HJBR May/Jun 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAY / JUN 2020 29 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com includes the following courses: • COVID-19: An Overview • Helping the Helper • Effective Communication • 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. Weight Fluctuations May Impact Long-TermHealth Lots of people give themselves permission to gain a few pounds during a stressful time such as COVID-19 sheltering in place--because they know they will take it off when the new “normal” returns. However, allowing your weight to fluctuate, even temporarily, may negatively impact your health long term. A new federally funded study at LSU’s Pen- nington Biomedical Research Center will delve into the metabolic consequences of short-term weight gain. “The idea is to understand and better inform an individual about what happens to their body dur- ing changes in weight,” said Ursula White, PhD, assistant professor and primary investigator for the study. “We’ll be looking at how changes in the fat tissue during weight gain can influence health outcomes in the future.” Putting on 10 pounds during a stressful time, even if a person sheds the weight quickly, can have unintended consequences. “You’ve potentially changed your physiology in a way that you don’t understand,” White said. “You may have made your body less sensitive to insulin or increased your risk of heart disease.” The study is expected to further our under- standing of the impact of weight gain on fat tissue. Although most people look at fat as just an energy reservoir – the place where excess calories are stored – fat has a lot of other functions, White said. Fat affects a person’s entire metabolism and influences everything from appetite and immune systems to blood clotting and hormone levels. There have been some studies about what hap- pens when a person gains weight, White said. However, no one has studied what happens to the functions of fat, aside from the changes in mass. “That’s the focus of this study,” she said. The National Institute of Diabetes and Diges- tive and Kidney Diseases of the National Insti- tutes of the Health is funding the five-year study. White expects participant recruitment will begin this year. Questions About COVID-19 Answered by Louisiana 211 Statewide Network Louisiana’s statewide 211 network is now answering calls about COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. This network is best designed and staffed to handle the large volume of calls from Louisiana residents who are concerned and who have questions about the rapidly-spread- ing virus. Anyone looking for information about the COVID-19 outbreak can simply dial 211, or text the keyword LACOVID to 898-211, for the most current information about the outbreak as it becomes available. With Louisiana 211 equipped and trained to answer questions from the public, the Louisiana Department of Health is asking residents to call 211 instead of the current general information line, (855) 523-2652. Acadian Ambulance Selected to Participate in Federal ET3 Model ‘C’ in Smokefree Air Acadian Ambulance Service has been chosen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Ser- vices (CMS) to participate in a new and innovative healthcare model pilot program in 12 Louisiana parishes, including Acadia, Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion parishes, and in two Texas counties, which are Bexar and Harris counties. Acadian was one of 205 agencies nationwide selected to participate in the five-year Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model, a pay- ment model that incorporates a new approach to utilizing the skills, efficiencies, and capabili- ties of emergency medical services providers and their strategic partners in the care of communi- ties through innovation and the use of available alternative care settings. Under this pilot program in the selected par- ishes and counties, which will begin this spring, CMS will pay for emergency transport of a Medi- care beneficiary to a hospital ED or other desti- nation covered under current Medicare require- ments. In addition, CMS will pay ET3 Model participants to transport a beneficiary to an alter- native destination, such as a primary care doc- tor’s office or an urgent care clinic, or initiate and facilitate treatment in place by a qualified health- care practitioner, either in-person on-scene or via telehealth. “We believe this will be a win for both Medicare patients and community healthcare providers. It will allow all providers to utilize their resources in the most efficient and appropriate manner,” says Acadian Ambulance Senior VP of Strategic Initia- tives and Innovation Asbel Montes. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Recognizes Community Leaders Several community leaders were recently rec- ognized and presented awards, named after