In The News December

New General Surgeon joins Dauterive Surgical Physicians

NEW IBERIA — Three generations of healthcare excellence is a common tie that binds general surgeons Dr. Edward W. "Ned" Dauterive Jr. and Dr. H. Lane Tuten Jr.
Tuten, a general surgeon from South Carolina, recently joined Dauterive Surgical Physicians, a general surgery practice founded by Dr. "Ned" Dauterive in the late 1980s on the Dauterive Hospital campus. Together, the pair offers vascular, breast, laparoscopic, femoral bypass, aortic bypass, dialysis graft insertions and other surgical procedures.
Dr. "Ned" Dauterive is the son of the late Dr. Weeks Dauterive, a general surgeon, and the grandson of the late Dr. Henry Dauterive, who founded Dauterive Hospital in 1920.
Dauterive Hospital stands on a lasting history of healing established by the late Dr. Henry Dauterive, who instilled a commitment to providing high quality, cost effective healthcare right here in Iberia Parish that still guides the 103-bed facility to this day, said Alan Fabian, FACHE, Dauterive Hospital Chief Executive Officer.
Tuten spent 13 years in the U.S. Army. Part of his time included a five-month stint in Iraq in the 1990s during Operation: Desert Storm.

Roger D. Smith, MD, Installed as 129th President of the LSMS

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana State Medical Society (LSMS) installed its 129th president, Dr. Roger D. Smith of New Orleans, Louisiana, at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates. The meeting was held on October 2-3 at the Hilton Capitol Center in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Roger D. Smith is a board-certified neurosurgeon practicing at the Ochsner Health System in New Orleans. Originally from California, Dr. Smith attended Stanford University and the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He completed an internship at USC-Los Angeles County Hospital and a preliminary general surgery residency at Tulane School of Medicine in the Charity Hospital New Orleans. He served in the U.S. Navy with the First Marine Division in Vietnam and at Chelsea Naval Hospital in Boston. He did his neurosurgical training at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, followed by fellowships at the University of Zurich and the National Hospital in London before joining the LSU Department of Neurosurgery in 1979.

Acadian Ambulance Unveils New Emergency Vehicle

Since its inception in 1971, Acadian Ambulance has been a leader in EMS innovation. That same ability and commitment is being applied to the fuel crisis. According to Chairman and CEO Richard Zuschlag, Acadian hopes to lead the way in innovative adjustments with the Dodge Sprinter, an emergency vehicle commonly used in Europe. The Sprinter will possibly yield twice the mileage of other ambulances. Currently, the Acadian fleet gets 9 mpg. The target with the new unit is 18 mpg.
Many services have assessed a fuel charge, to recoup their losses, but this is not allowed in Medicare cases. Of all Acadian transports, about 40 percent are Medicare patients. Other companies have been forced to reduce their services, raise their prices, or cut staff.
Acadian Ambulance Service is determined that the high fuel costs will not generate such drastic consequences, even though expenditures for gasoline have exceeded the budget by over $300,000 per month for the last 4 months. The company is dealing with the soaring fuel costs while other expenditures are also rising. For instance, the long struggle with a shortage of medics continues. Because of the shortage, Acadian spends $250,000 per month on unscheduled overtime pay.
The Sprinter will be first tested in Lafayette Parish for three months, and will then be available for Baton Rouge and Houma service areas. It will be staffed with the latest in pre-hospital care equipment, and is capable of adaptation to wheelchair chair use.

Mitchell Promoted to Assistant Vice-President North Oaks Clinics in Tangipahoa Parish

HAMMOND — Sarah Mitchell of Ponchatoula has been promoted to Assistant Vice-President of Tangipahoa Parish Clinics for North Oaks Health System.
Mitchell will oversee operations of North Oaks' nine Clinics in Tangipahoa Parish, including: North Oaks Family Medicine Clinics in Hammond and Independence; North Oaks Orthopedic Clinic in Ponchatoula; as well as North Oaks Walk-In Clinic, North Oaks Occupational Health Services Clinic, Magnolia Obstetrics and Gynecology, North Oaks Pulmonology, Northshore Internal Medicine Associates and North Oaks Cardiology, all in Hammond.
Mitchell first joined the North Oaks team as a Rehabilitation Technician in 1996 and brings more than a decade of experience with the health system to her new role. In 1998, she became a Physical Therapist. In 2004, she was promoted to Physical Therapy Supervisor. Three years later in 2007, she was promoted again to the position of Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Clinic Coordinator.
Mitchell holds a master's degree in physical therapy from the Louisiana State University School of Allied Health in New Orleans and a master's degree in mass communications from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She also earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Mississippi State University in Starkville.

