Supporting Your Health
Sponsors behind Gambit Weekly's Wellness Expo™ 2004
By Kandace Power Graves
OCHSNER CLINIC FOUNDATION
With six decades of medical service to the community, Ochsner Clinic Foundation (1514 Jefferson Hwy., 842-4000) is a full-service medical center with clinics that cover all medical needs as well as the family-oriented Elmwood Fitness Center (111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 832-1600; 1200 S. Clearview Pkwy., Harahan, 733-1600; 701 Poydras St., Suite 1300, One Shell Square, 588-1600). A bloodmobile travels to various locations to collect donations for the hospital's Ochsner Blood Bank (1514 Jefferson Hwy., 842-4000).
Just last month, Ochsner Clinic Foundation received several national awards, including two from VHA Inc., a national cooperative of leading not-for-profit health care organizations. VHA honored the foundation with a National Leadership Award, for operations, service and employee satisfaction; and its National Performance Excellence Award in Cardiology, for treatment of patients with myocardial infarction at the Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute (OHVI). OHVI also was named to the UnitedHealth Premium Network for its quality and cost-efficient care, a group that includes only 132 hospitals in 30 states. The Herman Group, a firm of strategic business futurists, honored Ochsner with an Employer of Choice Award for its business practices. Earlier this year, the U.S. Water Fitness Association honored Ochsner's Elwood Fitness Center with awards for top health and fitness center aquatic program in the United States, the top aquatic program in Louisiana, second in the country in special programs for its Cops for Kids Swim Lessons, fourth among aquatic programs nationwide, 10th in the U.S. for its water exercise programs, 12th for its aquatic personal trainer program and 27th for its swimming instruction program. In addition, U.S. News and World Report has named Ochsner one of America's Best Hospitals seven times since 1990.
Besides its main hospital and clinic on Jefferson Highway, Ochsner operates 24 clinics in the metropolitan area, the Northshore and Baton Rouge and has a national reputation for operating centers of excellence in research, patient care and education. The fully integrated health care institution employs more than 600 physicians in 70 medical specialties as well as 5,900 other workers, operates a 478-bed acute care hospital, and administers the state's third-largest health care plan.
More than 250,000 patients depend on Ochsner for their health care, averaging a total of more than a million visits a year. It also is a vibrant research center, with about 650 ongoing research trials.
At this year's expo, Ochsner is spotlighting its Heart & Vascular Institute, one of the first groups in the country to operate a mobile echocardiography lab, which provides Ochsner clinics with on-site diagnostic services such as a heart sonogram, exercise stress tests and EKG. It also operates a state-of-the-art CardioScan, which measures calcium deposits in the arteries before symptoms of cardiovascular disease develop. OHVI's Home Monitoring Department uses a system that enables a physician to monitor a patient's vital signs from the patient's home.
Ochsner's radiology department, also featured at the Expo, uses advanced technology for diagnosis and treatment of problems on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. Its diagnostic services include magnetic resonance and cardiac imaging, digital radiography, digital mammography, electronic image distribution and ultrasound.
Ochsner's Cardiovascular Health Center (2005 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 836-9820) provides long-term management of patients with cardiovascular problems, including teaching them healthy lifestyles, proper eating habits and more.
CLINICAL RESEARCH SPECIALISTS LLC
The focus at Clinical Research Specialists LLC (3939 Houma Blvd., Bldg. 6, Suite 20, Metairie, 885-2121) is to conduct clinical trials on medications and therapies for treating respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, allergies and more.
The firm conducts the studies using new drugs developed by pharmaceutical companies seeking approval by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) as well as on drugs that already have been approved for one use but have shown promise for other applications. Clinical Research Specialists recruits both adults and pediatric patients with respiratory conditions to participate in the trials, which all follow FDA protocols.
Those patients receive blood tests, pulmonary tests and regular medical care free of charge during the trials. They also are asked to keep daily diaries of how they feel, any symptoms they suffer, or improvements in the condition. Some of the patients are given the new medication and the associated therapy, while others are treated without the medicine or are given a placebo. Clinical Research Specialists, which does not know which patients are given the new drug and which are not, then monitors each patient's response and collects the information, which is then analyzed by objective monitors who determine the efficacy of a drug or therapy.
'It's very objective,' says Clinical Research Specialists' Michele Slattery. 'It's well regulated. Sometimes the results are so dramatic, the drugs are so good, that people will tell us their quality of life is so much better than before. That's rewarding.'
