HJBR Jul/Aug 2026

56 JUL / AUG 2026  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Hospital Rounds team will analyze purchase patterns and other data to evaluate how increased visibility, greater availability, and reduced pricing influence food choices in healthcare settings. Three FMOL Health Hospitals Earn Leapfrog’s “A” FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, and FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth have each earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for the seventh consecutive cycle. FMOL Health | St. Francis Medical Center and FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Angels Hospital also received “A” grades, marking the second consecutive time each hospital has earned Leapfrog’s highest safety distinction. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade evaluates hospitals on measures tied to preventable errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. That effort includes standardizing best practices, closely tracking quality and safety data, reinforcing evidence-based protocols and empowering team members to speak up, collaborate, and respond quickly when patient needs change. FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Offering GIWindows Magnetic Anastomosis Platform FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake is among the first five U.S. centers offering the GI Windows magnetic anastomosis platform, a surgical technology that uses magnets to help create an anastomosis, or a surgical connection between two parts of the gastrointestinal tract. An anastomosis is commonly performed in gastrointestinal surgery when surgeons need to reconnect sections of the digestive tract. The GI Windows platform is designed to use magnetic compression to help create that connection. Surgeons at Our Lady of the Lake Robotic Surgery Institute recently performed their first procedure using the platform. Lin Dang, MD, Elected Chief of Medical Staff atWoman’s Hospital Lin Dang, MD, has been elected to serve as chief of the medical staff at Woman’s Hospital for FMOL Health | OLOL Children’s Hospital Plants Pinwheels to Raise Awareness for Child Abuse PreventionMonth FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital recognized Child Abuse Prevention Month by joining Child Advocacy Services to support the nationwide Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. Team members from across the ministry came together to plant pinwheels to support the annual awareness campaign. “Child abuse and neglect can have long- lasting and harmful effects on a child’s physical and emotional health, as well as their overall development,” said Shaun Kemmerly, MD, chief medical officer and interim president at FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health. “Children and families are our future. The ‘pinwheel gardens’ planted across our ministry are visual reminders that we all play a role in ensuring happy and healthy childhoods for children everywhere.” Pinwheels for Prevention is part of a national movement to change the way people think about child abuse prevention. The campaign emphasizes the importance of learning about healthy child development, reinforcing positive parenting practices, and acting on behalf of the children and families in our communities. Blue is the designated color to bring awareness to child abuse prevention, and the pinwheel is the official symbol of the monthlong observance. The blue and silver pinwheels represent the happy, healthy childhoods all children deserve. If you suspect child abuse or neglect, immediately call the Louisiana Child Abuse Hotline at (855) 452-5437 or the National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 4-A-Child. Woman’s Hospital, BRAF, Book Harvest Announce Launch of NewLiteracy Initiative Woman’s Hospital announced the launch of a new early literacy initiative in partnership with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Book Harvest. This new program will provide families of newborns with a starter home library kit along with additional resources to help build literacy skills from birth and lay the foundation for greater learning and bonding between infants and their parents. The goal of this initiative is to help expand access to reading materials and literacy support for thousands of families across the capital region. FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Unveils Future Home of Cancer Institute FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake is making a multimillion-dollar investment in the future home of the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute. The building, formerly home to the Bone and Joint Clinic on Hennessy Blvd. in Baton Rouge, will undergo a full renovation to create a dedicated destination for cancer care. The project builds on the cancer institute’s continued growth and momentum as a regional destination for cancer care. Construction and renovation plans are expected to move forward, with additional project updates to be shared as work progresses. Ochsner Health Expands Eat Fit Program Ochsner Health is expanding Ochsner Eat Fit options systemwide to make nutritious food easier to find and more affordable across its facilities. Building on the long-standing Eat Fit initiative, the health system is increasing the visibility and availability of Eat Fit menu items while offering qualifying options at up to 50% off standard retail pricing and in some cases at cost. The initiative spans dining and retail spaces throughout Ochsner facilities, from cafés and micro-markets to beverage and food vending machines, ensuring that patients, employees, visitors, and guests can easily identify and choose Eat Fit options. Eat Fit sales in Ochsner cafeterias have increased by 75% systemwide, with several locations seeing Eat Fit items account for as much as 33–36% of total cafeteria sales and continuing to grow. Increased purchases of Eat Fit-approved beverages led to a reduction of approximately 3,300 pounds of added sugar consumed in the third quarter of 2025 alone. To better understand the program’s long-term impact, Ochsner is partnering with researchers at Tulane University and Xavier University of Louisiana. Over the next three years, the research