Local Radiologist Authors Article in International Journal

LAFAYETTE — David J. Jewell, M.D., Director of Radiology for Advanced Imaging of Lafayette was recently invited to author an article on MRI for the international Journal of Hand Therapy. The article titled "Case Studies in the Diagnosis of Upper Extremity Pain Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging" has now been published.
Board Certified by the American Board of Radiology, Dr. Jewell has over 18 years of experience in Diagnostic Body Imaging. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his Residency Program at Charity Hospital of Louisiana in New Orleans. Dr. Jewell also completed a Fellowship in Body Imaging from Louisiana State University School of Medicine.

Jindal Administration to Work with Bush Administration on Medicaid Overhaul

Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration believes there is still time to work out a compromise with the Bush administration to alter the state's Medicaid program, state Department of Health and Hospitals Deputy Secretary Sybil Richard told members of an advisory group assisting the development of the Louisiana Health First Initiative, according to the Times Picayune.
Under the proposed pilot program, as many as 380,000 current Medicaid beneficiaries -— mostly children — would be shifted from their current fee-for-service plans to managed care networks. Jindal's administration is hoping to begin the program in the Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, New Orleans and Shreveport regions by mid-2010. The pilot requires approval from HHS, which covers approximately 70% of the state's Medicaid costs. The state also is seeking forgiveness of $771 million in "disallowances," which the state plans to spend to expand Medicaid coverage.
According to the Times-Picayune, state officials are seeking to receive approval before the Bush administration leaves office on Jan. 20, 2009, because they are concerned the change in administration could delay the process by up to one year. Richard said, "We'd have to re-educate the new administration," adding, "We'd have to make sure the new administration thought along the same lines as this administration."
Some advisory group members are concerned that the state is moving too quickly, the Times-Picayune reported. Stephen Taylor, a member of the state's Family Medicine Task Force, said, "I just feel lost in where we're going with this." Steven Spedale, a Baton Rouge pediatrician and member of the panel, questioned whether the program -- which would require Medicaid beneficiaries to choose between competing networks or have one selected for them -- would help the state meet its goal of improving quality and reducing overall costs (Moller, New OrleansTimes-Picayune, 10/3).

West Jefferson to Pay $3.3 Million to Resolve Medicaid Fraud Allegations

West Jefferson Medical Center will pay the United States and the State of Louisiana $3.3 million to resolve allegations that the hospital overcharged the Medicaid program, the Justice Department announced.
The settlement resolves allegations in a qui tam suit brought under federal and state False Claims Acts. The lawsuit alleged that the Marrero, La., hospital, led the Medicaid program to believe that the medical center's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) had the capability to perform certain critical care services when, in fact, the unit did not possess such capability. As a result, Medicaid overpaid the hospital between March 1998 and October 2003.
A qui tam suit is one brought by a private citizen on behalf of the government, who may then obtain a share of the proceeds. The relator, Leslie Klemm, who was a nurse at the hospital, filed the suit on behalf of the government and will receive $627,000 as her share of the state and federal recovery.
"The Department is committed to recovering money fraudulently obtained from the Medicaid program," said Gregory G. Katsas, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.
"As the Greater New Orleans area continues to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, it is important that those entrusted with providing our community with critical health care have the capability to meet those needs," said Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. "This successful civil resolution of serious allegations of abuse of the Medicaid Program should send a strong message to the health care community that precious health care dollars are not to be obtained improperly. This office remains committed to eradicating fraud where ever it may be found."
William Root, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Baton Rouge Field Office of Investigations of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), said that he was gratified with the outcome of the investigation and gave special recognition to the cooperative effort of the agents from the HHS-OIG and the state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Ochsner Baptist Adds Digital Mammography

NEW ORLEANS — October marks Breast Cancer Awareness month and Ochsner Baptist Medical Center is proud to announce an expansion of women's services with the addition of a new digital mammography system: SeleniaT digital mammography from HologicR. It's well recognized that routine mammograms are the single most important steps that a women can take in the prevention and early detection of breast cancer, however; digital mammography takes less than half the time of traditional film-based exams, enables radiologists to review images immediately, while patients wait, and more closely inspect suspicious areas, to make immediate decisions.

Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center Initiates New Internal Medicine Residency Training Program

BATON ROUGE — Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center (LJCMC) in Houma, La., has begun a new Internal Medicine Residency Training Program with full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Since 2000, the ACGME has accredited only four new programs in internal medicine in the South and 16 nationwide. ACGME has also given institutional accreditation to LJCMC, permitting it to form new residency programs in the future.
"The internal medicine residency training program will allow us to expand our dual missions of medical education and quality health care," said Rhonda Green, LJCMC hospital administrator. "At the same time, the program will cultivate new physicians for the region."
Studies have shown that a physician will likely remain within a 50 to 100 mile radius of where the physician completed residency training, providing health care and an economic stimulus to the region. The Terrebonne/Lafourche area anticipates a physician shortage, particularly in primary care and internal medicine.
To receive accreditation for the program, LJCMC hired faculty including its program director, associate program director, residency and institutional coordinator, and others in key areas such as pulmonary critical care. Dr. Dayton Daberkow II, formerly the LSU program director in New Orleans for 12 years, is the LJCMC program director.
Three residents were accepted for the first year of the three-year program, which began July 1, 2008. Next year eight will be accepted. Ultimately 24 residents will be in training simultaneously.
Sixty percent of the time residents will see patients in the hospital; 40 percent of the time, they will practice in LJCMC ambulatory clinics. Residents have already gotten unique training: in the wake of Hurricane Gustav, they worked with the Disaster Medical Assistance Team and on strike teams going into the community to provide care.
The program has a budget of about $1.7 million for administrative and recruiting expenses, residency and clinical salaries, and yearly accreditation fees. To accommodate the program, LJCMC constructed new call rooms and a residency lounge with lockers and computers.
An internal medicine specialist, or internist, is the nonsurgical physician for adults and can practice general internal medicine, either inpatient or outpatient or both. The internist may also receive additional training in the internal medicine subspecialties of cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, hematology, oncology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, endocrinology, nephrology, and geriatrics.
To be considered for the LJCMC internal medicine program, applicants must have graduated from an accredited medical school and chosen internal medicine as their specialty. After completing the program, residents will be eligible to take the Internal Medicine Board Examination sponsored by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
LJCMC is a major training site for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, laboratory and radiology technology, social services, nutrition, physician assistants, and emergency medical technicians.

Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum Fall Summit

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum (the Quality Forum), a private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to lead evidence-based, collaborative initiatives to improve the health of Louisiana citizens held its Fall Summit on Health Information and Exchange (HIT/HIE) on November 7th in Baton Rouge. The summit's purpose was to emphasize health information technology and exchange (HIT/ HIE) as vehicles that support improved delivery systems and quality outcomes in Louisiana.
The event featured an interactive learning experience between local and national stakeholders by bringing together leaders, providers, purchasers, and end-users (consumers) to share experiences of how HIT/HIE support care coordination, consumer-centric service delivery, interoperability, quality assurance/ improvement, and consumer engagement.
"Today' summit gives local health care professionals an opportunity to meet nationally recognized experts in health information technology and exchange," said Shannon Robshaw, Executive Director of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum. "More importantly, it offers them the opportunity to discuss innovative ways technology can support provisions of evidence based care, implementation of the medical home and Medicaid reform efforts."
The summit featured nationally recognized experts on Health Information Technology and Exchange, including Janet Marchibroda - CEO of the eHealth Initiative, Sean Seerey - Industry Strategist, Health Solutions Group, Microsoft Corporation, Debbie Van Hoven - Project Officer, EHR Demonstration, Medicare Demonstrations, and Kathleen Connors de Laguna - Electronic Health Records Demonstration, Medicare.
Local Speakers included Alan Levine – Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Ob Soonthornsima - Senior Vice President and CIO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of La, Mike Crapanzano, MD, MHCM - Pediatric Cardiology Associates, Inc, Lynn Witherspoon, MD - System Vice President and CIO, Ochsner Health System, Claudia Campbell, PhD, Professor - MPH Program Director, Co-Director, Center for Health Equality Research, Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jamie Welch - CIO/Health IT Director, Louisiana Rural Hospital Coalition & IT Director, Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange, and Eboni Price, MD, MPH – Chief Medical Officer, Tulane School of Medicine.
Topics for the summit focused on ways Louisiana can improve the quality of medical care in the state by making implementation of HIT/HIE a priority. Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine spoke about the department's role in HIT/HIE development. In addition, representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spoke about the federal electronic health records demonstration project Louisiana physician practices are eligible to participate in. The five year demonstration project gives small- to medium-sized physician practices the opportunity to receive financial assistance up to $290,000, for adoption and implementation of electronic health records within their practices.
"The Quality Forum continues to look for opportunities to promote a common health information management and technology vision for the state that can support the implementation of patient-centered medical homes, patient and health care purchaser empowerment, and transparency in health care quality and price," said Robshaw.
A whitepaper was presented during the summit to provide guidance and information for those interested in implementing health information technology and exchange in their regions (available at www.lhcqf.org).

