LOUISIANA MEDICAL CENTER & HEART HOSPITAL
Anyone who still has doubts about how well the healthcare system in Louisiana has rebounded since Hurricane Katrina should look no further than Louisiana Medical Center & Heart Hospital. The hospital, which opened in February 2003 as the Louisiana Heart Hospital, has recently been renamed because of an impending major expansion, which will increase its capacity to 178 private rooms, more than tripling its current bed capacity.
MedCath Corporation and its physician partners announced the 120-bed general acute care expansion to the Lacombe hospital, with construction beginning in late summer. The expansion will include a new 109,000-square-foot, four-story patient tower.
“The impact of Hurricane Katrina to New Orleans and the surrounding area has resulted in tremendous population growth in St. Tammany Parish, our hospital’s primary service area,” says O. Edwin French, MedCath’s president and chief executive officer. “We have talked about the importance of expanding our facilities and diversifying our services while maintaining a strong heart core in key markets as a critical element of our growth. This is an excellent example of that strategy.”
Construction is expected to be completed in late fall of 2008, with 80 patient rooms being completed initially and capacity for 40 patient rooms being available for future growth.
“The physician community is excited about the opportunity to expand the hospital’s service offering and have the facility and technology necessary to care for more people,” says Dr. Jim Smith, an interventional cardiologist and member of the hospital’s board of directors. “The quality of our care is exemplified by our recognition as the leading cardiac program in Louisiana by HealthGrades®, a healthcare ratings organization; being designated as a UnitedHealth Premium cardiac care center; and receiving a national achievement award by the American Heart Association. We look forward to providing this level of service for other disease categories as well.”
MedCath Corporation, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a healthcare provider focused primarily on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. MedCath focuses on serving the unique needs of patients suffering from cardiovascular disease.
For more information, visit www.louisianahearthospital.com or call (985) 690-7500.
THIBODAUX REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
The Cancer Center of Thibodaux Regional Medical Center has provided chemotherapy and radiation treatment services for almost 15 years. The state-of-the-art facility houses the latest technology that science offers in the treatment of cancer. Three years ago, the center built an 1800-square-foot addition to house a Linear Accelerator with IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) capability.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy treats tumors without damaging nearby healthy tissue and critical organs and structures in the body. This, combined with a PET/CT scanner designates the facility as a “see and treat” center; That means Thibodaux Regional’s Cancer Center has the best mechanism to detect cancer and the most precise way to treat it.
Advancements in cancer treatment have been the incentive for the Center to embark upon a $3.9 million dollar project to include facility expansion and acquisition of the TRILOGY system, the most up to date equipment to treat cancer with radiation. In the fall, construction will begin on 4,000 square feet of new space, in addition to 3,000 square feet of renovated space, doubling capacity to provide chemotherapy. An expanded outdoor courtyard with access from the chemo room will provide a serene, relaxed environment to receive treatment while still in nurses’ view.
The new TRILOGY radiation system will allow doctors to provide Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Image Guided Radiation Therapy, in addition to IMRT. Stereotactic radiosurgery enables the treatment of tumors, while image guided technology targets the exact location of the tumor prior to treatment, accounting for tumor movement caused by changes in the body.
In May, Cancer Center received a three-year accreditation with a commendation rating from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Only one in four cancer programs at hospitals across the U.S. receives this special honor. Thibodaux Regional Medical Center was the only hospital in Louisiana to be honored in 2007 with the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer.
For more information, call (985) 447-5500, or visit www.thibodaux.com.
OCHSNER MEDICAL CENTER
Ochsner Health System continues to be a leader in the use of new technologies in health care. Ochsner is currently offering cardiovascular MRI, a new imaging technique that provides physicians with detailed and potentially life-saving images in a non-invasive way.
“The greatest benefit of cardiovascular MRI is its ability to show definition in the heart and lung anatomy, to measure cardiac function and differentiate heart tissues, without radiation exposure,” says Dr. Sangeeta Shah, Ochsner Cardiologist and Director of Cardiovascular MRI. MRI can now be used to compliment the current modalities used in assessing heart disease.
“We are able to use the images from the cardiovascular MRI to diagnose and determine treatment for numerous diseases such as coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, heart tumors and congenital heart disease,” says Dr. Shah.
In the greater New Orleans region, Ochsner has used the cardiovascular MRI to diagnose over 300 neonates, children and adults since the fall of 2005.
Meanwhile, Ochsner is studying a new implantable pulse generator called the Optimizer™, a device that delivers electrical impulses to the heart. Ochsner Medical Center, is the only Louisiana hospital participating in this multi-facility research study.
The optimizer is smaller in size and shape than a pacemaker. Pacemakers ensure that the heartbeat does not go too slowly when there is a missed beat. The Optimizer senses when a beat has already started, then sends an electrical signal to strengthen the heart’s contraction, according to the American Heart Association.
