HJNO May/Jun 2020

32 MAY / JUN 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs accessible learning environment for students across Southeastern Louisiana who attend the nonprofit school. The 10-year lease allows the school to occupy the entire eight floor of a tower in the Lakeway Center at One Lakeway, 3900 North Causeway Boulevard, which is owned and managed by The Feil Organization. The campus will feature upgraded classrooms and common areas as well as state-of-the-industry labs and simulation learn- ing technology. Herzing plans to begin renova- tions this winter and classes will begin in March of 2020. Herzing’s campus is currently at 2500 Wil- liams Boulevard in Kenner. “Our enrollment has continued to grow, and we’re seeing a lot of demand for our surgical technology and nursing programs,” said Herz- ing-New Orleans Campus President Jamie Hard- age. “This new campus will give us an additional 10,000 square feet of space where students can participate in hands-on learning experiences while accommodating our future growth plans.” The new campus is also closer to many of Herz- ing’s clinical partners, including dozens of health- care facilities across the suburbs. “The healthcare industry across Southeastern Louisiana has been expanding for some time, so it makes sense that Herzing is growing, too,” said Todd Murphy, president of the Jefferson Cham- ber of Commerce. “We’re excited about the momentum in this region and couldn’t be hap- pier that Herzing will continue contributing to the area’s development.” Herzing’s New Orleans area location offers a variety of on-campus and online academic pro- grams in nursing, healthcare, business, and technology. “This new campus is an investment in the future of Southeastern Louisiana,” said Herzing Univer- sity President Renee Herzing. “We look forward to many years of guiding and supporting students along the path to achieving their academic and career goals.” Dr. Frank Culicchia Receives Community Leadership Award Dr. Frank Culicchia was named the second recipient of the Frank C. Di Vincenti, MD Commu- nity Leadership Award. West Jefferson Hospital Foundation will host a special cocktail reception on Oct. 9, 2020 at the English Turn Golf & Coun- try Club in New Orleans to honor Cullichia with the award. The reception—Cheers to 60 Extraor- dinary Years – A Night in Black and White—will also be a celebration of West Jefferson Medical Center’s 60th anniversary. Funds raised from the event will benefit the Neurosciences Department. The Frank C. DiVincenti, MD Leadership Award was established by the West Jefferson Hospital Foundation to annually recognize an individ- ual for his or her excellence in leadership, vol- unteerism, community engagement, and exem- plary service to West Jefferson. “We are honored to recognize Dr. Culicchia as the second recipient of the Frank C. Di Vincenti, MD Community Leadership Award,” said Tina Dandry-Mayes, president of the foundation board of directors. “His incredible commitment to bring world-class care to our community is highly com- mendable, and the hospital’s milestone anniver- sary reception is the perfect opportunity to cel- ebrate his legacy.” “West Jefferson Medical Center will forever be impacted by the countless contributions that Dr. Culicchia has poured in to our hospital and com- munity. He has shown a commitment to deliver- ing the highest level of neurosurgical services to patients in our region making him a recognized leader in neurological care,” said Rob Calhoun, president and chief executive officer of West Jef- ferson Medical Center. “We are incredibly grate- ful for his service, and he is more than deserving of this great honor.” Louisiana Healthcare Connections Promotes Food Insecurity Toolkit for Physicians for National NutritionMonth National Nutrition Month, observed each March, provides an opportunity for communi- ties to come together to increase awareness of healthy eating habits and informed food choices, but Louisiana Healthcare Connections is taking it one step further in a state that ranks among the poorest in the nation for food insecure chil- dren and seniors. The health insurance company is focusing its National Nutrition Month efforts on promoting the availability of community-level resources to help families and individuals access healthy foods. Food insecurity, defined by the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle, has long been an issue for Louisiana. In the 2019 America’s Health Rankings, Louisiana, at 21.7 percent, scored the highest rate in the nation of adults ages 60 and older who faced the threat of hunger in the previous 12 months. This rate increased by 27 percent between 2001 and 2016, and is expected to rise even higher through 2050 as senior populations continue to age. Feeding America estimates that one in four chil- dren in Louisiana live in households that are food insecure – a rate that rises to one in three in rural parishes where accessibility to food resources is limited. The state currently ranks as the third high- est in the nation in rates of food insecure children, according to the U.S. Hunger Atlas. “These statistics have far-reaching implications on individual health,” explained John Kight, DNP, RN, FNPC, senior vice president of population health for Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “People who are food insecure have higher rates of chronic illness, are hospitalized more often, and use the emergency room more often than those who are not. While it is true that making healthy decisions about nutrition is important, we understand that it is hard to do when you do not have access to healthy foods. That’s why, for National Nutrition Month, we are sharing informa- tion about how to find local resources to improve food access.” In addition, Louisiana Healthcare Connections created a toolkit to assist healthcare providers in identifying and addressing hunger and food inse- curity at the point of care. The free toolkit, avail- able at www.LaHealth.cc/foodinsecuritytoolkit, includes a screening tool that allows providers to measure their patients’ concerns about access to food and localized referral forms for food banks in the providers’ service area. The kit also features education for providers about how to accurately code incidences of food insecurity and instruc- tions about how to refer food insecure patients to care management programs for follow-up. “Healthcare providers are often the first to know when a patient is suffering from food insecurity, and we want to make sure we are giving provid- ers the tools they need to respond to that issue,” said Kight. “We also want to make sure we are all

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