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JUL / AUG 2014
I
Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS
enacted lawsmaking it a felony to assault or batter
an emergency nurse. Most recently, Ohio, Texas,
Illinois and Idaho joined the list of states that have
strengthened their laws protecting emergency
nurses against violence. ENA says it is commit-
ted to making this crime a felony in all 50 states.
LOCAL
Local Startup Addresses
Perforated Eardrums
Local startupTympanogen LLC, whosenewmedical
technology will provide a non-surgical treatment
option for a condition affecting thousands of chil-
dren each year, has won fifth place and $44,000 in
the world’s largest graduate-level student startup
competition. The Rice University Business Plan
Competition awarded startups nearly $3million in
cash, investment, and other prizes, and Tympano-
gen finishedwith three prizes totaling $44,000 after
beingnamedone of only six finalists. Over 500 start-
ups from around the world applied for the event,
and 42 startups fromeight countrieswere selected
to compete in this year’s program inHouston, Texas.
Tympanogen is commercializing a gel patch the
teamdeveloped at Tulane University called Perf-
Fix™ for non-surgical repair of chronic tympanic
membrane perforations, or holes in the eardrum.
The startup pitched four times over the course
of the weekend-long competition and earned
$4,000 cash as the fifth place winner, along with
two additional cash prizes. The team received a
$20,000 award from the nCourage Entrepreneurs
Investment Group for the top women-led startups
at the competition, as well as the $20,000 NASA
Earth/Space Human Health & Performance Inno-
vation Cash Prize. This prize goes to the best life
science startup whose technology has applica-
tions to NASA and the space program.
The company also won the $25,000 first prize in
the Tulane University Business Model Competi-
tion in April, and the prizes from both events will
help fund the startup’s next phase of research. To
prepare for these competitions, the team of bio-
medical engineers and physicians developed their
business plan and pitchwith free support from the
New Orleans BioInnovation Center.
ENA Applauds LA for New
Workplace Violence Law
As workplace violence increasingly threatens
emergency departments across the country, the
Emergency Nurses Association congratulated Lou-
isiana for becoming the latest state to make it a
felony to physically attack an emergency nurse
and other emergency personnel. Gov. Bobby
Jindal signed H.B. 1077 (LeBas) into law in June.
The new law, which goes into effect August 1st,
creates the crime of battery of emergency room
personnel, emergency services personnel, or a
healthcare professional, and amends the crime
of obstructing a fireman to include emergency
services personnel.
“The unanimous approval of this bill shows
there is bipartisan support in Louisiana in favor
of addressing the growing problem of violence
directed at healthcare workers,” said ENA presi-
dent Deena Brecher, MSN, RN, APN, ACNS-BC, CEN,
CPEN. “The Louisiana Emergency Nurses Associa-
tion successfully worked to bring this issue to the
forefront, andwe’re thrilledwith the outcome. We
hope Louisiana law enforcement officials will rig-
orously enforce this important new law.”
Research released earlier this year in the
Journal
of Emergency Nursing
shows that more than 70
percent of emergency nurses encountered physi-
cal or verbal assault by patients or visitors while
they were providing care in the emergency setting.
Several factors such as long wait times, patient
boarding, patients with a history of violence, and
patients under the influence of drugs or alcohol
significantly contributed to the violence.
Louisiana joins thirty other states that have
Laboratory for Open Technology and Science
• Alsie Dunbar, Chemical Engineer/Chemist,
Shell/Motiva Enterprises LLC
• Smith Hartley, Chief Editor, US Healthcare
Journals
• Jerry Jones Jr., Economic and Community
Developer, Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning
and Development Commission
• Jan Kasofsky, Executive Director, Capital Area
Human Services District
• Ray Landry, CEO, Abbeville General Hospital
• StephenieMarshall, Executive Director, Daugh-
ters of Charity Centers of New Orleans
• Evalyn Ormond, CEO, Union General Hospital
• Knesha Rose, Associate Director, Programs,
Alzheimer’s Association
• Jennifer Shoub, CEO, YWCA Greater Baton
Rouge
• Cheryl Talbot, Executive Director, Louisiana
Business Group on Health
• Rhiannon Traigle, Executive Director, Bayou
Land Families Helping Families
• Lee Anne Venable, Development Director, Hab-
itat for Humanity of Louisiana
The Louisiana Healthy Communities Coalition
is led by an executive committee comprised of
representatives from the Louisiana Department of
Health and Hospitals, Louisiana Comprehensive
Cancer Control Program, Louisiana Public Health
Institute, and American Cancer Society.
For more information about the Louisiana
Healthy Communities Coalition, please visit www.
healthylouisiana.org.
WellCare Names Diaz
Regional Medical Director
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. has named Dr. Victor
A. Diaz medical director for its health plan opera-
tions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennes-
see, and Texas, effective May 12. He is responsible
for overseeing the clinical direction of medical ser-
vices and quality functions. He also providesmed-
ical leadership for the effective care integration
of pharmacy operations, utilization/case/disease
management activities and quality improvement
activities. He reports to Frank Heyliger, WellCare’s
region president for Arkansas, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi, Tennessee, and Texas.
Victor A. Diaz, MD