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NOV / DEC 2014
I
Healthcare Journal of new orleans
Pete November
Peds Transplant Patient
Gets Heart, Party
The Pediatrics and Child Life departments at Och-
sner Hospital for Children hosted a surprise 13th
birthday party recently to celebrate a special little
boy who beat the odds of survival.
Seth Turner was born with hypoplastic left heart
syndrome, a complex and rare heart defect in which
the left side of his heart was critically underdevel-
oped. Living with only two heart chambers func-
tioning rather than the normal four chambers, this
condition can have a 100% fatality rate within the
first year of life with a vast majority of patients dying
within the first fewmonths after birth. As with most
babies who are diagnosed with this congenital disor-
der, Turner underwent a series of three open-heart
surgeries all by the age of three.
Merely 9 years old when he arrived at Ochsner, his
medical team placed him on a vigorous intravenous
therapy (IV) medication to keep his heart beating.
Finding a suitable donor heart was made more diffi-
cult by his small size, his blood type, and antibodies
in his blood against other people that he developed
due to prior blood transfusions. On two occasions
Turner received offers of a potential heart, but he
was too sick to undergo surgery so the offer was
declined. On June 17, 2014, three years after mov-
ing to New Orleans, he finally received a new heart.
Over the years, Seth became somewhat of a celeb-
rity around the hospital with his big personality and
comical remarks. Nearly 50 family members, friends,
hospital staff, and even a surprise visit fromCaptain
America were on hand to celebrate this major mile-
stone in Seth’s journey.
STPH, Ochsner Health
System Form Partnership
St. Tammany Parish Hospital (STPH) and Ochsner
Health System formally announced the formation
of a long-term, strategic partnership focused on
increasing local access to care, improving qual-
ity, and reducing the cost of healthcare for area
patients. Together, the two entities serve as the
most comprehensive, integrated health system in
western St. Tammany Parish.
The partnership provides benefits for both organi-
zations, physicians, and most importantly, patients,
who will have the convenience of being treated close
to home at STPH, while gaining better access to
the depth and breadth of care for which Ochsner
is nationally recognized. The alignment, both clini-
cally and financially, will create greater opportunity
for physician recruitment, joint investments in new
programs, and the expansion of patient services and
resources in the region.
The two organizations announced several pro-
grams for which growth and development in west-
ern St. Tammany is a priority, including pediatric
subspecialty care, comprehensive neurosciences
care, such as stroke care and neurosurgery, and an
expansion of cardiovascular and thoracic programs.
The agreement is an equal partnership represen-
tative of the joint commitment to the communities
served. Under the agreement, each organization will
retain its name, assets, and employees. The part-
nership does not change the governance, employ-
ees or medical staff relationships of St. Tammany
Parish Hospital Service District #1 or of Ochsner
Health System.
November Named Ochsner
Exec. VP and CAO
Pete November has been promoted to Executive
Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for
Ochsner Health System. In this newly-created role,
November will lead the integration of Ochsner’s
new affiliated partners. He will manage shared ser-
vices for Ochsner Health System including Legal
Services, Internal Audit, Facilities and Real Estate,
Information Technology, Compliance, and Supply
Chain Services.
November joined Ochsner Health System as Gen-
eral Counsel and Senior Vice President of Corpo-
rate Compliance. Previously, he was Executive Vice
President, General Counsel, Secretary and Director
of Acquisitions for LHC Group, Inc. headquartered in
Lafayette. There he was responsible for oversight of
all legal functions including litigation, investigations,
managed care contracting, physician contracting,
regulatory advice, and acquisitions. Prior to joining
LHC Group, November was Partner in the Healthcare
Corporate Group with Alston & Bird, LLP in Atlanta.
TGMC CSI Donates Defibrillators
The Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC)
Community Sports Institute (CSI) recently pre-
sented ten automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
to the Terrebonne Parish School District for place-
ment in schools across the parish. Funds were
made possible through The Foundation for TGMC.
Founded in January 2014, the Community Sports
Institute, through generous donations from the
Foundation, has partnered with over 60 area schools,
reached over 23,000 students, and worked with
over 150 coaches, along with instructional faculty
TGMC CSI Donates Defibrillators
In attendance for the presentation of the AED’s was Brett Chiasson,
Community Sports Institute Athletic Trainer Manager, Mike Fakier Foundation for TGMC, Board Chairman,
Paul Labat, Foundation for TGMC, Director, Stan Gravois, Community Sports Institute Director, Roger
Dehart, Terrebonne Parish School Board President, PhilipMartin, Terrebonne Parish School Board
Superintendent, and Jack Moore, Terrebonne Parish School Board Risk Manager.