HJBR Mar/Apr 2024

28 MAR / APR 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs at Charity Hospital. BRG Dermatology is located at 8585 Picardy Ave., Suite 512. CareSouth’s MatthewValliere Is NewHeartWalk Chair Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the Greater Baton Rouge area, and Matthew Valliere, CEO of CareSouth Medical and Dental, is working hand-in-hand with the American Heart Association to change that. Val- liere will serve as chairperson for the 2024 Capital Area Heart Walk and lead this community event focused on engaging local companies, corpo- rations, and their employees to join the fight against heart disease and stroke. The 2024 Capital Area Heart Walk will begin at 9 a.m. on April 6 at Rhorer Plaza in Down- town Baton Rouge. At 8 a.m., there will be family activities, hands-only CPR demos, healthy snacks, music, giveaways, and more. As chair of the 2024 Heart Walk, Valliere will lead a team of 13 Baton Rouge area executives to recruit companies and organizations in raising $750,000. Through this event, the leadership team and supporting organizations will raise funds for the American Heart Association, while leading action-oriented conversations about employee health, corporate engagement, community health, and community transformation. The exec- utive committee members include: • Cheri Johnson — Women’s Hospital. • Dean Beeson — First Horizon. • Kase Gonzales — Higginbotham. • Raneesha Ford — Baton Rouge General Pharmacy. • Patrick Bull — Cintas. • Tre’ Nelson — Ochsner Health. • Ryan Landry — Our Lady of the Lake. • Tasha Bergeron — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. • Ron Sancho — Cardio Health Solutions. • Roman Banks — Southern University Athletics. • Derrick Smith — Luxury Lawn Care. • Danielle Kelley — Jumpstart Your Heart. “Prioritizing a workplace culture that values and supports the well-being of our staff is impor- tant to me and our company. But even more so because heart disease and stroke have impacted a number of my family and friends,” said Valliere. “By serving as the chairperson for the Capital Area Heart Walk, I am able to empower others to improve their quality of life, while also unit- ing individuals, businesses, and organizations to further community action in tackling heart dis- ease. This dual focus on personal well-being and community solidarity underscores the transforma- tive impact that can be achieved when we come together for a common cause.” For more information about the Heart Walk, or to get your company involved, contact AHABatonRouge@heart.org, or visit the website at www.CapitalAreaHeartWalk.org. Louisiana Healthcare Connections Encourages STI Screenings Louisiana Healthcare Connections wants to remind everyone to get screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). STIs can lead to long-term health consequences like infertility, increased risk of HIV transmission, and, with syphilis, serious illness and even death in infants. Louisiana has the third highest rate of chlamydia and gonorrhea, and the 11th highest rate of syph- ilis in the U.S. This is why it is so important for sexually active people to be tested each year for chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV. Accord- ing to Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion (CDC) and Louisiana Department of Health, from 2017 to 2021, primary and secondary syphi- lis rates rose 38% in Louisiana. Congenital syphilis (CS) occurs when syphilis is passed to a baby dur- ing pregnancy. From 2017 to 2021, CS rates rose 93% in Louisiana, and as of 2021, Louisiana has the third highest case rate in the nation. “With the increases in infection rates, it is crit- ical that all sexually active people get screened for STIs,” said Louisiana Healthcare Connections Chief Medical Officer Stewart T. Gordon, MD, FAAP. “STIs are often asymptomatic, so make February your month to get screened.” STI screenings are not always part of a regular checkup or gynecological exam, so this screen- ing should be requested at yearly checkups. In addition to testing by a personal physician, CDC also offers an online tool to find a free, fast, and confidential testing center nearby. No personal information is necessary to use the tool, only a zip code or city and state to locate a nearby test- ing center. Visit https://gettested.cdc.gov to use this locator tool. CIS is Using Auryon XL Radial Access Catheter Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) is using FDA-cleared Auryon XL Radial Access Cath- eter by Angiodynamics, Inc., to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD), or blockages in the legs. The first procedure was performed by CIS interven- tional cardiologist, Ankur Lodha, MD, at the CIS office-based lab in Lafayette. The Auryon XL catheter, available in 0.9 mm and 1.5 mm diameters, expands treatment access points in atherectomy procedures for PAD. It is used with the Auryon Atherectomy System. “Radial access is more than an entry point; it’s a transformative expressway to enhanced patient outcomes,” said Lodha. “With an innovative design and its ease-of-use, the Auryon XL Cath- eter brings significant advancements to radial procedures as the first non-orbital atherectomy device – setting a new standard for laser ather- ectomy technology.” Monica Nijoka, RN, Appointed to Louisiana Emergency Response Network Board Monica Nijoka, BSN, MHA, has been appointed to the Louisiana Emergency Response Network Board (LERN). She was nominated for a second term by the State Board of Nursing and was appointed by former Governor John Bel Edwards. Nijoka received a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree from Southeastern University in Ham- mond and a Master of Health Administration from the University of St Francis. She began her nursing career at Baton Rouge General Medical Center (BRGMC) and steadily grew in responsibil- ity until she became the vice-president and chief nursing officer. Following BRGMC, she consulted from Maine to California to ensure hospitals fol- lowed The Joint Commission, Louisiana Depart- ment of Health, and hospital standards before returning to Baton Rouge to be the chief nurs- ing officer at the NeuroMedical Center Surgi- cal Hospital. She then returned to BRGMC as the VP/CNO. Today, she consults and is a clinical