High-definition television is making its way from the living room to the outpatient procedure room. Saints Streets Endoscopy Center, a partner with Lafayette General Medical Center, is the first in Acadiana to introduce the technology as part of a new endoscopy platform to help doctors diagnose diseases in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men and women combined in the U.S. The new system is called EVIS EXERA II, from Olympus, and combines high-definition endoscopy with Narrow Band Imaging. Saints Streets Endoscopy upgraded to this technology because the affiliated physicians find that it provides sharper images and better contrast, allowing views of the gastrointestinal tract clearer than ever. In addition, the new endsocopes provide a wider angle of view, 170 degrees, an improvement over the traditional 140-degree field of view. These advances allow for more accurate diagnoses, and shortened length of procedure time for patients.
Adrienne de la Houssaye has joined MeadowBrook Specialty Hospital as community relations coordinator. De la Houssaye has worked in health care marketing for five years, mainly in home health. The Lafayette native is a graduate of the UL Lafayette. Her responsibilties include developing new markets and building a strong referral-base with all local healthcare providers. MeadowBrook Specialty Hospital is a long-term acute care hospital, commonly called an LTACH, with two campuses serving the Lafayette area. The main campus, which operates at 204 Energy Parkway in Lafayette, is a 50-bed freestanding facility offering specialized medical and rehabilitation services. The satellite campus is located within Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical. It recently relocated from the hospital’s fourth floor to its seventh floor.
Louisiana Health Care Review Inc., the Medicare quality improvement organization for Louisiana, presented Dauterive Hospital with its Silver Level 2007 Louisiana Hospital Quality Award. Dauterive is a 103-bed full service, acute care hospital in New Iberia. The award was announced at the first Louisiana Health Care Quality Summit hosted by LHCR in Baton Rouge. Dauterive Hospital was presented the award for improving the quality of health care for its patients in the clinical areas of pneumonia and surgical care. This is the third year these awards have been given to hospitals in Louisiana. LHCR established the awards to recognize Louisiana hospitals that successfully implement quality initiatives directed toward improving patient care in the hospital setting, specifically in the areas of: acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care — all of which have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Jeri Acosta, the mother of UL Lafayette student Robert Acosta, who died in early 2006 of meningococcal disease (also known as bacterial meningitis) attended the 3rd annual meeting of the National Meningitis Association’s public awareness coalition, “Moms on Meningitis,” held in Orlando, Fla. Acosta has joined the growing fight against meningococcal disease and is helping spearhead local awareness efforts in Louisiana. The M.O.M.s coalition is compromised of nearly 40 mothers from across the country whose children have died or live with permanent disability as a result of meningococcal disease — a potentially vaccine-preventable disease. During the meeting, Acosta was provided with information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and obtained programming ideas to educate the community about meningococcal disease prevention and vaccination. The CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for all adolescents 11 through 18 years of age and college freshmen living in dormitories. Meningococcal disease, commonly called meningitis, is a serious, potentially fatal, bacterial infection that strikes nearly 3,000 Americans each year. Early symptoms of meningococcal disease resemble those of a virus and may include sudden onset of fever, headache and stiff neck. Adolescents and young adults are at increased risk of meningococcal disease and account for nearly 30 percent cases in the U.S. The majority of cases among adolescents and young adults are potentially vaccine-preventable.
Dr. Barry J. Henry has earned certification in sports medicine by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, ranking him among less than 3 percent of orthopaedic surgeons nationwide who have achieved the sub-specialty certification. He is also one of only eight orthopedic surgeons in Louisiana with the sports medicine certification. Criteria include his education, training and professional qualifications; both surgical competency and non-surgical treatment; ethical conduct in the treatment of sports medicine injuries; references and a written exam. Henry dedicates about three-fourths of his practice to non-surgical care of injuries and rehabilitation, consultation and diagnosis. He also operates a fracture clinic on the campus of Women’s and Children’s Hospital and performs inpatient and outpatient procedures at Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital. Henry opened his independent orthopaedic practice in 2000. He graduated from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his residency at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas, as a participant in the Texas Tech Sports Medicine Program. He earned board certification as an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in 2002 and 2008 respectively, and earned the health and fitness instructor certification from the American College of Sports Medicine in 2006. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Sports Medicine. He is also licensed in Texas.