Ochsner is a designated training center in the Gulf Coast for the da Vinci “S” Surgical System®, by Intuitive Surgical, technology that allows physicians to perform intricate operations through tiny incisions, improving patient recovery times with less pain. Ochsner is one of a select few centers in the world with the “S” Elite model of da Vinci and physicians throughout the Gulf South region and around the world will be trained at Ochsner on the S-model in techniques of minimally-invasive surgery; specifically in urology and gynecology.
For more information, visit www.ochsner.org or call (504) 842-3000.
EAST JEFFERSON GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over the past several years, great strides have been made in the successful screening, diagnosis and treatment of various cancers. Early diagnosis allows your physicians to treat cancer that is usually smaller and more contained, before it spreads to other organs becoming more difficult to completely remove.
Not long ago, the treatments were sometimes as debilitating as the cancer. Most patients today have a completely different and better experience. One of these more patient friendly treatment tools is the new Trilogy Stereotactic Treatment System, currently available at East Jefferson General Hospital. Trilogy represents a true breakthrough for thousands suffering with cancers of the brain, spine and prostate.
Each year, more than 234,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Previous treatment options have included freezing the tumor, radiating the tumor or removal of the prostate. Trilogy generates a pain-free laser beam in the exact shape and size of your cancerous tumor. That beam is then used to treat the tumor so that it stops growing, is rendered harmless and eventually is completely eliminated. From a medical perspective, the greatest breakthrough represented by Trilogy is the fact that its treatment beam will grow, shrink or move with the tumor so only the cancer is treated. Previously, one of the side effects of treatments has been the possible damage to otherwise healthy tissue. Trilogy attacks only the cancer.
Although 20,000 Americans will die this year from cancers of the brain and spine, Trilogy’s targeted approach means cancers are treated more effectively, with fewer treatments, faster recovery and side effects. Trilogy represents what most of us would want, an effective, non-invasive, pain free way of treating some of our most deadly cancers. Trilogy currently represents the high point in patient friendly cancer treatments.
For more information, call East Jefferson General Hospital at (504) 454-4000, or visit www.eastjeffhospital.org.
WEST JEFFERSON MEDICAL CENTER
West Jefferson Medical Center’s Emergency Department has always prided itself on the quality of its services. Now, WJMC is developing an expanded observation area in the Emergency Department (ED) that will include a new quiet area, as well as an expanded observation area. The new area will accommodate up to eight ED patients with behavioral or emotional issues, following the triage process. Up until now, these patients were often cared for in corridor beds of the main ED.
The new area is a controlled environment with reduced stimulus, and will be staffed 24 hours a day, every day, by a Registered Nurse and a Mental Health Specialist. The former pre-admit area has moved to the Physicians Center to make space for the new quiet area.
Construction work began in May on a 16-bed Acute Psychiatric Unit at West Jefferson’s campus at 4500 Wichers Drive, Marrero. Additionally, a 12-bed addition was approved under a Newly Licensed Beds and Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.
WJMC has a Transitional Care Center (TCC), which opened its first beds in November 2006. It doubled in size to 24 beds in February 2007. This Center is designed to relieve pressure on the ED and the Acute Psychiatric Unit by stepping down the patients who are ready for discharge but have no appropriate place to go. The Center offers a supportive, structured environment and provides day treatment transportation at the 32,000-square-foot Behavioral Medicine Center, located at 229 Bellemeade Blvd., Gretna. The Center also assists with medical and dental conditions through collaborations with local community care centers.
For more information on these and other facilities and services at West Jefferson Medical Center, visit WJMC.org, or call (504) 391-2440.
SLIDELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Slidell Memorial Hospital, established in 1959, and comprised of nearly 300 physicians granted privileges to practice at the hospital, continues to be an industry leader in medical technology. Since 2003, the hospital has invested more than $37 million in technology and infrastructure improvements.
Among the technological advancements, Slidell Memorial Hospital now has Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), an advanced radiation cancer therapy that targets just the tumor without disturbing healthy tissue. SMH pioneered this technology in the Gulf south and was the third non-teaching hospital and 11th overall in America to install this unit.
Also available is a 64 slice CT, that allows imaging of heart and lungs, and can detect or rule out narrowing or blockage of arteries and vessels leading to the heart, with incredible accuracy.
Starting this Fall, SMH will offer Espree MRI, the most advanced MRI available. This is a less restrictive and less confining, wider unit that allows better access for all patients. More than 60 percent of all scans can be done with the patient’s head outside of the machine.
The hospital’s purchase of MD imaging expands the capabilities and services of its imaging department. SMH offers ultrasound, bone density, MRI, CT, digital mammograms, PET scans, x-rays and lab work.
Additionally, SMH has the most state-of-the-art critical care unit in the metro area for patients who need specialized care following surgery. SICU has six beds, while CICU has 12 beds, all in private rooms. This is part of the $4.3 million renovation and expansion of critical care services.
This year, SMH was named in the top five percent in patient safety in the U.S., by Healthgrades – the leading healthcare ratings organization, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians to consumers.
For more information, call (985) 643-2200, or visit www.slidellmemorial.org.
