The 2025 Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Research & Scholarship Showcase held April 28-May featured more than 70 presentations from faculty and students across FranU’s three academic schools.
The week-long showcase offered a public forum to celebrate academic exploration, interdisciplinary collaboration, and student-faculty engagement.
2025 Showcase Winners
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Franklin Medical Center have entered into a new partnership to enhance cancer care in the Winnsboro region.
Oncology and hematology services will continue to be offered at Mary Bird Perkins’ clinic on the campus of Franklin Medical Center. Manish Dhawan, MD, will provide medical oncology and hematology services, supported by oncology nurses with years of service to the Winnsboro community, with the support of Mary Bird Perkins’ multidisciplinary team and resources. Dhawan has served on the medical staff of the hospital for over five years.
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System announced the selection of 10 nursing professionals to the Louisiana State Nurses Association (LSNA) 2025 “40 Under 40” list.
“Each of these team members represents the very best of what it means to be a nurse,” said Nicole Telhiard, DNP, CPN, NE-BC, interim chief nursing officer at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.
Honorees from FMOLHS and Our Lady of the Lake Health in Baton Rouge include:
-Amy Booth, MSN, RN, CEN, SCRN, stroke program manager
Mirroring national trends, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is reporting an increase in whooping cough (pertussis) cases that could result in a record high for 2025. The Department has identified 164 cases in the first four months of 2025. In comparison, Louisiana had a total of 153 cases in 2024.
Whooping cough is a naturally occurring disease in the U.S. and Louisiana with predictable increases in reported cases every few years.
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will host Live Well Baton Rouge, a community health event featuring free cancer screenings, food, music and other health resources on May 17 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 2250 Main Street, in Baton Rouge.
