HJBR Mar/Apr 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2024 29 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com instructor for FranU’s School of Nursing. LERN is an agency of state government cre- ated by the Louisiana Legislature in 2004 with a 28-member governing board and is charged with the responsibility of developing and maintain- ing a statewide system of care coordination for patients suddenly stricken by serious traumatic injury or time-sensitive illness, such as heart attack and stroke. It is a system also designated to serve as a vital healthcare resource in the face of larger scale emergencies and natural disasters. FranUReceives Future Education Model Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University’s Dietetic Internship program has been approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) to be reorga- nized into a Future Education Model Graduate Program (GP) in Nutrition and Dietetics, becom- ing the first university on the Gulf Coast to receive this recognition. Nutritional science is a growing field, with the Louisiana Workforce Commission defining dieti- tians and nutritionists as a “top demand” occu- pation. The new model offers broadened admis- sions criteria, allowing more students who have completed undergraduate coursework in nutri- tion access to a career in the field. “We are excited to offer this new and innova- tive program to our community and beyond,” stated Kathryn Fakier, director of the program. “The Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietet- ics is not only the first program of its kind in Lou- isiana but also along the Gulf Coast, providing greater access and opportunities to those aspir- ing to become registered dietitian nutritionists. This reorganization elevates the quality of the graduate program by preparing students using a competency-based education model approach, where supervised experiential learning is inte- grated into the graduate coursework.” The Master of Science in nutritional sciences held a Q&A virtual information session on Feb. 28. Attendees were able to learn about the FranU dietetics program by joining a virtual information session led by the program faculty and current students. Some of the discussion topics included program overview, including information about the curriculum and specialty preceptors, and the simulated experiences in the Simulation Environ- ment Teaching Hospital (SETH). Those interested can register at apply.franu. edu/register/MSNS. The application deadline for the program is July 15. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Announces Expansion to Central, North Louisiana Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center announced its expansion into new regions of the state through a strategic alliance with MD Clinics — a cancer care provider with locations spanning central and north Louisiana. The integration, beginning in April 2024, will be reflected with all MD Clin- ics locations becoming Mary Bird Perkins loca- tions, significantly expanding the cancer center’s footprint across Louisiana. The new partnership is poised to enhance the groundwork laid by MD Clinics by providing additional resources and ser- vices, fostering a collaborative approach to pro- viding cancer care that aligns with the shared missions of both organizations. The partnership represents a unified effort to bring more robust cancer care to these regions. Mary Bird Perkins’ expansion into central and north Louisiana marks a significant milestone in its 50-plus-year history and delivers on the orga- nization’s mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer by providing high- quality cancer care close to home. Over the past few years, the cancer center has unveiled state- of-the-art technology, recruited additional oncol- ogy experts, forged new partnerships, initiated phase one clinical trials, and expanded its edu- cation and early detection programs. MD Clinics’ physicians and team members will join the cancer center team, remaining at their current locations. Patients will also continue to receive care at the location most convenient for them, including specialty support services already available at several clinics. Through the integration, Mary Bird Perkins will be able to enhance services already being provided in these regions of the state where the need is great. According to the Louisiana Tumor Registry, cancer mortality rates in central and north Louisiana are 15-20% higher than the national average. Jonas Fontenot, PhD, MBA, president and CEO, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, expressed enthusiasm for the integration, stating, “We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with the MD Clinics team, who share our vision for empow- ering providers with the resources needed to deliver exceptional cancer care to patients in their own communities.” Through the integration with MD Clinics and its partnerships with other organizations, Mary Bird Perkins will provide oncology services at 18 loca- tions across the state. Metamor TeamDeveloping Tool to Catch Cancer Earlier A new partnership between a Pennington Bio- medical physician-researcher and an LSU School of Medicine oncologist has already saved several women’s lives in southeast Louisiana. More than 60,000 women are diagnosed with endometrial cancer each year, a number that includes much younger women than just a decade ago. Endometrial cancer is the fastest- growing cancer in young women in Louisiana, particularly among underserved and minority populations. “Historically, endometrial cancer was pretty much limited to post-menopausal women,” said Vance L. Albaugh, MD, PhD, a metabolic surgeon with Pennington Biomedical’s Metamor Institute. “But now it is being diagnosed in women who are much younger than before, even women in their teens in some cases.” While obesity is significantly associated with 13 unique types of cancer, endometrial cancer is the No. 1 cancer associated with excess weight. Researchers believe the reason for the dramatic increase in this cancer is linked to the fact that fat tissue normally produces a small amount of estrogen. Typically, that amount of estrogen is negligible, but a much larger amount of estro- gen is abnormally produced when someone has excess fat tissue. Even though estrogen levels rise and fall throughout the menstrual cycle nor- mally, those levels remain persistently elevated in women with severe obesity. This estrogen ele- vation is a strong growth signal that drives the development of endometrial cancer. As the division director of gynecologic oncol- ogy at the LSU School of Medicine in New