HJBR Sep/Oct 2024

36 SEP / OCT 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs Hospital Group in Bossier City, were elected as at-large trustees for a two-year term. Jaf Fielder, president & CEO of Willis Knighton Health in Shreveport, was reelected to serve a second term as an at-large trustee. The following individuals were newly elected to serve a two-year term as district trustees: • Central District: Monte A. Wilson, regional market president and CEO for CHRISTUS Health Central Louisiana. • Northwest District: Scott Prouty, chief oper- ating officer of Allegiance Health Manage- ment in Bossier City. • Southeast District: Lee J. Chastant III, CEO of West Feliciana Hospital in St. Francisville. Joan M. Coffman, FACHE, president and CEO of St. Tammany Health System in Covington, was reelected to serve a second three-year term as the Northshore district trustee. Ralph Abraham, MD, is New Surgeon General for Louisiana Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Ralph Abraham, MD, has been appointed to the newly created Office of the Surgeon General. Also, Undersecretary Michael Harrington has been appointed to department secretary, and Chief of Staff Drew Maranto has been promoted to undersecretary. The leadership changes were made upon the signing of House Bill 853, which creates the Office of the Surgeon General. The surgeon general is co-equal with the secretary within the Depart- ment’s organizational chart and is charged with crafting health policy, including healthcare work- force development; advocating for wellness and disease prevention; and coordinating with other state agencies and institutions to improve health outcomes in Louisiana. Under the bill, the surgeon general is appointed by the governor and must be a licensed and prac- ticing physician in Louisiana. The surgeon general will absorb the duties of the State Health Officer, making the new position budget-neutral. Abraham has been a practicing family medi- cine physician in Richland Parish for more than 30 years and served three terms in congress, rep- resenting Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. Before earning a medical doctor degree from LSU Health Shreveport, he practiced veterinary CIS, BRGUse NewGeneration Diamondback 360 Precision Orbital Atherectomy System Garland Green, MD, interventional cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS), is the first in Louisiana to use the new generation Diamondback 360 Precision Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS) to treat coronary artery blockages. The first procedure took place in the cath lab at Baton Rouge General. Abbott’s newest coronary orbital atherectomy system, built on the Diamondback 360 plat- form, features an improved inner driveshaft that allows precise and safe calcium modification in the coronary arteries. This enhanced feature is designed to deliver better one-to-one treatment motion for smoother, more efficient removal of severe calcium. Diamondback 360 Precision is the only atherectomy system with a diamond- coated crown that orbits 360 degrees, specifi- cally designed to target severe calcium for opti- mal stent delivery, expansion, and apposition. FranU’s Nurse Anesthesia Program, LCMCHealth Partnership Expanding A partnership involving Franciscan Missionar- ies of Our Lady University’s Nurse Anesthesia Pro- gram and LCMC Health continues to expand. FranU has announced its renewal of LCMC’s Healthcare Professionals Pipeline Program to include up to 10 certified registered nurse anes- thetist (CRNA) scholars in the Class of 2025. These scholars will receive $30,000 in tuition assistance in exchange for a one-year work commitment at an LCMC facility. “This program significantly reduces the finan- cial burden of the CRNA Scholars and simulta- neously fills the gap in the CRNA workforce at LCMC Health facilities. FranU is thrilled to be able to offer this incredible opportunity to our stu- dents,” said Callie Dorn, DNP, NA, assistant pro- gram director, FranU Nurse Anesthesia Program. Currently, Anthony Perez-Maspons, Class of 2024, is the first CRNA Scholar enrolled in the program and recently matched to his first-choice facility, East Jefferson Medical Center. The partnership with FranU is part of LCMC’s Healthcare Professional Pipeline Program, which is a pathway program aimed at cultivating and supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals. FranU is one of the 12 strategic partnerships with nine institutions or schools across Louisiana. The Healthcare Professions Pipeline repre- sents a collaborative effort to address the grow- ing demand for skilled healthcare professionals, improving access to quality healthcare services, and promoting diversity and inclusivity within the workforce. “Three years ago, we all faced unchartered territory – a global pandemic – and the dedi- cated work of nurses gained national attention as healthcare workers were deemed heroes,” said Robin McGoey, MD, Health chief academic offi- cer and executive sponsor for the pipeline pro- grams. “Unfortunately, healthcare heroism came at a great cost – nursing burnout and workforce shortages. As we strive to rebuild our workforce, LCMC Health has developed sustainable solu- tions by creating pipeline programs to produce quality healthcare workers for our hospitals while easing the financial burden for students.” LHA Announces 2024- 2025 Board of Trustee Officers, BoardMembers The Louisiana Hospital Association announced its 2024-2025 Board of Trustee officers and newly- elected board members during its annual mem- bership meeting on July 22. Rene J. Ragas, FACHE, president and CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, will serve as the LHA Board of Trustees chair. He received the gavel from MaryEllen Pratt, FACHE, CEO of St. James Parish Hospital in Lutcher, who will now serve as immediate past chair. Michele Kidd Sut- ton, FACHE, president and CEO of North Oaks Health System in Hammond, will serve as the association’s chair-elect, and Edgardo J. Tenreiro, FACHE, president and CEO of Baton Rouge Gen- eral, was elected treasurer. In addition to the officers, the LHA Board of Trustees added new at-large trustees. E.J. Kuiper, FACHE, president & CEO of Franciscan Mission- aries of Our Lady Health System in Baton Rouge; Sean Wendell, CPA, CEO of Beacon Behavioral Partners in Baton Rouge; and Kemp Wright, vice president of hospital operations at Priority