NEW IBERIA — The award-winning leadership team at Dauterive Hospital recently welcomed two new members.

 

Annette B. Schouest, RN, accepted a position as Medical Unit Director and Corey M. Duplechain took the helm as Cardiac Cath Lab Director. Schouest served as Interim Director for several months before accepting the post.

 

Schouest, a resident and native of St. Martinville, has been part of the Hospital Corporation of America family in Acadiana since 1988, when she first arrived at Dauterive Hospital as Maternal Child Care Director. She moved to Women's & Children's Hospital in Lafayette from Feb. 2000 to 2006, when she returned to Dauterive as a supervisor and nurse educator.

 

Duplechain graduated from Beau Chene High School in 1998 in his native Arnaudville before attending McNeese State University in Lake Charles. He earned a degree in Radiologic Technology there in 2002 and went on to work as a Cath Lab Specialist Technologist at Baton Rouge General Medical Center and a Cath Lab Supply Coordinator at Regional Medical Center of Acadiana in Lafayette.

 

Baton Rouge — The Our Lady of the Lake Pediatric Residency Program recently earned accreditation from the Pediatric Review Committee of the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) and is now accepting applications. OLOL Pediatric residents will begin rotations at the medical center in July 2010.

 

This prestigious program is committed to training the next generation of pediatricians who will have the tools to help solve the complex healthcare problems facing children in our community. Our Lady of the Lake has a long tradition of high quality pediatric care. The faculty includes dedicated ambulatory pediatricians, pediatric hospitalists, and an extensive number of pediatric subspecialists, all of whom have a passion for teaching and outstanding clinical care.

 

"The residents selected to participate in this program will experience an innovative and comprehensive curriculum focused on the development of a well-rounded pediatrician," said Steve Narang, MD, Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Program. "Residents will understand how to deliver evidence-based medicine focused on quality and safety in a unique collaboration with private pediatricians and academic faculty members."

 

"The Our Lady of the Lake Pediatric Residency Program is an important step to ensure that we have well-trained Physicians here in Louisiana well into the future," Said Roberta Vicari, MD, Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Program.

 

HAMMOND — The North Oaks Clinic network recently opened North Oaks Neurology Clinic in Hammond with Neurologists Bilal A. Choudry, MD, and Patricio S. Espinosa, MD, MPH.

 

North Oaks Neurology Clinic provides treatment for neurological conditions, such as headaches, strokes, seizures, movement disorders and tremors, as well as treatment and management of diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. In addition, Drs. Choudry and Espinosa specialize in the treatment of epilepsy.

 

Drs. Choudry and Espinosa both completed their internships and residencies through the University of Kentucky, as well as epilepsy/sleep fellowships through Harvard University before joining North Oaks. In addition, Dr. Espinosa earned a master's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 

With the opening of the Neurology Clinic, the health system now operates 14 physician practices within Livingston and Tangipahoa Parishes as part of the North Oaks Clinic network.

 

Baton Rouge — In honor of the highly skilled and dedicated staff of the Level 1 Trauma Center in New Orleans, the LSU Board of Supervisors at its meeting of October 9, 2009, passed a resolution designating the Center the "Spirit of Charity Level 1 Trauma Center."

 

Level 1 trauma care is the highest level attainable. LSU has the only two Level 1 trauma centers in Louisiana. The other is at the LSU Health Sciences Center – Shreveport.

 

The Trauma Center provides care to all major trauma victims not only in New Orleans but in the 10-parish area surrounding New Orleans. All patients with severe injuries are brought to the Trauma Center directly from the site of injury by EMS.

 

The LSU Level 1 Trauma Center is critical to Louisiana health care. The American College of Emergency Physicians indicates that the state has inadequate access to emergency medical care.

 

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the LSU Level 1 Trauma Center, one of the best and busiest in the nation, was in Charity Hospital, part of the multi-building Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans. Post-Katrina renovations to the Interim LSU Public Hospital (ILH) provided the Center with a new home in a state-of-the-art area that provides immediate accessibility of physicians, nurses, technicians, and services under the same roof.

 

The Center regained Level 1 verification in December 2008. This verification recognizes the trauma center's ability to provide optimal care for injured patients with full trauma-center staff, facilities, and services available twenty-four hours a day. Staff includes physicians from LSU and Tulane Universities.

 

WALKER — Phillip Ehlers, MD, recently joined the practice of North Oaks Family Medicine in Walker.

 

He comes to North Oaks after completing his residency at Louisiana State University (LSU) Family Practice in Lake Charles.

 

Baton Rouge — Members of the national Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) of the American Hospital Association have elected Terri McNorton to its Board of Directors for a three-year term. McNorton serves as vice president, marketing and communications for Baton Rouge General Medical Center.

 

She is a seven-year member of SHSMD and has served on the organization's Member Experience and Scholarship committees, as well as on the Annual Conference Planning Committee for three years.

 

McNorton has also served on a variety of state and other national industry committees including serving as President of the Louisiana Society for Hospital Marketing and Public Relations. Her work has been recognized nationally and regionally by HealthLeaders Media, Healthcare Marketing Report, the Advertising Federation and the Southern Public Relations Federation.

 

WASHINGTON, DC — More than 100 doctors from across the country joined in Washington, DC, to offer legislators a "Second Opinion" on how best to reform the nation's healthcare system.

 

Earlier this month, President Obama said that "doctors know what needs to be fixed about our health care system." Unfortunately, however, he did not seek input from a broad cross-section of doctors, so now doctors representing tens of thousands of medical professionals nationwide are in town to provide that much-needed "Second Opinion." The doctors met with their elected representatives and provided important context to legislators as they consider healthcare reform legislation. Recent meetings continue a months-long conversation many of these doctors have had with their Members of Congress.

 

Dr. Donald Palmisano, national spokesman for the Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights and former president of the American Medical Association (AMA) said. "We have the best healthcare system in the world and if government attempts a complete overhaul of our system - including a government-controlled public option - it could lead to diminished quality of care for patients today and an end to the medical miracles of tomorrow."

 

LAFAYETTE — "As a not-for-profit organization, Lafayette General is committed to providing "community dividends" beyond the provision of outstanding medical care. As such, Lafayette General is embarking upon a full renovation of our main facility, with the purpose of improving, maintaining and restoring the health of those we serve. For almost 100 years, we have remained committed to this mission and anxiously look forward to continuing our tradition of providing unsurpassed healthcare by building for the next 100 years," states David Callecod, President and CEO of LGMC.

 

Originally built in 1963, and last updated in 1983, Lafayette General will undergo a full renovation. Upon completion in the Fall of 2011, we will have added approximately 54 square feet to each room, larger bathrooms, showers, modernized patient care infrastructure. All 10 floors of the facility will be renovated.

 

Baton Rouge — Louisiana Go Local (www.medlineplus.gov/lagolocal), a new website to help Louisiana consumers locate health services, was officially launched October 28. The site lists thousands of services across the state. People can find doctors, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, support groups, diabetes care, cancer services, home health care, weight management services, and much more.

 

Louisiana Go Local is produced by Baton Rouge General's Health Sciences Library in collaboration with the LSU School of Library and Information Science, and the National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.