Current trials include new therapies for asthma and chronic bronchitis.
EAST JEFFERSON GENERAL HOSPITAL
Opened in 1971, the publicly owned East Jefferson General Hospital (4200 Houma Blvd., Metairie, 456-5000) provides medical care to residents of the east bank of Jefferson Parish and the surrounding area. Currently the community hospital has 450 beds and employs about 800 physicians and 2,700 other workers.
In addition to its inpatient hospital, the campus includes two medical office buildings, the Domino Pavilion for outpatient services and a radiation therapy complex. The major services it provides are cardiovascular and obstetrics and gynecology as well as other woman and child services, a breast care center, cancer diagnosis, and treatment including the advanced PET scan technology, rehabilitation, cardiology, diabetes management, emergency services, occupational medicine, pulmonary rehabilitation, a wound center, a total joint center and a wellness center.
Some of its popular programs include Elder Advantage and Woman's Advantage, which offer classes, screenings and other programs. A Take Care of Yourself resource center located at the Esplanade Mall provides the public with information, education and screenings.
At the Wellness Expo, East Jefferson General Hospital is spotlighting its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (3120 Lime St., Metairie, 889-7152), an advanced life support ambulance service that provides 911 response for the east bank of Jefferson Parish and around-the-clock medical assistance and transport. It logs an average of 40,000 calls annually. East Jefferson's emergency department can treat a full range of emergencies and is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of physicians and other urgent care professionals.
Another feature highlighted at the Expo is the East Jefferson Wellness Center (3726 Houma Blvd., Metairie, 849-6868), a full-service health and fitness facility that provides a range of equipment and programs to improve health and well-being. In addition to weight and cardio equipment, swimming pools, an indoor walking track, and whirlpool and steam rooms, the center provides fitness classes such as Pilates, yoga and tai chi as well as stress-management and meditation courses.
FERTILITY INSTITUTE OF NEW ORLEANS
One of the first private clinics dedicated to helping couples with fertility problems achieve viable pregnancies, the Fertility Institute of New Orleans (6020 Bullard Ave., 246-8971) has five physicians and about 30 other skilled staff members dedicated to helping couples deliver healthy babies.
Founded in 1976 by reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Richard Dickey, the Fertility Institute established the Gulf South's first sperm bank in 1982 and performed the region's first in vitro fertilization (IVF) a year later. Since then, the clinic has amassed an impressive list of firsts for a range of fertilization methods and accompanying successful births in the Gulf South, including a gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) in 1985, zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) birth in 1989, and many other advanced, assisted-reproductive technology procedures.
Diagnosis and treatment of infertility problems at the institute involve not only taking a personal medical history but also evaluating both women and men. Some solutions are as easy as drug therapy, while others may require more complex treatment, sometimes addressing several problems that lead to infertility. Because of the myriad circumstances that can lead to difficulties in achieving pregnancy, the clinic has a wide range of treatments and options, including treating infections, inducing ovulation, a variety of surgeries, insemination from a semen donor or artificial insemination with a husband's sperm, improving a man's sperm concentration and mobility, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (injecting a sperm directly into an egg), use of eggs from donors and use of a host uterus. The institute also offers cryopreservation of embryos not immediately used, freezing them for later implantation.
In addition to Dickey, the medical staff includes Dr. Steven N. Taylor, who developed an infertility microsurgery program at Tulane University Medical School before joining the Fertility Institute; Dr. Peter Y. Lu, an obstetrician-gynecologist and reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist; reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist Dr. Sissy Sartor, who is working to establish an ovarian tissue preservation program at the institute; and gynecologist and surgeon Dr. Phillip H. Rye, whose specialties include the immunological and psychological aspects of infertility as well as treatment of early pregnancy loss.
AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA
Education about and prevention of lung disease is the main focus of the American Lung Association of Louisiana (ALAL) (2325 Severn Ave., Suite 8, Metairie, 828-5864), which offers information and impressive data about lung diseases such as asthma and smoking-related conditions.
The group provides tips on managing asthma, programs to help smokers quit the tobacco habit, volunteers who can answer questions and direct you to information sources, and advocates who work on public policy issues.
The association attempts to achieve its goal of a world without lung disease through education, prevention projects, research and hands-on advocacy programs.
