HJBR Nov/Dec 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  NOV / DEC 2024 43 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com 12,000 births annually. These events provide valuable resources and information to new and expecting parents. In a proactive approach to infant safety, Louisi- ana Healthcare Connections initiated a safe sleep pilot program five years before the enactment of the Safe Sleep for Babies Act. This program noted a remarkable 56% reduction in infant mor- tality. The success of the pilot program prompted a statewide rollout, and the Cribs for Kids initia- tive recently celebrated the distribution of its 20,000th crib. AndrewGahagan, MD, Joins Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s Staff Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center announced that medical oncologist Andrew Gahagan, MD, has joined Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s medical staff, serving Baton Rouge and the sur- rounding area. Gahagan obtained a Bachelor of Science in Bio- logical Sciences from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he graduated magna cum laude in 2014. He earned a medical degree at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans in 2018 and gained board certifica- tion from the American Board of Internal Medi- cine in 2021. Gahagan completed an internal medicine res- idency and fellowship training in hematology and oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was awarded the Thomas N. James Award for Excellence in Research by a Resident. He also served as chief fellow for the university’s hematology-oncology fellowship pro- gram for the 2023-2024 academic year. “Dr. Gahagan is yet another excellent National Comprehensive Cancer Network institution- trained physician being added to the largest medical oncology practice in the state,” said Dan- iel LaVie, MD, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s director of hematology and oncology. “We look forward to his expertise and compassion contrib- uting greatly to advancing cancer care through the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center network.” Gahagan will work at Mary Bird Perkins’ main Essen Lane location and the Bluebonnet location on the campus of Baton Rouge General. OLOL Heart &Vascular Institute Earns Heart Failure Accreditation fromACC Our Lady of the Lake Heart and Vascular Institute recently received official Heart Fail- ure Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The center is just one of three medical facilities in the state with the accreditation. This accreditation is awarded to facilities that meet the ACC’s rigorous standards for quality and excellence in the management of heart failure. “We are honored to receive this accredita- tion from the American College of Cardiol- ogy,” said Denzil Moraes, MD, medical direc- tor of Our Lady of the Lake Heart and Vascular Institute. “It is reflective of our team’s dedication to providing outstanding care for patients with heart failure. Our team’s expertise, combined with our advanced technology and collabora- tive approach, ensures that we deliver the high- est standard of care.” Bloomberg Philanthropies Makes Founding Gift to Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a gift of $5 million in seed funding to support the cre- ation of the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM), a newly established medical school in New Orleans founded by Xavier University of Lou- isiana and Ochsner Health. Earlier this year, Xavier University of Louisi- ana, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) with a strong track record of sending graduates into the medical field, and Ochsner Health announced their partnership to establish Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM) to address health disparities in diverse communities and helping fulfill the urgent need for more Black and Brown physicians in Louisiana and the nation. The new medical school will be located in Ben- son Tower next to Caesars Superdome, in the Bio- District of downtown New Orleans, and will be the first HBCU medical school in the Gulf South. Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment in XOCOM’s planning is part of its Greenwood Ini- tiative – an effort that seeks to advance racial wealth equity by addressing systemic underin- vestment in Black institutions and communities. Four already existing historically Black medical schools —Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, Howard University College of Medi- cine, Meharry Medical College, and Morehouse School of Medicine — are the recipients of $600 million to bolster their endowments, strengthen- ing their financial stability and institutional capac- ity to respond to the rising costs of tuition, inno- vative research, and operations. “We have much more to do to build a country where every person, regardless of race, has equal access to quality health care – and where students from all backgrounds can pursue their dreams,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. “Addressing health disparities and underrepresentation in the medical field are critical challenges, and Bloom- berg Philanthropies is dedicated to making a difference. By building on our previous support, this gift will empower new generations of Black doctors to create a healthier and more equitable future for our country.” Research has shown that Black people have better health outcomes and receive medical care more frequently when they are treated by Black physicians. Further, Black patients are 34% more likely to receive preventative care if seen by Black doctors. Yet, data shows that while the U.S. pop- ulation is 13% Black, only 7% of medical school graduates and less than 6% of all practicing doc- tors are Black. Debilitating health problems take an enormous economic toll on families and com- munities so creating more Black doctors will help to address racial wealth inequities. “As the only HBCU medical school in the Gulf South, Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine will train physicians who reflect the diversity of the Andrew Gahagan, MD