HJBR Nov/Dec 2024

42 NOV / DEC 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs said James Craven, MD, chief physician officer, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health Sys- tem. “Together, we are not just treating cancer but also fostering hope and healing in the lives of those we serve.” Louisiana Healthcare Connections Supports Maternal Health, Breastfeeding With the observance of World Breastfeeding Week in August, Louisiana Healthcare Connec- tions underscores its commitment to reducing healthcare inequities with several key initiatives to improve the well-being of mothers and chil- dren, including breastfeeding support. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for most babies and reduces the risk of certain health conditions in both mothers and babies. So, Loui- siana Healthcare Connections offers breastfeed- ing support as well as breast pump coverage for members who choose to breastfeed. As a staunch advocate for reducing health disparities, Louisiana Healthcare Connections also equips its providers with essential tools to screen for food insecurity and other social deter- minants of health. By connecting patients with local resources, the organization aims to bridge gaps in care and support overall health and well- ness. Nutritional programs have also been pro- vided through grants, such as those assisting food banks, mobile food distribution programs, and matching SNAP dollars (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) at farmer’s markets across the state, some specifically tailored for pregnancy and breastfeeding, such as the Market Mommas Club in New Orleans. Start Smart for Your Baby is another innovative initiative. This evidence-based program includes an app that offers health education and practical tips for pregnant individuals, helping to improve maternal and newborn health and reduce the risk of birth defects. Once a member advises Louisi- ana Healthcare Connections of their pregnancy, they are offered enrollment in the program walk- ing them through each stage of pregnancy. Recognizing the importance of early support, Louisiana Healthcare Connections also hosts baby showers and offers educational services for its members, who account for approximately OLOL Cancer Institute Adds Hematologic Malignancy Cell Therapy Program Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute announced the implementation of a Hemato- logic Malignancy Cell Therapy program. Led by Hana Safah, MD, medical director of heme-malignancy and cell therapy, and Nakhle Saba, MD, leader of lymphoid malignancy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) ther- apy, the program provides medical management of blood cancers and blood disorders, clinical tri- als related to blood cancers and cellular thera- pies, adult allogeneic stem cell/bone marrow transplants, and adult autologous stem cell/bone marrow transplants. It is one of few in the state and region to provide many of these services. Safah and Saba are well-known experts in can- cer care across the state and the country with more than 50 years of combined experience in cell therapy. Additionally, the pair are professors of medicine and will maintain their academic sta- tus in their new practice. “Our Lady of the Lake Health is proud to have provided 100 years of care to our community and has been the regional leader in cancer care for decades,” said Chuck Spicer, president of Our Lady of the Lake Health. “We are proud to pro- vide a premier therapeutic cancer treatment pro- gram to our community. The combined expertise Dr. Safah and Dr. Saba bring to our patients will expand on the world-class cancer care Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute offers right here at home.” Safah obtained a medical degree from the American University of Beirut in 1987. In 1991, she completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. In 1994, she completed fellowship training in hematology and medical oncology at the Univer- sity of Florida. She served as the medical direc- tor of heme malignancy and stem cell transplan- tation at Tulane school of medicine and advised on several committees including, but not lim- ited to, Investigation Review Board, Institutional Review Board Committee on Use of Human Sub- jects, Critical Care Committee, and the Tulane University Promotions & Tenure Committee. Her areas of specialty include hematologic malig- nancies, bone marrow transplantation, leukemia, lymphoma myeloproliferative disorders, aplastic anemia, MDS, PNH, and multiple myeloma. Safah has published numerous articles and papers and has conducted many clinical trials. Saba earned a medical degree from the Leba- nese University in Beirut 2005. He completed a residency in internal medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN, and Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at Tulane Uni- versity. After fellowship completion in 2011, Saba joined the National Heart, Lung and Blood Insti- tute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for an additional fellowship in lymphoid malig- nancies. He returned to Tulane in 2014 as assis- tant professor of medicine, promoted to asso- ciate professor in 2018, then to full professor in 2024 following a successful career researching, teaching and treating blood cancers. Saba’s lead- ership skills are evident by the roles he played at Tulane as chair of the “immune effector cell therapy – IECT,” co-chair of Sarah-Cannon Lym- phoma Committee and president of Louisiana Oncology Society (LOS). Under his direction as president, the LOS passed four bills that were signed into law in Louisiana and are expected to positively impact cancer care in our state. Those bills include the Bone Marrow Donation, Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients, Right to Prompt Coverage, and Expansion of Biomarker Testing. Saba authored and/or co-authored more than 120 published manuscripts and research abstracts, and he presented at regional, national, and inter- national meetings as a researcher and invited speaker. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for Internal Medicine, Hema- tology and Medical Oncology. Dr. Saba will be dil- igently working to expand the lymphoma and CLL research portfolio and bring cutting edge thera- pies to the region such as CAR-T, the next gen- eration CAR, and be the first to bring the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for solid tumors to Louisiana. “At Our Lady of the Cancer Institute, we remain dedicated to advancing medical excellence and compassionate care for our patients. With the addition of such renowned specialists, Dr. Safah and Dr. Saba, our team is further strengthened, ensuring that patients receive cutting-edge treat- ments and the personalized care they deserve,”