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Bloomberg - While the U.S. is sequencing a much higher percentage of Covid samples than earlier, the bigger issue may be that not enough virus testing is done in the first place, said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport.

Read the Full Article in PDF

Dr. Cherie-Ann Nathan was inducted as the newly installed President of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery on November 13, 2021.

An official release of five PSAs created by five student filmmakers from the Northwest Louisiana area was held on November 22nd at LSUHS as part of a collaboration between the Film Prize Junior program and LSUHS, followed by Q&A sessions about this project.

Red River Radio - Health Matters. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Quitting smoking can help decrease the incidence of lung cancer. Dr. Robert Holladay, Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and Program Director for the Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Program at LSU Health Shreveport, talks about the etiology of lung cancer and the latest treatments. 

KTBS3 - “Every minute counts,” said Dr. Navdeep Samra, LSUHS Associate Professor of Surgery and Trauma Medical Director for Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport. “We call it the golden hour of trauma care in which the patient is brought to a trauma center within a timely fashion and the outcomes are better."

Forum News - Age related neurodegenerative diseases like late-onset Alzheimer’s develop over the years, due to a combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. It is helpful to understand a few key concepts related to disease pathophysiology to understand prevention and intervention. (Center for Brain Health at LSU Health Shreveport)

Oleg Chernyshev MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Sleep Medicine at LSUHS, and Washington University Sleep Center teammates were named the winners of the AASM Change Agent People’s Choice Award for their proposed creation of a “Mobile Sleep Medicine Model.”

Dr. Paari Dominic performed the first phrenic nerve simulation in the state of Louisiana and the second in the Ark-La-Tex on November 10, 2021. The procedure, also known as diaphragmatic pacing, uses a surgically implanted device to contract the diaphragm rhythmically leading to improved breathing function in patients with respiratory insufficiency.

Bloomberg - While the U.S. is sequencing a much higher percentage of Covid samples than earlier, the bigger issue may be that not enough virus testing is done in the first place, said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport.

Read the Full Article in PDF

A new variant of COVID-19 has been identified in Louisiana by scientists at the LSU Health Shreveport Emerging Viral Threats Center. LSUHS announced this month that the B.1.630 variant had been sequenced and reported by the center, though health officials believe this variant's predominance is very low and much less transmissable than the deadly delta variant.

The EVT Viral Genomics and Sequencing Lab at LSU Health Shreveport is first in the state to sequence and report that a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected in Louisiana. The new variant, B.1.630, was sequenced last week from two samples collected in Baton Rouge.

LSU Health Shreveport has been on the front line fighting the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning. The establishment of the Emerging Viral Threats lab in March of 2020 led to mass testing and vaccination sites, clinical trials in patient treatment options and viral sequencing that discovered 7 COVID-19. variants.

Wall Street Journal - Some virologists believe the Delta variant evolved to maximize transmissibility and that its ability to spread rapidly will eventually reach a ceiling as more of the global population gets vaccinated. “It looks like this virus is already driving a Lamborghini right now in terms of transmissibility, so I’m not sure it can get much faster,” said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport who is studying coronavirus genetics. Read the full article.

The research of Lynn Harrison, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at LSUHS, was selected by NASA’s Space Biology Program as one of three space biology proposals to prepare for future research on the surface of the moon. 

Mabruka Alfaidi, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Pathology at LSU Health Shreveport, has been selected as a recipient of an American Heart Association Career Development Award. This prestigious award supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals in the early years of their career by funding innovative research and training to assure the future success of the awardee as a cardiovascular independent scientist.

Wayne Nix has been named the new Chief Innovation Officer of Research at LSUHS, effective July 15, 2021. Mr. Nix is an experienced entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in both healthcare and business development and management arenas. He has also led many team innovation strategies while providing mentorship for new entrepreneurs.

BIZ Magazine - Celeste Y.C. Wu, PhD, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology at LSU Health Shreveport, was awarded the American Heart Association Career Development Award receiving $231,000 in funding.

PRNewswire — JanOne Inc. (Nasdaq: JAN), a company focused on developing treatments for conditions that cause severe pain and drugs with non-addictive, pain-relieving properties, today announced the appointment of Nicholas E. Goeders, Ph.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Goeders is considered one of the world’s leaders on the role of stress in drug addiction.

Dr. Paari Dominic performed the first phrenic nerve simulation in the state of Louisiana and the second in the Ark-La-Tex on November 10, 2021. The procedure, also known as diaphragmatic pacing, uses a surgically implanted device to contract the diaphragm rhythmically leading to improved breathing function in patients with respiratory insufficiency.

Diana Merendino, DPT, RRT, RRT-NPS, RPFT, FAARC; Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Affairs; and Associate Professor of Cardiopulmonary Science in the School of Allied Health Professions was honored with the prestigious Bill Lamb Exceptional Service in Mentoring and Volunteering Award for her 38 years of outstanding service to the profession.

The surgery performed by Dr. Fawaz Alotaibi, DDS, Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Dr. Celso Palmieri Jr., DDS, Associate Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, was an outstanding training opportunity for two Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residents who assisted with the procedure.

Jania Burns, currently enrolled in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the School of Allied Health Professions at LSUHS, was recognized as the 2020 recipient of the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (LAHPERD) Outstanding Future Professional Award. 

Medical students who participated in the program shared their findings during a recent poster session. Twenty-two students spent their summer working with faculty mentors in either basic science labs or in clinical research. (watch the video)

Dr. Cynthia Noguera successfully matched into the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) accredited two-year fellowship program at the University of Tennessee Hamilton Eye Institute in Memphis and Tennessee Oculoplastics in Nashville.

The LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) / LSU Shreveport (LSUS) Master of Public Health Program has been named first in Louisiana and 27th in the nation on EduMed.org’s 2021 Most Affordable Online MPH Program ranking. Just 8 percent of U.S. postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position.

KTBS - Six dental residents are at work through the LSU Health Shreveport General Practice Residency program to help communities that need more dental services. The residency program, which started on June 1, is a collaborative effort with the David Raines Community Health Center and Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.

KSLA - LSU Health Shreveport is looking for students to meet the need for respiratory therapists. Dr. Tim Gilmore, Professor of Cardiopulmonary Science, shared “We need more good, qualified applicants therefore we can have larger classes to fulfill the community need. Currently the need for respiratory therapists is unprecedented.”

An official release of five PSAs created by five student filmmakers from the Northwest Louisiana area was held on November 22nd at LSUHS as part of a collaboration between the Film Prize Junior program and LSUHS, followed by Q&A sessions about this project.

Red River Radio - Health Matters. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Quitting smoking can help decrease the incidence of lung cancer. Dr. Robert Holladay, Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and Program Director for the Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship Program at LSU Health Shreveport, talks about the etiology of lung cancer and the latest treatments. 

KTBS3 - “Every minute counts,” said Dr. Navdeep Samra, LSUHS Associate Professor of Surgery and Trauma Medical Director for Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport. “We call it the golden hour of trauma care in which the patient is brought to a trauma center within a timely fashion and the outcomes are better."

Forum News - Age related neurodegenerative diseases like late-onset Alzheimer’s develop over the years, due to a combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. It is helpful to understand a few key concepts related to disease pathophysiology to understand prevention and intervention. (Center for Brain Health at LSU Health Shreveport)

The LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 Strike Teams reached a major milestone today having administered just over 100,000 VACCINATIONS. Over 175 individuals have been a part of the LSUHS vaccine teams comprised of physicians, nurses, nursing, medical and allied health students, and the Louisiana National Guard.

Liz Disbrow PhD, Director of the LSUHS Center for Brain Health, shares, "Our new 'one stop shop' is a game changer for patients, their families and caregivers.  We are improving awareness and increasing access to clinical trials, which brings the latest available treatments and virtual caregiver support to our community, all free of charge."

KSLA12 - “We can do it. We know there is no reason why we can’t do it. Most of the people who have been hospitalized or have severe disease now have not been vaccinated. We know that getting vaccinated reduces the likelihood that you end up in the hospital, at least 25-fold,” said Former State Representative Barbara Norton.

KSLA12 - “What we tended to see with the Delta variant is it has impacted our pregnant populations very very hard, especially at the height of the Delta variant we had transfers from all over the state of pregnant woman who were in respiratory distress and significantly decompensating,” said Dr. Caitlin Busada, associate program director of residency of Obstetrics & Gynecology at LSUHS.

KSLA12 - "It takes about an hour in a hot car, two hours in the shade,  documentation says for a child to develop a heat stroke when left unattended in a car,” said Dr. Wanda Thomas, associate professor of pediatrics at LSUHS School of Medicine.

Shreveport Times - Dr. Courtney N. Phillips, LDH Secretary said. “I’d like to congratulate the birthing facilities that have achieved these new designations, rising to meet the challenge of improving birthing outcomes and ensuring everyone has equitable opportunity to have a safe and dignified birth.”

KSLA12 - Dr. John Vanchiere shares "We've seen the variants over the past two years emerge and each was more transmissible than the prior one. The early data appears that this omicron variant may even be more transmissible than delta." 

KTBS3 - Jeremy Kamil, PhD., a virologist at LSU Health Shreveport, says the Omicron variant was first found on Nov. 11. What the South African scientists discovered was that this new variant is a lot different than the ones that have been seen so far. "This one is very extensively mutated.”

Bloomberg - While the U.S. is sequencing a much higher percentage of Covid samples than earlier, the bigger issue may be that not enough virus testing is done in the first place, said Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport.

Read the Full Article in PDF

News Star - Louisiana Tech University, Grambling State University, LSU Health Shreveport and several health clinics across the region are working together to sequence the COVID-19 virus to learn how it's spreading and if any new variants arise. Research from the three universities is made available for the public online at nla-health.com.

An official release of five PSAs created by five student filmmakers from the Northwest Louisiana area was held on November 22nd at LSUHS as part of a collaboration between the Film Prize Junior program and LSUHS, followed by Q&A sessions about this project.

Louisiana Radio Network - LSU-Health Shreveport is helping parents by making it as convenient as possible to have children ages five to eleven get vaccinated at schools in north Louisiana. 

KTBS3 - “It's not an emergency, it's not a ‘got to do this before the winter’ kind of thing,” said Dr. John Vanchiere, director of COVID-19 community testing and vaccinations at LSUHS. “We’d rather have more young adults get vaccinated, than use boosters in that age group at this point. That would be much more effective."

The LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 Strike Teams reached a major milestone today having administered just over 100,000 VACCINATIONS. Over 175 individuals have been a part of the LSUHS vaccine teams comprised of physicians, nurses, nursing, medical and allied health students, and the Louisiana National Guard.

KTBS3 -  As mask mandates are lifted across the state, the medical community is waiting to see what effects may come from the decision. Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease expert at LSU-Health Shreveport, said overall, he thinks that it was the right decision. 

KTAL/KMSS -  Shreveport doctors are urging the public to not underestimate COVID-19 as Governor Edwards has lifted the state’s mask mandate for at least the next four weeks. Dr. Andrew Yurochko with LSUHS says the virus spread has followed a pattern and therefore, one must continue to protect him or herself.