HJBR Mar/Apr 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2024 49 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com recognized as part of the school’s 90th-anniversary celebration held Nov. 17-19, 2023 in New Orleans. Honorees were selected based on their signifi- cant contribution and achievement in advancing the profession of nursing and improving health- care to the individual, family, and/or community. In addition, honorees emulate the School of Nurs- ing’s values of stewardship, organizational citi- zenship, nursing innovation, caring, profession- alism, respect, integrity, diversity, and excellence in nursing. Maher-Griffiths has more than 40 years of expe- rience in nursing and healthcare administration. As chief quality officer at Woman’s, she is respon- sible for patient safety, quality, regulatory/accredi- tation, risk management, infection control, phar- macy, and research. She also provides direction and structure for regulatory readiness and accredi- tation survey process. She joined Woman’s in 2014 and previously served as the hospital’s vice presi- dent of quality. Maher-Griffiths holds a doctorate in nursing sci- ence from LSU Health Sciences Center, a master’s degree in healthcare management from the Uni- versity of New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Loyola University New Orleans. In addition to her position at Woman’s, Maher- Griffiths has served as an instructor of nursing for LSU Health since 2011. Ochsner Health Named One of America’s GreatestWorkplaces for Diversity by Newsweek Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group, a mar- ket data research firm, named Ochsner Health one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity in 2024. This is the second consecutive year Ochsner Health has received this recognition. “At Ochsner Health, we live our values of put- ting patients first by acting with integrity, compas- sion, inclusivity, and teamwork, thereby creating a more equitable place to work and receive care. Our goal is not only excellence through high-qual- ity care but also continuing a culture of belonging for our patients and our employees,” said Debo- rah Grimes, senior vice president and chief diver- sity officer at Ochsner Health. The Newsweek survey of over 220,000 individu- als included representation at more than 1.5 mil- lion companies in America. Ochsner earned five out of five stars on the large company category score list. Newsweek utilized a scoring process to deter- mine the most diverse companies. It involved a thorough examination of publicly available data, interviews with HR professionals, and an anony- mous online survey conducted among a diverse group of employees at companies in the U.S. Respondents shared insights into corporate cul- ture, working environments, and other aspects of their own companies and other familiar compa- nies. Winning companies represent 78 industries, including large companies with more than 5,000 employees and mid-size companies with more than 1,000 employees but fewer than 5,000. “Diversity, equity and inclusion are a part of who we are at Ochsner Health. Celebrating what makes every culture and person unique is important to creating an inclusive place to work and receive care,” Tracey Schiro, executive vice president, chief people and culture officer, Och- sner Health. “We continue to work together to enhance our established programs, best practices, and resources for diversity, equity, and inclusion, making Ochsner a great place to work for all.” “Diversity is a widely discussed topic — and it remains a crucial factor as people look for an employer or a business partner. Newsweek and market-data research firm Plant-A Insights are proud to introduce ‘America’s Greatest Work- places for Diversity 2024,’ highlighting compa- nies that are committed to offering diverse and inclusive work environment,” said Nancy Cooper, global editor in chief, Newsweek . Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Announces NewChief of Staff Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has announced the election of Mary Raven, MD, as its chief of staff. She will serve a three-year term beginning in February 2024. “The chief of staff role requires someone who is passionate about delivering excellent patient care every time, and Dr. Raven is that person,” said Catherine O’Neal, MD, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake. “I’m excited to see her lead our team with dedication to providing the highest quality care to our community.” Raven completed undergraduate studies at Lou- isiana State University, attended medical school at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, and returned to Baton Rouge for an internal med- icine residency at Earl K. Long Medical Center. During the residency, she was awarded AOA rec- ognition, won the resident teaching award in 2007, and was selected to be chief resident from 2008- 2009. She then joined the Hospital Medicine Ser- vice at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and began working with the palliative care team in 2010. Raven practices palliative care full time; serves as medical director of the program; helped to develop the first outpatient palliative care clinic in the state in 2014; and enjoys teaching students, residents, and fellows. As chief of staff, Raven will serve on the Our Lady of the Lake Board of Directors while also leading the Medical Executive Committee. The commit- tee uses input from more than 1,800 members of the medical staff to make key leadership decisions related to medical staff policies, procedures, and rules, with an emphasis on clinical care and qual- ity improvement initiatives. n Mary Raven, MD Cathy Maher-Griffiths, DNS, RN, CPHQ, NEA-BC, RNC-OB