HJNO May/Jun 2020

42 MAY / JUN 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs • Communicating With OARS – A Motivational Interviewing Approach • De-Escalation • Anxiety and PTSD The courses are available online now, free of charge, at www.LAHealth.cc/covidtrainings. In addition, clinicians may access a full menu of additional behavioral health trainings via Lou- isiana Healthcare Connections’ comprehensive clinical training catalog. The health plan’s train- ing and education course catalog features more than 50 free, web-based courses, many of which offer Continuing Education (CE) credits related to licensure requirements. Providers can learn more and register for upcoming courses at www.LAhealth.cc/training. “As our state works diligently to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we are immediately responsive to the needs of those fighting this virus,” said Stewart Gordon, MD, chief medical officer for Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “Making this training available at no cost to healthcare providers, and to the general public, ensures that our residents have access to the quality mental health support they need to overcome the adverse effects of isolation.” Behavioral healthcare providers statewide are encouraged to take advantage of these free trainings. To learn more or to register to take a course on-demand, visit www.LAHealth.cc/ covidtrainings. JPSO Volunteers for LSU Health NO/National Cancer Institute COVID-19 Research Ten Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies volunteered to participate in COVID-19 research at LSU Health New Orleans and the National institutes of Health by donating blood samples. The deputies have recovered from infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “This sample collection from COVID-19 con- valescent patients is part of ongoing research projects by several of our investigators and in part a collaboration with the Director of the National Cancer Institute,” says Augusto Ochoa, MD, director of LSU Health New Orleans Stan- ley Scott Cancer Center. “Our researchers and those at the NCI are trying to determine which type of immune response -- type of antibodies or immune cells -- is important to kill the virus and cure the disease.“ LSU Health New Orleans is collecting the sam- ples, and will process them in its laboratories. “Part of the serum will be sent to the NCI, and the remainder will stay at LSU Health New Orleans for the ongoing research,” said Ochoa. “The NCI is also trying to validate the many tests that are being offered to make sure the information pro- vided is accurate and can help guide the develop- ment of new vaccines or new treatments.“ “Those in the medical profession are on the front line of this pandemic, and a better under- standing of this disease will help us all fight it and beat it,” says Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto. “I am glad our deputies were able to help in any way, and I am confident that the staff at the LSU Health Sciences Center and our other area providers will do all they can to help the community through this time.” Cardiovascular Institute of the South Using Telecardiology Services The CIS Virtual Care Center offers cardiac care to its patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The VCC is located in Lafayette, La., but provides care to our patients in all locations via phone and video chat. The VCC team is comprised of nurse practitio- ners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, telemetry technicians, and care navigators who work together to provide cardiovascular care remotely. The VCC houses multiple state-of-the-art virtual services for our patients and hospital partners, including CIS’s Telecardiology Program. The pro- gram offers telecardiology services to remotely- located hospitals, anywhere in the country, allow- ing patients to receive world-class cardiology care without leaving their community. n The Virtual Care Center houses multiple state-of-the-art virtual services for patients and hospital partners, including CIS’s Telecardiology Program.

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