HJBR Sep/Oct 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  SEP / OCT 2023 43 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com Valeria Soegaard, MD Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, myalgias, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If not treated promptly, malaria may progress to a life-threatening stage in which mental status changes, seizures, renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and coma may occur. Tips to protect yourself against mosquitos: • If you will be outside, you should wear EPA- registered mosquito repellent, and always follow product label instructions. • Apply repellent on exposed skin and cloth- ing, but do not apply under your clothes or on broken skin. • If you will be outside for an extended period of time, consider a travel-size container of repellent that can easily be carried with you. • If you are also using sunscreen, apply sun- screen first and insect repellent second. • To protect yourself from being exposed to mosquitos while indoors, make sure that windows and doors are tight-fitting and that all screens are free of holes. Protecting your home from mosquitoes: • Reduce the mosquito population by elim- inating standing water around your home, which is where mosquitoes breed. • Dispose of tin cans, ceramic pots and other unnecessary containers that have accu- mulated on your property that may col- lect water. Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys or anything that could collect water. • Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recy- cling containers. If a recycling container has holes on the sides, there is still room for the container to collect water for mosquitoes to breed, so holes should be added on the bottom if not already present. • Check and clean roof gutters routinely. Clogged gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes each season. • Water gardens and ornamental pools can become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate. Take steps to pre- vent stagnation, such as adding fish or aeration. • Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used. A swimming pool that is left untended by a family for as little as a month can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Be aware that mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers. • Contact local mosquito abatement districts to report mosquito problem areas. Valeria Soegaard, MD, Joins Baton Rouge General Physicians Valeria Soegaard, MD, has recently joined Baton Rouge General Physicians as a family med- icine physician, taking care of patients at one of BRG’s Mid City clinic locations, Medical Associ- ates of Baton Rouge. Soegaard earned an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University in College Station and a medical degree from the American Uni- versity of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Sint Maarten. She completed residency training at the Baton Rouge General’s Family Medicine Residency Program, where she served as chief resident. Soegaard speaks Spanish fluently and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. BRG’s Medical Associates of Baton Rouge clinic is located at 3401 North Blvd., Suite 400. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Gonzales Providing Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Gonzales has announced the availability of a new radia- tion treatment option, PLUVICTO, for patients with an advanced prostate cancer diagnosis — prostate-specific membrane antigen-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PSMA-positive mCRPC). The Cancer Center is the first provider in the region to offer this radia- tion treatment. “With the introduction of this targeted therapy, we’re giving patients yet another reason they can stay close to home for their treatment,” said Ryan Houston, cancer program administrator, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Gonzales. “This is just the latest example of Mary Bird Perkins pro- viding innovative cancer care in a convenient and comfortable setting.” The treatment consists of an injection, six total, every six weeks. To be eligible for PLUVICTO, patients must have a confirmed PSMA-positive PET scan, previously received chemotherapy or another anticancer treatment, and had the can- cer metastasized. PLUVICTO works by targeting PSMA-positive cancer cells and being absorbed by those cells. Once absorbed, PLUVICTO releases radiation to damage and kill those can- cerous cells. “Historically, prostate cancer patients have had limited treatment options, including surgery, che- motherapy, and traditional radiation,” said Kon- stantin “Kos” Kovtun, MD, radiation oncologist, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Through this injectable form of radiation, we can target cancer cells with even more precision, leaving healthy cells intact. Through this novel approach, we can improve the quality of life for advanced prostate cancer patients.” BROC Physical Therapy Clinic Opens in Gonzales Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic (BROC) announced the addition of its newest ther- apy location in Gonzales, Louisiana. This newly remodeled location at 625 S. Burnside Drive, Unit 9, provides physical therapy to patients in the greater Ascension area with the latest ther- apy gym enhancements. BROC physicians — Mike Blanchard, MD, Chad Loup, MD, and Ben Robichaux, MD — are located close by at the BROC Gonzales clinic. The BROC therapy team — Bobby Guidry, PT, MPT, Emily Hymel, PT, DPT, and Sydney Chauvin, PTA — are dedicated to the Ascension community and will treat any patient requiring physical therapy as part of their wellness and healing journey.