targeted outreach and strategic efforts at expanding access to care for historically vulnerable communities, including African Ameri- can women, the LGBTQ+ community and others. “At Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, we believe every community deserves access to high-qual- ity, affordable and convenient cancer care ser- vices, resources and support,” said Hammett. “Through our innovative Prevention on the Go program, we have had the opportunity to expand access to preventive screenings across this com- munity and beyond. Now, with the Alliance and our other grant projects in the works, we can build on this foundation and amplify our impact. We know that if we’re going to accomplish our mis- sion to improve survivorship and lessen the bur- den of cancer, it’s important that every member of our community is involved.” Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Names Melissa O’Banion VP of Marketing, Communications Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has named Melissa O’Banion to the role of vice president of marketing and communications where she is responsible for advancing the organization’s mission through comprehensive messaging and brand strategies. Prior to O’Banion’s new position at Mary Bird Perkins, she served as director of marketing and brand at the cancer center where she led strat- egy and stewardship of the brand’s visual identity, architecture, voice, and positioning to support growth across the regional network and beyond. “Melissa has been a longtime champion and leader of the Mary Bird Perkins brand, relentless in her pursuit to share our message of focused cancer care for the many communities and patients we serve,” said Jonas Fontenot, PhD, MBA, president and CEO, Mary Bird Perkins Can- cer Center. “Since she began with us seven years ago, her talent, capacity for leadership, and com- mitment to our mission have been clearly appar- ent. We are proud to have Melissa serve in this new capacity for the organization.” “I am excited to take this next step in shar- ing Mary Bird Perkins’ mission and leadership in oncology,” said O’Banion. “There are many sto- ries of courage, survivorship, and how our cancer care team is bringing the best technology and advanced treatments to the region. It’s a true privilege to serve in this new capacity and lead a team of some of the best marketing and commu- nications professionals in the region.” O’Banion has 12 years of experience in her field and was previously employed by Hart Entergy in Houston and The Moran Group in Baton Rouge. She is a graduate of Louisiana State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications. Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Healthcare Centers in Schools Prepares Students with Diabetes for Independence Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Health- care Centers in Schools received a $10,000 grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics to pilot life skills training and mentoring to improve health outcomes for high school seniors with dia- betes. This award is part of the AAP’s initiative to incentivize partnerships to improve chronic dis- ease management with funding from Centers for Melissa O’Banion