TOURO INFIRMARY
At Touro Infirmary’s Gulf South Joint Replacement Center, which opened in March, the doctors understand that knee and hip pain can deprive people of their normal activities of daily living. Simple pleasures like walking, shopping and participating in favorite hobbies, such as golf, become difficult, if not impossible. Touro’s joint replacement program brings together a caring team of outstanding surgeons with a dedicated multi disciplinary staff of nurses, therapists and technicians.
Richard L. Meyer, Jr., M.D., is a board- certified and fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon in hip and knee reconstructive surgery. He is the first Louisiana physician to use the CI computer navigation system to perform computer assisted knee replacement surgery and is one of the most experienced orthopaedic surgeon in its use in the area.
Lance Estrada, M.D., is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and one of only a few doctors in the country certified to perform an innovative shoulder surgery called “reverse shoulder arthroplasty,” used for severe rotator cuff tears and severe arthritis. The first surgery of this kind in southeastern Louisiana was performed at Touro Infirmary by Dr. Estrada in August 2006. Dr. Estrada has performed hundreds of hip and knee replacements and also specializes in sports medicine.
The Gulf South Joint Replacement Center offers a unique group recovery method where groups of eight to 15 patients undergo surgery near the same time and go through the three- to four-day recovery period together as a group. The center features many amenities, including: comprehensive patient and family education; newly renovated private rooms with hotel-like amenities and state-of-the-art technology.
“At other hospitals patients recovering from joint surgery are placed in the same unit as ill patients and treated the same way” says Al Trevino, R.N., patient care manager, “and it really dampens their morale at a time when a positive attitude is key to a quick recovery. Patients who come in for voluntary joint surgery are not sick; we make sure to treat them like the well patients they are.”
For more information, visit www.touro.com, or call (504) 897-7103 to schedule a private tour and consultation.
PARISH MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
Parish Management Consultants (PMC) is a healthcare management company dedicated to the provision of world class services. The PMC team, comprised of anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists and healthcare managers is driven to provide the best quality anesthesia as defined by national benchmarks and supported by results oriented, quantifiable management services.
The PMC management team is made up of career healthcare executives well versed in both hospital and group practice operations, while the owners are practicing anesthesiologists who are in the field every day. With this talented staff carefully assembled, PMC has been able to bridge the relationships between clinical practitioners and hospital executives. PMC offers a comprehensive package of services that meet the needs of anesthesia departments, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, as well as the medical staff and facility administrators it serves. Parish Management Consultants is in the forefront of new program development with its chronic pain management programs.
Parish Management Consultants has invested a significant amount of time and money in planning and developing a computerized Parish Quality Initiative that will be implemented throughout the Parish system this year. Five major company quality performance goals have been approved by the PMC Board of Directors to be benchmarked against national standards. These quality indicators relate to anesthesia response times, reducing surgical patient risk, operating room efficiency, controlling patient temperature and reducing surgical infection rates. In addition, the Quality Initiative prepares PMC to meet the federal Pay for Performance standards that are being finalized.
Parish Management Consultants plans to implement an electronic anesthesia record initiative within the Parish system. This will provide cutting edge technology to enhance pre-admission testing, anesthesia care in the surgical suite and in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU). The electronic anesthesia record system will assist in achieving 100 percent compliance in documentation of anesthesia care and increase net collections due to the accurate documentation. The information collected by the electronic anesthesia record will provide a more efficient system to measure quality care performance based on benchmarked standards.
For more information, visit www.anesthesiapmc.com, or call (504) 779-5515.
Tulane University Hospital & Clinic
With a capital investment of over $10 million, Tulane University Hospital & Clinic (TUHC) is rejuvenating their Pediatric Services. The most significant service-line added is a Pediatric Emergency Department which opened July 16. The TUHC Pediatric Emergency Department treats patients 18 years and younger for illness, injury and trauma. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Pediatric Emergency Department is located at 1415 Tulane Ave. in downtown New Orleans.
“The number of children visiting emergency rooms in New Orleans has been on the rise following the post-Katrina baby-boom,” says Tulane University Hospital & Clinic interim CEO, Kim Ryan. “We want to serve our community by fulfilling the vital need for a Pediatric Emergency Department. Tulane has been one of the area’s leading healthcare providers for over 25 years. We will continue to add staff and services to Tulane as our community continues to grow.”
Keeping pediatric patients in mind, the atmosphere of the Pediatric Emergency Department is cheerful and child friendly. There is a separate waiting area for the pediatric patients and their family members and a play room for the children. Highly trained pediatricians and pediatric emergency medicine physicians staff the Emergency Department.
“The Pediatric Emergency Department is an effective way for our knowledgeable and dedicated team to deliver care to our community’s children,” says Samir El-Dahr, M.D., medical director of Tulane Hospital for Children. “The goal of the Pediatric Emergency Department is to provide world class emergency medical care in a nurturing environment. We want every hospital experience to be as pleasant as possible for children and their parents.”
Pediatric Emergency Department patients that require additional care or consultation will have access to more than 20 specialties and sub-specialties at Tulane Hospital for Children.
For more information about Tulane University Hospital & Clinic, visit www.tuhc.com, or call (800) 588-5800.
