In 2011, when former Saints player Steve Gleason, known by many for his blocked punt on the first night the Superdome opened after Hurricane Katrina, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, he received an outpouring of support from the team and owner Tom Benson. In April, Benson and his wife, Gayle, further committed to their support by donating $5 million to help fund Gleason’s Team Gleason House for Innovative Living at St. Margaret’s in New Orleans. “After I was diagnosed with ALS, the continued support Michel and I have received from the Saints and the Bensons has been humbling and a tremendous comfort to us both,” said Gleason in a statement. “They have been like a second family to us on and off the field. With the creation of the Team Gleason House, we announced to the world that, with the right care and the right technology, ALS patients can be productive and purposeful for decades. Through this generous gift, we are assured of the sustainability of that mission.”
On June 27, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is participating in the “Take the Test, Take Control,” campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for National HIV Testing Day. Get no cost, rapid HIV testing at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, 4018 Magazine St., 8:30 a.m. To 4:30 p.m. Walk-in tests are available as the schedule allows or call 897-9200 for an appointment.
The Lakeview Regional Medical Center in April opened a new location for its Behavioral Health Center. The center, which specializes in caring for older adults with Alzheimer’s, mood disorders and other health, physical and emotional issues associated with later life, is now part of the hospital campus on Judge Tanner Boulevard in Covington. A new 24-bed inpatient unit with private rooms has been added to the facility and A. Majid Khan M.D., who has served as medical director of Acute Inpatient Psychiatric facilities, Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs in the private sector and was most recently a Unit Director at Greenbrier Hospital in Covington, is the medical director.
