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NOV / DEC 2014
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Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS
Egge has eight years of experience in healthcare
system payment. He most recently was director of
contracting, Central North Region, for Humana, Inc.,
where he directed the implementation of incentive
and risk deals for healthcare groups and systems
in 11 states.
LBCHP Awarded Grant to
Screen Women for Cancer
The Louisiana Breast and Cervical Health Program
(LBCHP), which performs breast and cervical can-
cer screenings (including mammograms and Pap
tests) at no cost to low-income, uninsured, and
underinsured women across the state, was recently
awarded a grant of $2million, themaximumamount
for 2014-2015. The added budget is a boon to the
state, as Louisiana ranks second highest in breast
cancer and fourth in cervical cancer death rates.
LBCHP does not provide treatment services, but
once a woman is diagnosed, its patient navigation
team can help enroll the patient in Medicaid or in a
program under the Affordable Care Act.
Paquin to Oversee BCBSLA
Medicare Advantage Plan
Dan Paquin has joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield
of Louisiana as senior vice president of government
programs. As such, he will be responsible for the
growth, policy development, administration and
operation of Blue Cross’ soon-to-be-launched Medi-
care Advantage plan.
Paquin has worked in the healthcare industry for
almost 25 years. In his most recent role he served
as president of national health plans for Wellcare
Health Plans and was responsible for the Medic-
aid, Medicare and Exchange strategies for 16 states.
Payment Reform to Improve
Birth Outcomes
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
(DHH) Secretary Kathy H. Kliebert joined officials
from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, and
other health care leaders in announcing a payment
reform that will help Louisiana newborns have a
head start on a healthy life. Effective Sept. 1, 2014,
Blue Cross and Louisiana Medicaid will no longer
pay for elective, medically unnecessary births of
infants before 39 weeks of gestation. The change
is expected to reduce the number of early elec-
tive deliveries by providers across the state and to
reduce the number of costly health complications
that lead many infants to have preventable medi-
cal challenges. Blue Cross will continue to cover any
births before 39 weeks that are deemed medically
necessary.
Selective Estrogen Complex with Bazedoxifene and
the Prevention of Metabolic Dysfunction in Post-
Menopausal Women” – are researchers from Pen-
nington Biomedical and Tulane University School of
Medicine. Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, MD, PhD, of Tulane
University School of Medicine, and Eric Ravussin,
PhD, of Pennington Biomedical will direct the project.
Each participating LA CaTS Center institution
contributed funding to reach the needed $250,000.
LSMS Supports Free
Drug Card Program
The Louisiana State Medical Society (LSMS) has
officially partnered with the Louisiana Drug Card in
order to provide a free prescription assistance pro-
gram to its patients, employees, and others.
The Louisiana Drug Card can be used for savings
of up to 75% on prescription medications at more
than 56,000 pharmacies nationwide. The card dis-
counts both brand and generic prescription med-
ications for those individuals without prescrip-
tion coverage. Additionally, individuals who have
prescription drug coverage may still qualify and
receive discounts on medications not covered by
their insurance plan.
PBRC Awarded Grant for
Obesity Intervention
LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center has
been awarded a 5-year, $10 million research grant
from the Washington, DC-based Patient Centered
Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the
comparative effectiveness of obesity treatment
options for underserved populations delivered in
primary care settings.
The Louisiana Trial to Reduce Obesity in Primary
Care project will be led by Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk,
Pennington Biomedical’s associate executive direc-
tor for population and public health sciences. He
will be joined on the project by scientists and cli-
nicians from other LSU institutions including LSU
Health Shreveport and LSU Health New Orleans.
Additional collaborators from Tulane University,
Ochsner Health System, and Xavier University of
Louisiana will take part in this study – the largest
obesity treatment intervention to be conducted
entirely within the primary care setting.
BCBSLA Names New
Provider Relations VP
Kevin Egge has joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield
of Louisiana as vice president of provider contract-
ing and relations. In this role, he will further the
state’s largest health insurer’s efforts to improve
the healthcare delivery system.
LHCQF Announces New
Board Officers, Members
The Louisiana Health Care Quality has named new
officers and board members to its Board of Direc-
tors for 2014-2015. The new officers are Louis Min-
sky, MD, President (Private Practitioner with Min-
sky & Carver Medical Center for Wellness in Baton
Rouge); John Carroll, CFM, ARPC, CRPC, CSNA,
AAMS, President-Elect (Vice President with Mer-
rill Lynch Wealth Management in Alexandria); Ste-
phen Wright, Secretary/Treasurer (President/CEO
of CHRISTUS Health Louisiana in Alexandria); and
Donna D. Fraiche, Esq., Member at Large (Attorney
with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkow-
itz in New Orleans and Baton Rouge).
B. Vindell Washington, MD, MHCM, FACEP (Vice
President of Performance Excellence and Technol-
ogy for the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady
Health System in Baton Rouge) will serve as Imme-
diate Past President. In addition, three individuals
have joined the Quality ForumBoard: Chuck Burnell,
MD (Lead Medical Director with Acadian Companies
in Lafayette), Teri Fontenot, FACHE (President/CEO
of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge), andWes Hat-
away, JD (Director of the Office of Workers’ Com-
pensation Administration for the Louisiana Work-
force Commission in Baton Rouge).
LA CaTS Announces Collaborative
Research Grants
The LA CaTS Center – a federally funded statewide
research initiative – has announced three collabora-
tive research grants for higher education scientists
and campuses across Louisiana.
Each project is designed to ultimately have direct
application to improve the health of individuals.
The first of the funded collaborative grant projects
is entitled“Cervical Cancer Prevention in Louisiana.”
This project involves collaboration between LSU
Health Sciences Center in New Orleans (LSUHSC-
NO), LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport
(LSUHSC-S), Tulane University School of Medicine,
and Pennington Biomedical. Michael Hagensee, MD,
PhD, professor of medicine at LSUHSC-NO, will lead
the team effort.
The second project funded is a collaborative effort
between LSUHSC-S, Tulane University School of
Medicine, and LSUHSC-NO. This project is being
led by Christopher Kevil, PhD, of LSUHSC-S and is
entitled “Hydrogen Sulfide Metabolism in Critical
Limb Ischemia.”
Collaborating on the third project –“Novel Tissue
State