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Named Consumer Choice Award Winner for Tenth Consecutive Yea

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BATON ROUGE — For the tenth consecutive year, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has been selected by the National Research Corporation (NRC) as the Consumer Choice Award winner for the hospital with the highest overall quality and image in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. Only 40 other hospitals nationwide have achieved this recognition ten consecutive years.
Consumer Choice award winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in NRC Healthcare Market Guide study. The 2008-2009 NRC Healthcare Market Guide study surveyed over 200,000 households by phone representing 450,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia. The 2008-2009 Healthcare Market Guide is the nation's largest and most comprehensive study of its kind.

Opelousas General to Purchase Doctor's Hospital

OPELOUSAS- Opelousas General Health System and Doctors' Hospital of Opelousas (DHO) announced that a letter of intent has been executed which will allow OGHS to purchase DHO.
Both parties expressed intentions to complete the transaction by the closing of the year or early 2009.
OGHS's intent to purchase DHO has been a subject of interest by the Board of Trustees of Opelousas General Health System for some time. Both hospitals believe that it is in the best interest of the community. While the letter of intent is non-binding, negotiations are very positive and promising.
"Our interest in purchasing DHO originated initially because of our obligation and mission to offer quality healthcare services to the residents of St. Landry Parish and the surrounding communities," said Gerald Fornoff, President/CEO of OGHS. "We also see it as a responsibility of a public trust hospital, a responsibility we have lived up to since our inception in 1957," he said.
Fornoff noted that the purchase of DHO will further enhance the delivery of specialized services and add to the hospital's already well recognized specialized areas including infectious disease, spine and orthopedics, cardiology, pulmonology, urology, neurology and nephrology.
"Obviously both OGHS and DHO will undertake due diligence prior to determining a definitive Asset Purchase Agreement. The definitive agreement will outline specific details including assets and liabilities, medical staff and employee transition issues," Fornoff said.

Reflections of Dequincy appoints Matthews Medical Director

Reflections of Dequincy, providing comprehensive short term outpatient treatment for mature adults, recently announced the appointment of Dr. Paul Matthews as the new medical director. Dr. Matthews is a board certified Adult and Geriatric Psychiatrist practicing in Lake Charles at Advanced Psychiatric Services and West End Hospital in Jennings. He also serves as a consultant to nursing homes in the Southwest Louisiana area.
Dr. Matthews graduated from LSU Medical School in New Orleans.
The Reflections of Dequincy program is designed to treat older individuals in need of intensive psychiatric intervention, but who can be safely and effectively treated in an outpatient setting.

Humana Awards $100,000 Grant to Odyssey House

NEW ORLEANS — Humana, one of Louisiana's leading health benefits companies, awarded a $100,000 grant in its 2008 Louisiana Benefits charitable giving program on Oct. 16 to Odyssey House Louisiana of New Orleans.
The nonprofit behavioral health provider plans to use its one-time $100,000 Louisiana Benefits grant for expansion of its free community medical clinic in New Orleans so that it can provide affordable health care to more in the community.
With the expansion, the clinic will have two more examination rooms; one psychiatric exam room; an additional bathroom for patients; and, an administrative area for clinic staff.
For the second consecutive year, Humana's Louisiana Benefits awarded a one-time, $100,000 signature grant to a nonprofit organization based in Louisiana that is doing valuable work to benefit the people who live in the state. Louisiana Benefits supports charitable organizations that are focused on improving health experiences or building healthy communities in the areas of mind, body or spirit.
Nearly 50 New Orleans business, civic and nonprofit leaders attended Humana's 2008 Louisiana Benefits grant celebration event Oct. 16 at the Audubon Tea Room in New Orleans. Humana this fall received more than 70 applications from Louisiana nonprofit groups and charitable organizations seeking the $100,000 grant.
A diverse panel of local judges, comprised of community leaders, public officials and business representatives, worked with Humana to select the 2008 $100,000 grant recipient in Louisiana Benefits.
Humana also awarded smaller grants on Oct. 16, recognizing the community efforts of the other 2008 Louisiana Benefits finalists, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge, and Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans. Junior Achievement received a check for $15,000, and Humana presented Boys & Girls Club with a check for $5,000.