ALAL also serves as a vast resource for patients looking for information about respiratory diseases, for students working on health projects for school and others. The association has a range of printed pamphlets and booklets with detailed information about various lung diseases and support materials for smoking cessation. The printed materials cover topics ranging from indoor air quality and how to improve the quality of air in your home to tips for emphysema and asthma patients. Teaching aids for use in schools cover areas such as second-hand smoke, general lung health, information aimed at keeping children from smoking and more.
The ALA also has counselors on hand (via telephone, 800-LUNG-USA) to help people quit smoking, and there is an interactive Web site (www.freebreather.com) for people with asthma.
CANON HOSPICE
The sole focus of Canon Hospice (1221 S. Clearview Pkwy., Jefferson, 818-2723) is to make the final days of a person's life as comfortable as possible. Canon customizes care for each individual according to their needs and those of their family, whether they choose to spend their last days at home, at a nursing home or at Canon's inpatient facility.
The hospice uses physicians, certified nursing assistants, family members, social workers, chaplains and volunteers to help patients and their families accept terminal illness and maneuver through the many obstacles – physical, psychological and even spiritual – that accompany the death of a loved one.
Canon cares for patients who have six months or less to live and who no longer are receiving treatments aimed at curing their disease. While under Canon Hospice's care, patients will receive equipment and medical supplies focused on relieving pain and symptoms of the disease as well as counseling sessions and psychosocial support from a social worker. Bereavement and spiritual support is available for families, either individually or in groups.
Patients who choose in-home care can receive visits by a registered nurse who is available around the clock for emergencies, visits by home health aides who will help with personal care, and education and instruction for family care givers. Canon's inpatient facility has a nursing home environment with 24-hour nursing care; family members, including children and pets, are allowed to visit any time day or night.
Community volunteers can read to patients, prepare meals, run errands, give main care givers time off or perform support duties at Canon's facilities.
Referrals for hospice care can come from physicians, family members, social workers or clergy.
EARMASTERS
What could be more convenient – or unusual – than professionals who come to your home or office to conduct hearing tests? That's the specialty of EarMasters (2305 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite D, Metairie, 512-3277), which offers on-site fiber-optic hearing tests, digital hearing aids and other hearing services.
Hearing specialist Al Vicedomini, who has 19 years of experience in the business, says evaluating hearing needs in a home or office setting allows him to better deduce the needs of the patient. The business specializes in hearing losses due to nerve damage; patients who suffer such damage often are told there are no medical options to improve their hearing.
'We have helped thousands, particularly those who have been told nothing can be done,' he says. 'Medically speaking, there may be nothing that can be done for a person who has nerve damage, but we've had great success using this technology and the right amplification. We have a 98 percent success ratio because of our experience – and the technology is that good.'
EarMasters uses the Comfort-Ear hearing aid, which is available in several models and sizes and is available in digital and analog versions, depending on how much background noise needs to be filtered. The hearing aid is voice-activated and amplifies the noise you want to hear while filtering out background clutter noises that interfere with proper hearing.
Vicedomini says the on-site hearing tests and the hearing aids are economical, and if customers find the same technology for a lower price elsewhere, EarMasters will rebate the difference in cost.
HEALTH ASSOCIATES/LINDA OLSON NUTRITIONIST
In the age of convenience foods, super-size portions and hectic lifestyles, nutritionist Linda Olson of Health Associates (By appointment, 324-6244) is trying to use balance and healthy eating habits to improve people's overall health and to promote healing after surgery or disease.
Olson, who works with consulting physicians and has clients from around the country, conducts in-depth nutritional consultations to help patients whose complaints include specific medical conditions, being overweight, general fatigue, depression, hormone imbalances brought on by menopause or pre-menopause and more. She also formulates nutritional programs to strengthen the body and boost the immune system of people before and after surgery.
During the initial consultation, Olson obtains a complete medical profile and seeks insights into the person's general lifestyle, exercise and eating habits and what types of medications and supplements they are taking.
'I try to look at where someone is really at, and what next steps we can take to make them feel better,' she says. 'Inflammation, for example, can be profoundly impacted through diet and is associated with arthritis, fibromyalgia, high cholesterol, and accidents and dental surgeries that (over time) have compounded into something worse. One of the biggest complaints I hear from my patients is lack of energy.' Health Associates also specializes in menopause and changes in hormones that affect both men and women.
