HJBR Jul/Aug 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  JUL / AUG 2026 57 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com launching a new clinical food pantry designed to expand access to healthy food and nutrition support in North Baton Rouge. The pantry is located inside Our Lady of the Lake North, 5439 Airline Hwy. The pantry will allow eligible patients participating in the Our Lady of the Lake Geaux Get Healthy Clinical Program to access nutritious foods on-site during or after medical visits, encouraging healthier eating while ensuring patients can access the food they need. Baton Rouge General One of Three Hospitals in U.S. to Qualify for NewENT Surgical System Baton Rouge General (BRG) is the third hospital in the country with the newest surgical capabilities for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) procedures, including sinus and skull base surgery. BRG joins healthcare systems Mayo Clinic and UNC Health in acquiring Medtronic’s Stealth AXiS ENT system. The AXiS system combines real-time guidance and advanced visualization to guide surgeons during complex surgeries in an area of the body that is hard to see and reach. BRG’s ENT surgery team will use the new system to treat conditions like chronic rhinosinusitis, a persistent inflammatory condition of the sinuses that affects roughly one in eight adults in the U.S. Patients may experience ongoing congestion, facial pressure, and difficulty breathing, and in some cases, surgery is recommended when medical therapy does not provide relief. They will also use it to operate on pituitary tumors and perform revision sinus surgery, among others. Leading the BRG’s ENT and skull base services are rhinologists Henry Barham, MD and Christian Hall, MD, and otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon John Wood, MD. They specialize in a wide range of surgical procedures -- sinus surgery, septoplasty, nasal airway surgery, rhinoplasty, endoscopic skull base surgery including pituitary tumors and cerebrospinal fluid leaks, balloon sinuplasty, and the RhinAer procedure. The new AXiS system is housed at BRG Sinus and Nasal Specialists’ standalone facility at 6615 Perkins Road. For more information, call 225-819- 1181 or visit: brgeneral.org/medical-services/rhinology n Lin Dang, MD a one-year term. She has served as vice chief of staff and chair of the Medical Staff Peer Review, and is currently serving as the chair of the Medical Executive Committee. As chief of staff, she will also serve on the Woman’s Board of Directors. Dang is a board-certified ob-gyn practicing at Louisiana Women’s Healthcare, specializing in both routine and high-risk obstetric care and treating a wide variety of gynecologic conditions. Dang earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Xavier University. She earned both her medical degree and a master’s degree in public health at Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed a residency at LSU Health Sciences Center in Baton Rouge, where she served as educational chief resident during her final year. A member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, Dang is fluent in both English and Vietnamese. She was honored as a Fork Cancer Honoree in 2024–2025 and now serves as a Fork Cancer Committee chair, helping promote and fundraise for cancer patients in memory of her mother. FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Hosts Quality and Research Day FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake joined with LSU Health School of Medicine Baton Rouge Campus on May 7 to host Quality and Research Day, an annual research fair and opportunity for LSU medical students and FMOL Health residents and fellows to present their academic research and findings. Hundreds of guests attended the annual event to celebrate the healthcare leaders and innovators of tomorrow. LSU’s Championship Health Partner, Our Lady of the Lake, annually welcomes LSU medical students, as well as health system residents and fellows, to work closely with academics, medical, and clinical staff in professional laboratories to perform scientific research. Mentorship supports personal development and professional success in both an FMOL Health career and an LSU Health education. LSU kinesiology professor Neil Johannsen delivered a keynote presentation titled “Chronic Health Trajectories Across the Spectrum of Physical Activity: A Review of Sedentary, Aging, Current and Past Physically Active and Retired Athletes.” Johannsen’s work explores how movement — or the lack of it — shapes long-term health outcomes, offering insights that resonate deeply with FMOL Health’s mission to advance patient care through evidence, innovation, and collaboration. Participants in the research fair delivered poster presentations in the following categories: original research, evidence-based research, performance improvement, and case report or case studies. All participants collaborated with a faculty member or a senior attending physician. Ochsner Hospitals Among Newsweek and Statista America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2026 Three Ochsner Health hospitals are recognized on a list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2026, presented by Newsweek and Statista. Those hospitals are: • Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge; • Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans, inclusive of Ochsner Baptist, A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center and Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Campus; and • Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center. FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Partners to Open First Clinical Food Pantry in Baton Rouge FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake, Healthy Blue Louisiana, the American Heart Association, and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank are