We salute those who - New Orleans City Business

More documents

Recommendations

Info

PHYSICIANSteve LevinePosition: pediatric intensive care unit medical director,Children’s HospitalAge: 59Family: wife, Shari; children, Jennifer, 26, Benjamin, 22Education: bachelor’s degree in sociology, State University of NewYork, Stony Brook; doctor of medicine, The Autonomous University ofGuadalajara, MexicoThroughout his career, Dr. Steven Levine, medical directorof the intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital, hasbeen instrumental in children’s medical care throughoutLouisiana.In 1985, he worked to help Ochsner Medical Centerbecome the first and only lung transplant center in the stateuntil Hurricane Katrina. He’s also helped increase the numberof beds at Children’s Hospital’s intensive care unit fromfour to 30.“We like to walk the walk, not just talk the talk,” saidLevine, who is board certified in pediatric pulmonary andcritical care. “We’re here to turn kids back to their parents.It’s very gratifying.”In June, Children’s Hospital will open its Michael JeffreyLupin Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for kids with life-threateningillnesses and injuries.“The kids we haven’t saved, they really crawl into yourhearts. It’s challenging,” he said.Levine came to New Orleans in 1979 to participate in apediatric pulmonary fellowship at Tulane University withphoto by Frank AymamiDr. William Waring. He credits Waring and Dr. AaronRausen, chairman of pediatrics at Beth Israel University inNew York when Levine did his pediatric residency there,with inspiring him throughout his career.“They taught me to never be complacent, to never giveup, to have patience with the kids and their families, and tomaintain an inquisitive mind.”Three years after working with Waring, Levine joinedChildren’s Hospital in 1981.“I thought this was an interim position,” he said. “But Ifell in love with the city, the ICU and Children’s.”•— Amy Ferrara SmithPHYSICIANSVictor LucasPosition: pediatric cardiology section head, Ochsner Health SystemAge: 47Family: wife, Betsy; children, Victor, 18, Nicholas, 16, Amanda, 10Education: bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology, SoutheasternUniversity; doctor of medicine, Medical University of South CarolinaDennis MelloPosition: pediatric and congenital cardiac surgery chief, OchsnerHealth SystemAge: 44Family: wife, Rachel; children, Chris, 12, Jack, 7, Olivia, 6Education: bachelor’s degree in biology, Yale University; doctor ofmedicine, University of Connecticut School of MedicineChris SnyderPosition: pediatric electrophysiology head, Ochsner Health SystemAge: 42Family: wife, Allison; children, Ainsley, 7, Katelyn, 5Education: bachelor’s degree in biology, Wayne State University;doctor of medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine26 Health Care HeroesPhysicians who have been exposed to health care systemsin underdeveloped parts of the world sayAmericans often don’t realize that many citizens of foreigncountries fail to receive even basic care.Drs. Victor “Sam” Lucas, Dennis Mello and ChrisSnyder went on a mission trip to Paraguay in November toperform cardiac work for people who would die if leftuntreated.Mello was making his fifth mission trip to Paraguay,where he performed cardiac surgery on children with congenitalheart diseases.“It’s life or death,” Mello said. “You feel like you’regiving a kid a new life.”Mello asked Lucas to join the mission to expand theavailable services to include curative catheter procedures,which prevent the need for open-heart surgery.“Their families are just as happy to have their kidshealthy as we are, and they never thought they’d be ableto get this care,” Lucas said.Snyder, who had been on a mission to St. Petersburg,Russia, with Mello, was there to perform electrophysiologyprocedures. While Snyder enjoyed caring for thepatients, he echoed a sentiment Lucas and Mello share —namely that the mission is just as much about teaching theParaguayan physicians as it is about treating the children.In the years since Mello started the Paraguay missions— he’s made 10 trips in the past eight years — the numberof procedures has grown dramatically. In his first year, heoperated on three children. The second year, seven.“Each year, we get to treat more and more, and providemore complex procedures,” Mello said.And each year, the Paraguayan surgeons the missionworks with become more proficient, the doctors said.The end goal is still in the distance,but it is a simple one.“Let every kid in the world get treated the same,”Mello said.•— Fritz Eskerphoto by Frank AymamiFrom left: Drs. Dennis Mello, Chris Snyder and Sam Lucas.
