HJBR Mar/Apr 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2026 33 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com T-cell therapy program. Chimeric antigen recep- tor (CAR) T-cell therapy, often referred to as CAR T, is an advanced immunotherapy typically used to treat blood cancers such as leukemia, lym- phoma, and multiple myeloma that genetically engineers a patient’s own T-cells (white blood cells) to recognize, target, and kill cancer cells. While other providers offer inpatient CAR T-cell therapies where a lengthy hospital stay is nec- essary, Mary Bird Perkins is the first cancer cen- ter in the region to offer this service in an outpa- tient setting. Mary Bird Perkins will treat patients at its can- cer center on Essen Lane. If a patient develops an inpatient need for post-infusion support, this will be provided at Baton Rouge General Medi- cal Center’s Bluebonnet campus. Supreme Court Reverses Louisiana Ruling on Emergency Immunity and Federal Claims In December 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States reversed a Louisiana appellate decision that had dismissed a patient’s federal discrimination claims based on a state public- health immunity statute. The case, John Doe v. Dynamic Physical Ther- apy, LLC, et al., arose from events in December 2020, during the COVID-19 public health emer- gency. According to court records, the plaintiff — identified as “John Doe” to protect his pri- vacy — sought aquatic physical therapy services from Dynamic Physical Therapy in Louisiana. After initially scheduling follow-up appointments, Doe alleged he was later informed that the clinic would no longer provide aquatic therapy because he is HIV-positive. Doe filed suit in Louisiana state court, assert- ing claims under federal law, including the Amer- icans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as claims under Louisiana law. He alleged discrimination based on disability and resulting emotional distress. The defendants moved to dismiss the case, arguing that Louisiana’s Health Emergency Pow- ers Act — specifically La. Rev. Stat. §29:771(B) (2)(c)(i) — provided healthcare providers immu- nity from civil liability for actions taken during a declared public health emergency. The trial court dismissed the case and the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed, holding that the stat- ute barred Doe’s claims. The Louisiana Supreme Court declined review. The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed the decision without signing their names to the opinion. The Court held that while states may define immunity for state-law claims, they have no authority to confer immunity from federal causes of action. Citing the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, the Court ruled that state courts must adjudicate federal claims under fed- eral law, regardless of conflicting state statutes. The case was remanded to Louisiana courts for further proceedings. The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of Doe’s federal claims, not- ing that they may succeed or fail on other fed- eral grounds. FranUHolds Ribbon Cutting for Renovated Health Professions Building Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University celebrated the completion of its newly renovated School of Health Professions Building with a rib- bon cutting ceremony on Jan. 7. The event marked the conclusion of a $2 mil- lion renovation including student-centered class- rooms, advanced laboratories, a rehabilitation gym, a research and innovation laboratory, and collaborative study spaces. LDHHolds Inaugural Shareholder Meeting The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) held its first annual shareholder meeting on Jan. 21, offering Louisiana residents a “transparent, acces- sible overview” of the department’s progress and priorities. Modeled after the format of the Berkshire Hath- away annual shareholder meeting, LDH’s event featured reports from each of the department’s major agencies, including: • Medicaid, • Office of Public Health (OPH), • Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), • Office for Citizens with Developmental Dis- abilities (OCDD), • Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS), • Office of Economic Stability, • Office of the Surgeon General, • Emergency Preparedness, and • Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability. Each agency highlighted its key accomplish- ments from 2025, provided a financial and per- formance overview, and shared measurable goals for 2026. FranUAwarded 2026 Carnegie Engagement Classification Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Univer- sity was among more than 230 U.S. colleges and universities that received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution’s commitment to com- munity engagement. Of the institutions recog- nized in 2026, 48 received the classification for the first time, while 189, including FranU, have previously held it. Noninvasive Liver Tumor Treatment Available at Ochsner MDAnderson Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center in New Orleans is now offering histotripsy treatment, an advancement for treating liver tumors, for eligible patients with certain liver diseases. Histotripsy is a noninvasive treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023. It uses high intensity ultrasound waves to destroy liver tumors in a single outpatient proce- dure. This treatment may be used for primary liver tumors originating in the liver or metastasized tumors resulting from another cancer spreading to the liver. Histotripsy is a new option for patients with liver tumors who may not be candidates for surgery or other traditional therapies. Most patients benefit from single-session ther- apy, with many able to return home the same day and quickly resume normal activities. The effectiveness of histotripsy has been stud- ied for more than two decades in clinical trials. In recent studies conducted in Europe and the United States, histotripsy has been used suc- cessfully in humans to destroy primary and met- astatic liver tumors, leading to its FDA approval