Olsen's recommendations to clients seeking better health combines traditional medicine, allopathic and homeopathic remedies, and basic education about nutrition – what proteins do, what carbohydrates contribute, the difference between good and bad fats, how to effectively use micronutrients and supplements. She then streamlines an approach that fits the person's lifestyle and budget while also accomplishing their goal.
'It's a wonderful thing to be able to help someone to feel better on a daily basis, and ultimately that is the goal,' Olson says.
TENET CHOICES
Now focused on providing comprehensive health care services to Medicare recipients, Tenet Choices (200 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 600, Metairie, 461-9800) was established eight years ago by physicians and hospitals in the New Orleans area. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Tenet's request to offer the managed care plan to Medicaid beneficiaries a couple of years ago, and enrollment began in January 2003. It is available in New Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines and part of St. Tammany parishes, and is the first health maintenance organization in the United States that specializes in coverage for Medicare beneficiaries.
Currently, it covers more than 35,000 people in the local area and is owned by Tenet HealthSystem, one of the country's largest healthcare companies, which owns more than 100 hospitals across the United States, including seven in the New Orleans area. Those include Doctors Hospital of Jefferson, Kenner Regional Medical Center, Meadowcrest Hospital, Memorial Medical Center's Mercy and Baptist campuses, Northshore Regional Medical Center, and St. Charles General Hospital.
Tenet Choices patients receive care through the Independent Physician Association, a group of doctors in various specialties who organized to provide quality health care to Tenet members.
Tenet Choices 65 is an 'open access' health care plan that provides comprehensive health care services, including prescription drug coverage, to Medicare-eligible members.
The health plans offered under Tenet Choices are modeled after coverage available to most Americans through Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), giving Medicaid beneficiaries options similar to those offered in the private insurance market – coverage that had not previously been available to them through Medicaid.
TOTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS
A department store that specializes in health care needs, Total Health Solutions (3211 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, 834-8114) has a 4,000-square-foot showroom filled with hundreds of products from lift chairs to wigs to thermometers.
The store carries medical equipment and supplies, orthopedic and shoe supports, canes, wheelchairs, walkers, power scooters, child safety products, shower chairs, supplies and special shoes for diabetic patients, back and neck cushions, asthma and allergy supplies, nutritional products, ostomy, incontinence supplies, and more. There also is a range of products for setting up a patient room in the home, such as adjustable beds, over-bed tables, bedside commodes, slings and trapeze bars, bariatric beds and more. The Caring for Women Boutique provides a private space for women to fill needs such as breast forms or mastectomy bras, compression stockings, and a range of products from skin care to wigs and hats for those undergoing cancer treatments, maternity and post-delivery products.
Other products available include HEPA air cleaners for asthma and allergy sufferers, allergy-free sheets and pillows, peak-flow meters, nebulizers, vaporizers, and humidifiers and wound care products. In addition to those with special needs, there are self-diagnostic tests such as blood pressure monitors, body-fat analyzers and home tests for cholesterol, HIV, hepatitis C, colon cancer, and recreational drug use.
Total Health Solutions has become a one-stop shop for those in need and is staffed by people who are knowledgeable about the products they sell and compassionate about their customers.
TULANE INPATIENT REHABILITATION CENTER
Boasting the lowest therapist-to-patient ratio in the region, Tulane Inpatient Rehabilitation Center (4700 S. I-10 Service Road, Metairie, 883-6810) offers comprehensive and personalized rehabilitation services for those who have suffered a debilitating disease or accident.
All rooms at the 17-bed acute rehab center are private, and the staff provides one-to-one attention for patients, many of whom are suffering from orthopedic problems such as a broken hip or joint replacements, or neurological injuries caused by stroke or traumatic brain injury.
'We get a broad range of patients,' says the center's Bobby Meadows. 'A lot of our population are people in their 50s or so who experience joint pain and get a joint replacement, or people who have had a stroke or brain injury. É We also have younger patients who have had car accidents.'
The treatment patients receive is comprehensive, including physical therapy to help the body recover movement, a social worker who addresses psychological aspects of rehabilitation and a dietician who sees them two to three times a week. 'By the time they leave, they should be set up for a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle,' Meadows says.
When it comes to results, the proof is in the pudding, he says, adding that patient satisfaction scores for the rehabilitation center are always 95 and above. 'Once they get out of here, their lives are turned around,' Meadows says. 'The staff is very good, and they're happy to do what they do.
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