HJBR Nov/Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  NOV / DEC 2020 29 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com funding. Organizations with approved proposals will receive grant funds within 30 days. Additional information about COVID-19 Recov- ery Grants Program as well as the formal RFP are available online at www.LouisianaHealthConnect. com/grants. Questions may be directed to Com- munityGrants@LouisianaHealthConnect.com . Louisiana Healthcare Connections Named a Best Place toWork in Baton Rouge Louisiana Healthcare Connections has been named one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge. The Healthy Louisiana Medicaid health plan employs more than 425 in the Greater Baton Rouge area, and has two offices in the cap- ital city. “Transforming health in our state is our mission and our passion at Louisiana Healthcare Connec- tions,” said CEO Jamie Schlottman. “This spirit of caring is what unites and drives our employees, and we are very pleased that our team members find their roles here so rewarding. We are hon- ored to be one of Baton Rouge’s Best Places to Work, and truly grateful for all that our employees do to improve health in Louisiana.” The Best Places to Work awards are dedi- cated to identifying and recognizing compa- nies that exemplify what it means to truly care about employees. Louisiana Healthcare Con- nections has more than 700 employees across the state, with additional offices in Lafayette, New Orleans, and Covington. The company’s Employee Engagement Committee, innovative recognition programs, professional develop- ment opportunities, and volunteerism activities are among the factors highlighted in the success of its workplace culture. Companies are selected as a Best Place to Work based on a combination of workplace policies, practices, and demographics, and a survey of employees that measures the employee expe- rience. Winners were announced on Sept. 15 at a virtual ceremony hosted by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. CIS is First to Use New ASDClosure Device at Baton Rouge General Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) interventional cardiologist Dr. Niksad Abraham was the first to use the AMPLATZER TM Septal Occluder device for the closure of atrial septal defects at Baton Rouge General. The AMPLATZER device is used in a non-inva- sive procedure to close a common congenital heart defect called atrial septal defect, which refers to a hole in the wall that separates the two upper chambers of the heart. This hole increases the amount of blood that flows through the lungs which, over time, can damage the blood vessels in the lungs. In some cases, these holes may close on their own or may be small, without a need for treatment. However, this depends on the patient’s symptoms, and a procedure may be necessary to correct the condition. The Amplatzer TM Septal Occluder has a wide connecting waist that centers the device to fill the hole in the heart. This occluder—offering the widest range of ASD sizes—can treat defects from 3 mm to 38 mm. The device also features spe- cially-designed discs to be placed on each side of the defect, a thin polyester material that pro- motes occlusion and tissue growth, and the abil- ity to be recaptured and redeployed for precise placement. This device offers many benefits to patients, including a quicker recovery time. “By using this minimally-invasive technique to close a hole in a patient’s heart, a patient can go home the same day of their procedure,” said Abraham. CIS’s mis- sion is to provide the highest-quality cardiovas- cular care available, bringing patients the latest devices and techniques for the best outcomes possible. Baton Rouge General Physicians Expands Services with Three NewDoctors Rachel Brady, DO, Benjamin Levron, MD, and Robert Sudduth, DO, have recently joined Baton Rouge General Physicians (BRGP). All three com- pleted residency training at Baton Rouge Gener- al’s Family Medicine Residency Program and are taking in-person as well as virtual visits. Brady received an undergraduate degree in biology from Louisiana Tech University and a doc- torate degree from William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss. She will serve the Livingston community at BRGP – Family Medicine, located at 13960 Florida Boulevard. Sudduth received an undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of South- ern Mississippi and received both a master’s Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) interventional cardiologist Dr. Niksad Abraham was the first to use the AMPLATZER Septal Occluder device for the closure of atrial septal defects at Baton Rouge General. Pictured after the procedure at BRG are, left to right, Evelynne Zatta, RN, Ben Schuler, RN, Christopher Sheppard, RN, Niksad Abraham, MD, Shiraz Kay, RN, Lisa Diambrosio RN, and Wyatt Stewart, RT.