PHYSICIANRobert PostPosition: medical director, Daughters of Charity Services ofNew OrleansAge: 45Family: wife, Maggie Silio; children, Molly, 12, Lou, 9Education: bachelor’s degree in psychology, NorthwesternUniversity; doctor of medicine, University of Missouri-ColumbiaSchool of MedicineThe “medical home” model Dr. Robert Post uses as medicaldirector of the Daughters of Charity Services of NewOrleans gives patients an active role in managing their care.“We have a care management team that assists people in selfmanagingtheir chronic illnesses,”said Post,who manages communityhealth care centers in Bywater, Carrollton and Metairie.He also oversees the Neighborhood Health Partnership;the Seton Resource Center, which provides school-basedchild development services; the Integrated MobileAssessment Team, which does homeless outreach; and theLatino Health Access Network.Staff members also maintain disease registries and trackpatients who see specialists and obtain other health servicesat facilities outside the Daughters of Charity system. ForPost, the payoff for those efforts comes when patients’ healthcare outcomes are evaluated.“We’ve seen dramatic improvements in the results for peoplewith diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease,” Postsaid. “It’s rewarding because we know we’re impacting amuch larger population that we could individually see.”Post trained as a community health physician at CookCounty Hospital in Chicago, where he did his residency inDr. Bob Post works with Sister Mary John Code.family medicine. He practiced at a health center in Algiersjust before taking his current position 10 years ago.For Post, one of the greatest benefits of communityhealth care is that it reaches a patient population that traditionallyis at high risk for chronic illnesses but often haslimited access to medical services.“I believe access to primary care is the key to eliminatingany health disparities that we have. Unfortunately, in NewOrleans we have an inordinate percentage of the populationthat’s at risk. By providing high-quality primary care, we caneliminate some of those health disparities.”•— Sonya Stinsonphoto by Frank AymamiPHYSICIANErich RichterPosition: neurology department chairman, Louisiana StateUniversity Health Sciences CenterAge: 36Family: wife, Desiree; children, Ana, 9, Moses, 7, Abigail, 6,Adelaide, 18 monthsEducation: bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering,University of Florida; doctor of medicine, Ohio StateUniversity School of Medicine and Public Healthphoto by Frank AymamiEarly in his career, Dr. Erich Richter came across apatient with a severe tremor who could not pick up acup, write his name or do anything with his hands.To help the patient, Richter crafted a wireless pacemakerdevice that uses electrodes to stimulate specific parts ofthe brain and reduce involuntary movements and tremors.The tremors went away, and the patient was able to pickup a cup and take a sip of water.“It was about 10 years ago and I was just beginning mycareer, but that was the very first time that I realized I wantedto experience that kind of rewarding feeling over andover again,” Richter said. “It felt real good to help peopleand watch the patient respond the way he did.”Now, Richter is helping New Orleans patients withepilepsy and Parkinson’s disease as chairman of theLouisiana State University Health Sciences CenterDepartment of Neurology.Richter came to New Orleans in 2007 from MercerDr. Erich Richter reviews a deep brain stimulator case with resident David Bulot.Medical School in Macon, Ga., and was lured to the areaby Frank Culicchia, chairman of the LSU Department ofNeurosurgery, to fill a void in the community for a functionalneurosurgeon — one who could treat movement disorders.Richter also saw the need to inform more NewOrleanians about various forms of brain diseases by startingthe Neurosurgery Information blog at http://neurosurgeryinfo.blogspot.com.“It provides a forum for the online exchange of informationabout diseases of the brain,” Richter said. “We havefour doctors in the neurology department who participate,and we answer all kinds of questions for people whomaybe they feel their own doctors haven’t answered, or ifthey’re still confused after their doctor visits.”•— Tommy SantoraNew Orleans CityBusiness — May 25, 2009 27
Page 2 and 3: 40% of us will develop cancer.Would
Page 4 and 5: We salute those whofind it in their
Page 6 and 7: IntroductionHealth Care Heroes hono
Page 8 and 9: ANIMAL CAREKaren MillerBecnelPositi
Page 10 and 11: FIRST RESPONDERSDan RussoPosition:
Page 13 and 14: photo by Tracie Morris SchaeferNURS
Page 15 and 16: NURSERosaBustamante-ForestPosition:
Page 17 and 18: NURSEKim HaleyPosition: registered
Page 19 and 20: NURSEMark StockstillPosition: chief
Page 21 and 22: PHYSICIANPui Chun“Joan” ChengPo
Page 23 and 24: PHYSICIANSander FlormanPosition: as
Page 25: PHYSICIANWilliam JohnstonPosition:
Page 29 and 30: PROFESSIONALStephenBaldwinPosition:
Page 31 and 32: PROFESSIONALRobert GardnerPosition:
Page 33 and 34: PROFESSIONALMackie ShilstonePositio
Page 35 and 36: Congratulations to ourwonderful Hea
Page 37 and 38: VOLUNTEERBetty DugasPosition: auxil
Page 39 and 40: Honoringthe HeroesNearly 300 people
Page 41 and 42: Glen Golemi, left, and Pat Quinlan.
Page 43 and 44: 2009s p o n s o r e d b y :THE GLAZ

We salute those who - New Orleans City Business

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?