AG Caldwell Says Memorial Records Should Remain Closed

NEW ORLEANS—Attorney General Buddy Caldwell believes strongly that the evidence gathered in the investigation into deaths at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina, should remain closed. "What do you gain by putting this information on the street?" asked Caldwell. "All you do is help the bad guy. We want to find the truth and make sure that truth is protected in court."
The investigative records are being sought by CNN and The Times-Picayune newspaper. The two media outlets have asked the state Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision that sealed the investigations into four deaths at the hospital following the August 2005 hurricane.
Caldwell urged Louisiana's highest court to keep the records secret. He said cases of this magnitude always remain open. "You never know when other issues may be brought to light, especially since there are civil suits pending," said Caldwell. "I do not expect anything to come up on Dr. Pou but there were 34 deaths at that hospital and not all of those investigations were wrapped up," the attorney general said.
The state's 1st Circuit Court of Appeal ruled the materials should be protected since no one has been found guilty or acquitted in the patients' deaths.
The Louisiana Supreme Court has not said how long it will be before they rule on this matter.

Breast Cancer Screening for LSU Uninsured Among the Nation's Best

BATON ROUGE — The U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a goal of 70% of eligible women receiving a mammogram at least every two years in Healthy People 2010, a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative.
This has been an especially difficult goal for patients who have no insurance coverage. Nationally, women without coverage get mammograms at a rate of 33% every two years. In the LSU Health System - Health Care Services Division (HCSD), 72% of patients who are without coverage and classified as free care receive mammograms every two years.
This rate is more than double the national rate for the uninsured. These patients have been a focus for HCSD because they have fewer options for obtaining screening. This disparity in care for patients without coverage and access must be addressed if we are to achieve optimal health outcomes in vulnerable populations.
This 72% rate for the uninsured ranks among the nation's best and illustrates the tremendous commitment HCSD has made to preventative care and to an ongoing effort to enhance screening efforts.
HCSD has reached this milestone for these vulnerable women with a variety of mechanisms, including evidence-based provider guidelines, patient self-referrals, same-day mammography availability, technology upgrades, partnering with other community providers, flexible staffing schedules, and a staff commitment to quality health care. The LSU Health System - HCSD performs over 25,000 mammograms yearly.
LSU is the largest single provider of uncompensated inpatient care in Louisiana. LSU HCSD hospitals have an economic impact of over $1.4 billion in asset business activity, $568 million in personal earnings, and generate over 12,000 jobs.

