Ochsner Health Appoints North Louisiana Region Chief Executive Officer
INSIDE
The Ochsner team is feeling the joy and giving spirit of the season. We are especially grateful for our new Chief Executive Officer North Louisiana, Corwin Harper. Corwin is no stranger to Ochsner joining the system in 2021 as CEO for the Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast region. Ochsner LSU Health provides healthcare to more than 140,000 patients across North Louisiana.
“I’m honored to serve. Ochsner Health and LSU Health Shreveport, bringing together the highest levels of expertise for the benefit of our state and beyond. The partnership success experienced thus far speaks to a high level of trust, collaboration, and commitment to excellence. Most importantly, it sets the foundation for future success to live out the mission of Ochsner LSU Health, ultimately improving more lives daily and for generations to come,” said Corwin Harper, CEO for Ochsner LSU Health.
Celebrate with us our most recent milestones including a $4 million leadership gift establishing the Ochsner Wellness Center within the Huey P. Long Field House on the LSU Baton Rouge Campus and recognition of National Rural Health Day in Jennings.
In keeping with the season, Ochsner is fulfilling its community mission with food drives in the Gulf Coast, St. Tammany East, and St. Tammany West divisions and an OchsnerServes day of service at Marrero Middle School.
And our community health education activities are always ongoing across the system including The Black Men’s Health Event – Jefferson Parish, From Prevention to Treatment: The Giving Thanks Cancer Health Fest with the Ochsner Xavier Institute for Health Equity and Research (OXIHER), and our community partner Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans East.
Our commitment to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate endures as we work to inspire healthier lives and stronger communities.
Happy New Year!
From Your Ochsner Partners in Health
OchsnerServes Regional Day of Service
At the Ochsner Discovery School Baton Rouge, OchsnerServes partnered with school employees to facilitate STEM experiments and career learning opportunities. One hundred fifty students attended the successful event and plans are in the works for another volunteer opportunity at the campus in Spring 2024.
Seventy-five Ochsner team members volunteered with OchsnerServes to help spruce up the L. H. Marrero School’s building by painting and building seating, shade structures, bookcases, and outdoor games on the playground.
HandsOn New Orleans, a local non-profit that creates customized service projects and connects volunteers, partnered with Ochsner on the service project. Marrero Middle School offers a robust Special Education Department. Together, with HandsOn, the Ochsner team created a developmentally appropriate play yard for all students.
Ochsner Lafayette Battles the Opioid Crisis in Rural Communities
“Amidst the rising tide of opioid addiction, the danger of fentanyl looms larger than ever. It is crucial that we unite against this silent epidemic. Together, we can raise awareness, provide support, and build a community that stands resilient in the face of opioid challenges. We can pave the way for compassionate care for those addicted and provide hope and recovery.”
– Dr. James McNally, Ochsner Family Clinic in Jennings
Click to read more in Lake Charles’ local newspaper:
On National Rural Health Day an opioid addiction prevention and awareness event was held in Jennings. Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center was awarded a $1 million federal grant to provide opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery services to families in the Jennings, Kaplan, and Crowley communities.
Leading Ochsner’s efforts is Dr. James McNally and his team at the Ochsner Family Clinic in Jennings. Partnering with Ochsner is the national Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). RCORP supports prevention, treatment, and recovery among people in rural communities who are struggling with substance use disorder and opioid use disorder. The organization offers training and technical assistance to local organizations to enact change in their community.
The number of opioid deaths in Louisiana continues to climb. In 2014 there were 259 deaths. By 2021 deaths rose to nearly 1,400. Even more alarming, since 2014 the number of deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl have increased by more than 2,000%.
The event is the first of planned community activities offering families a second chance.
Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast Regions Lead Holiday Food Drive
Congrats to Ochsner Gulf Coast who raised the most non-perishables for local food banks in a regional pre-Thanksgiving drive!
With our partners Second Harvest Food Bank, Matthew 25:35 in St. Charles Parish, and Household of Faith in Jefferson Parish, over 50,000 pounds of food was distributed to 500 families (over 1,300 individuals). Ultimately, we all win when we make our community a better place for all our citizens.
A holiday food drive challenge between Ochsner’s Gulf Coast, St. Tammany East and St. Tammany West divisions is a win for both communities. Among our partners on this initiative is King’s Kitchen, a non-profit that serves meals to the homeless and indigent.
The friendly competition to see which group of team members could collect the most non-perishables for local food banks for the holiday season was a great success.
Community Health in Action
The Black Men’s Health Event – Jefferson Parish
Community health and wellness were at the forefront at the Marrero Community Center.
The event was presented with Janssen Pharmaceutical, Our Community Health, U.S. Congressman Troy A. Carter, Jr., Jefferson Parish Councilman Byron Lee, Louisiana State Representatives Kyle Green and Rodney Lyons, Life Center Cathedral, and St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church.
“Ochsner Health is committed to advancing our mission to build a healthier region and a better Louisiana and that means embracing our partners and providing accessible healthcare resources to our local communities.”
– Yvens Laborde, MD, Medical Director for Global Health Education at Ochsner Health.
From Prevention to Treatment: The Giving Thanks Cancer Health Fest
The faith-based symposium held in New Orleans East addressed cancer disparities and health equity community solutions in medically underserved populations.
“We must meet people where they are, as a healthy state starts with healthier communities,”
said Eboni Price-Haywood, MD, MPH, MMM, FACP, system medical director of Healthy State and OXIHER. “When considering access to medical care, healthcare equity is critically important and cannot be achieved overnight, nor by working alone.”
The Ochsner Xavier Institute for Health Equity and Research (OXIHER) partnered with Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and Genentech to host the symposium.
The Big Health Event – Baton Rouge
Ochsner and the Urban League of Louisiana brought the event to the Raising Cane’s River Center. BHE is a comprehensive and free event that prioritizes community health, wellness, and opportunity for the entire family.
“The Big Health Event was an enriching experience for all, touching on the diverse needs of individuals and families while underscoring Ochsner’s commitment to preventive care,”
said Dr. Aldo Russo, regional medical director for Ochsner Baton Rouge.
Stay tuned, Big Health Event inspired activities are scheduled across Louisiana in 2024.
$4 Million Leadership Gift for LSU Baton Rouge Revitalization of Historic Field House
“LSU proudly shares Ochsner Health’s fierce determination to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate. Louisiana is on the frontlines of a national crisis in physical wellness, and The Ochsner Wellness Center unites our resources to benefit the health of communities throughout our state.”
– LSU President William F. Tate IV.
The gift to LSU’s College of Human Sciences & Education, will establish the Ochsner Wellness Center within the Huey P. Long Field House. The center brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts to address and solve chronic health issues.
It will promote health-enhancing physical activity programs, provide practical experience for LSU students pursuing careers focused on human wellness, and directly impact the health of LSU students, faculty, and staff.
The center will house LSU’s School of Kinesiology instructional laboratory where, under faculty supervision, students will provide routine health screenings and exercise testing and will design exercise programs.
There will also be expanded physical and mental wellness programs available to the campus community.
The new center is part of a $29 million renovation funded in partnership with the state and philanthropic gifts.