The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc., recently awarded Ochsner Clinic Foundation with a three-year accreditation, widely considered to be the gold standard for protection of human participants involved in research. Nearly 300 clinical research trials are being conducted at Ochsner facilities in Southeast Louisiana; this accreditation is granted to research institutions for meeting safeguards required by the U.S. government.
“AAHRPP accreditation provides independent authentication that the human subject research protection program at Ochsner maintains the highest possible standards,” said Sohail Rao, M.D., M.A., D.Phil., System Vice President for Research – Ochsner Health System, in a recent press release. “It also provides an assurance of quality, improves efficiency and effectiveness, gives Ochsner and its investigators a competitive edge and reaffirms public trust and confidence.”
Louisiana State University telemedicine is designed to give patients in rural Louisiana access to quality subspecialty care, removing the obstacles of the time and cost to travel to major medical hubs in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. LSU sub-specialists in the city are using “telemedicine” technology to serve patients in remote locations who otherwise may not receive the care they require in a timely manner, according to Dr. Juzar Ali, Medical Director of the Interim LSU Public Hospital. Telemedicine heart failure and mental health services first took root two years ago, and since November of last year, Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center patients in Independence, La., have been able to directly communicate with LSU doctors in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Ten LSU doctors in New Orleans are the primary telemed service providers, offering 36 hours of clinic a week for Lallie Kemp, with an additional 14 LSU physicians available for service.
Thanks to a generous donation from the Brees Dream Foundation, Ochsner Medical Center is among the first hospitals in the country to offer a free webcam service in both the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Labor and Delivery unit. The service allows those with a hospital-issued username and password to watch a continuous real-time video stream of their infant. The live feeds are used on a secure Internet line that is designed to preclude recording by a parent or the hospital.