Ochsner "Cools" NICU Baby Using Hypothermia Treatment, First in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS – Ochsner's multi-disciplinary NICU team of high-risk obstetricians and neonatologists became the first in Louisiana to utilize a hypothermia program, or, "cooling" treatment on a newborn. Baby Nia'Keyia Williams was delivered October 5th via Caesarean section at Ochsner Medical Center, after her mother, Lashawn Williams, 23, developed a premature placental abruption, a serious complication that leaves the baby inside the womb without oxygen (asphyxia). Ms. Williams is a New Orleans resident and Nia'Keyia is her second child.
"Saving little Nia'Keyia's life required the proper equipment and Ochsner's highly-skilled team in order to act quickly to implement hypothermia treatment," explains Dr. Phillip Gordon, Section Head of Neonatology at Ochsner Medical Center. "Without "cooling," Nia'Keyia would probably have suffered renal failure, brain swelling and additional long-term effects. We are cautiously optimistic that she will recover as she is off the ventilator and acting like a normal baby."
"As soon as little Nia'Keyia was born, she was placed on a ventilator and moved to Ochsner's Level III NICU, where the staff placed her on the cooling blanket. Treatment must be administered within a six-hour window or the baby will not benefit," explains Dr. Veronica Gillispie, OB/GYN at Ochsner Medical Center.
Dr. Gordon explains how hypothermia therapy helped Nia'Keyia, "If the baby is not cooled within six hours, more brain cells will die from the initial lack of oxygen that occurs during asphyxiation. By "cooling," we can stop that process as the cells essentially "forget" to die." Hypothermia places patients into a state of near- hibernation, cooling them down to a temperature of 33-33.5 degree Celsius for 72 hours. Ochsner cardiologists have utilized a similar technique on adult cardiac arrest patients and are leading a clinical trial investigating the effects of cooling a patient after a heart attack.
Other leading medical centers in the U.S. have used "cooling" on newborns; however, this is the first program and initial treatment in Louisiana. Over 1,000 children worldwide have been cooled with positive effects. Hypothermia programs are closely watched by neonatal medical societies who expect high standards of performance, data management, and patient follow-up in the facilities providing this care.
"At Ochsner, 'cooling' babies is our standard of care for birth asphyxia," explains Dr. Gordon. "We also accept appropriate cases from regional hospitals that do not have hypothermia capabilities by enabling them to start the cooling process at their facility until the specially-trained Ochsner team can transport the infant."
The placenta develops during pregnancy to nourish the baby. Placental abruption occurs if the placenta peels away from the uterus' inner wall before delivery thereby depriving the baby of oxygen and vital nutrients. In the mother, this can cause heavy bleeding, sudden abdominal and back pain, uterine tenderness, and rapid uterine contractions.

2 Louisiana Hospitals Win National Marketing Awards

Baton Rouge General's Pennington Cancer Center and North Oaks Health System in Hammond were honored at the 2008 HealthLeaders Marketing Awards.
Baton Rouge General was recognized for having the best Community Relations Campaign in Large Hospital category. The campaign, Pink at the Polls, is a community relations program aimed at increasing breast cancer awareness and early detection. The 2008 campaign featured Paul de la Bretonne and five well-known men: Paul Gates, Julio Melara, Jamie Wax, Bill Profita, and Chef Folse. The campaign resulted in more than 4 million hits to the Pennington Cancer Center's Pink at the Polls website. Actor Jamie Wax was crowned the new King of Pink and will face a group of new challengers next October.
North Oaks Health System was recognized for Best Service Line in the Medium Hospital category, winning the Distinction Award for the "My Life. My Masterpiece." campaign.

American Heart Association Recognizes LHC Group as Heart & Stroke Champion

LAFAYETTE — The American Heart Association recognized LHC Group's commitment to heart health in Louisiana with the 2007-2008 Heart & Stroke Champion Award. Kallie Barras, Regional Director of The American Heart Association presented the award to LHC's Senior Management Team on the morning of October 22, 2008 at the LHC Group main office. On hand to receive the award was Daryl Doise - Senior Vice President / Corporate Development, Johnny Indest – President / COO, Keith Myers – Chairman / CEO, Don Stelly – Senior Vice President / Operations, and Richard MacMillan – Senior Vice President / General Counsel and Compliance Office.
Each year, the American Heart Association recognizes those supporters who go above and beyond to champion the organization's mission in their communities. LHC has supported the AHA throughout the fiscal year as a contributor to the St Landry Heart Ball, Iberia Parish Taste of the Teche, Central Louisiana Gala, NE LA Go Red For Women Luncheon and Lafayette Heart Gala. The AHA was proud to have LHC as a part of so many of its fundraisers this year and looks forward to working together in the future.
LHC Group is amongst good company with other area Heart & Stroke Champions including: MidSouth Bank, Cardiovascular Institute of the South, Heart Hospital of Lafayette, and Lafayette General Medical Center.

The American Heart Association is committed to its mission to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. To find out about American Heart Association programs and activities call 337.251.5421 or visit americanheart.org.

Bengal Belles' Diva Docs attend Nov. 6th Sheraton Baton Rouge Luncheon

The Bengal Belles organization supports LSU football via a variety of fundraising events throughout the year.
Top Row: Machita as Bengal Belle, Bengal Belle President Amiee Simon, Shelly Fallin, DDS, Dawn Vick, MD, Susan Bankston, MD, Johnnie Hunt, DDS. Bottom Row: Stephanie Kelleher, MD, Elise Scallan, MD, Nicole Hollier, MD. Not Shown: Sunhine Willet, MD, Rebecca Sherman, MD, Donna Nunnally, MD