HJNO Sep/Oct 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  SEP / OCT 2025 49 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com substance use disorders. The fund provides short- term financial grants to eligible registered nurses who are undergoing treatment for a substance use disorder and require financial assistance to enter or remain in active treatment. St. Tammany Health SystemUnveils Mobile Lung Screening Unit St. Tammany Health System rolled out its lat- est mobile screening unit on July 10. The Breathe Well ConneCTion joins the health system’s Be Well Bus, a mobile mammography unit in service since May 2021, in crisscrossing the parish to visit local festivals, health fairs, and other community gatherings. In addition to providing quick and painless lung screenings through an advanced low-dose CT unit, the Breathe Well ConneCTion also employs AI-powered technology to offer a multi-organ approach that further addresses coronary calcium in the heart, aorta measurements, and bone den- sity in the vertebrae. Local gridiron hero Rich Mauti, whose fam- ily-run Mauti Cancer Fund provided funding in the amount of $500,000 for the project, said in a press release, “This thing does maybe 2,500, 3,000 screenings a year. That’s a lot of people, and if we catch one and save one life, it’s well worth it.” Additional supporters of the lung vehicle include members of the all-volunteer St. Tammany Hospi- tal Guild, as well as donors to St. Tammany Health Foundation’s 2024 Giving Tuesday drive. The introduction of the Breathe Well ConneC- Tion coincided with a free screening event for local firefighters, as called for in a 2024 act of the state legislature in acknowledgment of firefight- ers’ increased risk for cancer due to the nature of their work. STHS Recognized for Treatment of Heart Disease, Stroke St. Tammany Health System has earned the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guide- lines – Stroke Gold Plus quality achievement. The award is bolstered by two advanced AHA recognitions: • The Target: Stroke Honor Roll designation, for meeting specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombo- lytic therapy. • The Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll des- ignation, which aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to- date, evidence-based care when hospital- ized due to stroke. UniversityMedical Center NewOrleans Launches First Responder Clinic University Medical Center (UMC) New Orleans announced the launch of a new program spe- cifically designed to support first responders by providing them specialized, expedited care. This initiative is dedicated to prioritizing care for members of the New Orleans Police Depart- ment (NOPD), New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD), New Orleans Emergency Medical Ser- vices (NOEMS), Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD), and Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO). The First Responder Clinic will be housed at UMC’s Primary Care Building at 2003 Tulane Ave. in New Orleans. The main goal of the program is to prioritize and streamline access to services for first responders, ensuring they receive the atten- tion they need promptly. First responders will have the flexibility to sched- ule appointments up to seven days in advance with dedicated time slots for first responders. The First Responder Clinic will offer a range of services, including: • Preventive care, such as annual checkups, screenings, and vaccinations. • Diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses. • Management of chronic conditions. • Care coordination to oversee overall patient care and ensure treatments are aligned. • Referrals to specialists when specialized treatment or evaluation is needed. Terrebonne General Health System, Fletcher Technical Community College Partner Terrebonne General Health System (Terre- bonne General) and Fletcher Technical Commu- nity College (Fletcher) are partnering to expand the nursing and allied health programs on the Fletcher campus. All existing programs will be centralized at Fletcher, enhancing collaboration and operational efficiency. The partnership will enable the Division of Nursing and Allied Health to increase its offer- ings by introducing new programs, and pro- grams such as cardiovascular sonography, radiologic technology, ophthalmic assistant, and pharmacy technician will benefit from pur- pose-built classroom and laboratory space. Thibodaux Regional Welcomes Anesthesiologist Dallas Domangue, MD, to theMedical Staff Thibodaux Regional Health System is pleased to announce the addition of anesthesiologist Dal- las Domangue, MD, to the active medical staff. A native of Houma, Domangue earned an undergraduate degree from Nicholls State Uni- versity in Thibodaux, and received a medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He completed a Residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. Domangue is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiology. Domangue is happy to be back home and have the opportunity to help serve the people of this community. Domangue said he chose to work at Thibodaux Regional because the atmosphere reminds him of the southern hospitality he grew up with, and he is impressed by the hospital’s remarkable growth and the many ways it serves the people of this region. n Dallas Domangue, MD