LSU Health Shreveport Nursing Program Application Deadlines Approaching
Nursing Programs Offered in Conjunction with LSU Health New Orleans

Shreveport, La. – In response to the critical nursing shortage in Louisiana, the School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Shreveport will serve as a new instructional site for the School of Nursing at LSU Health New Orleans. Courses will be delivered through a combination of in-person instruction and synchronous distance education. Three nursing programs are offered: BSN Care Nursing Program, RN to BSN Program and MSN Nurse Educator Program. Application deadlines for the programs’ fall admissions are approaching on May 1, 2023 and June 30, 2023.

BSN CARE Nursing Program – Applications Due May 1, 2023

The Career Alternative RN Education (CARE) Program, leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, is designed for individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in any field and who would like to become a nurse. The program of study is for two years and prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. Courses are offered in a face-to-face format on the Shreveport campus.

RN to BSN Program – Applications Due June 30, 2023

The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) Program is designed for registered nurses with associate’s degrees or diplomas in nursing. The RN-BSN program can be completed in 12 months of full-time enrollment or a longer time for part-time enrollment. Courses are offered in a hybrid format with a combination of face-to-face and online courses.

MSN Nurse Educator Program – Applications Due June 30, 2023

The MSN Nurse Educator Program targets and prepares registered nurses with earned BSN degrees and at least one year of clinical experience to become nurse educators and accomplish their career goals in academic, practice and service settings. The program is an intensive master’s track, designed for completion in four semesters. Courses are offered in a hybrid format with a combination of face-to-face and online courses.  

The timing of these nursing program offerings is critical as our community is currently in the midst of a nursing shortage. Shortages related to resignations due to burnout and stress existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but have been exacerbated over the past three years. However, voluntary resignations are not the only cause for the current lack of nursing candidates. A survey conducted in 2018 by the Health Resources and Services Administration found that the average age for an RN is 50 years old which indicates a large number of nursing positions will need to be filled over the next 15 years.

To learn more about the nursing programs, including admission criteria and curriculum, please contact the LSU Health New Orleans Office of Student Affairs at 504-568-4213.

140 LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine students learned where they will go to complete their residency training during the annual Match Day celebration. Each year, on the third Friday in March, fourth-year medical students discover where they have “matched” to for their residency training, the first step of their careers as physicians. The day is filled with emotion as students reflect on their accomplishments leading up to this career-defining moment, surrounded by family and friends.

This year, the National Resident Matching Program of the Association of American Medical Colleges, or NRMP®, reported that the 2023 Residency Match is the largest in NRMP's 70-year history. There were 42,952 applicants searching for a match with only 40,375 available positions leaving over 2,500 individuals who did not match.

LSU Health Shreveport is proud to announce that 98.6% of the School of Medicine’s applicants matched, proving that LSUHS remains a strong competitor at the national level. Of the 2023 class, 29.3% will be staying at LSU Health Shreveport for their residency and 37.8% of graduates have matched to an LSU residency site. 45.7% of the graduates will be staying in Louisiana, which is critical with Louisiana facing a shortfall in the number of physicians needed to meet the healthcare demands of the state. 49.3% are entering in primary care residencies comprised of Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Family Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics.

LSU Health Shreveport medical students matched to highly competitive residencies outside of the state and will train at prestigious programs around the country including: Weill Cornell, University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), Emory, George Washington University, Baylor, University of Michigan and several others. The LSU Health Shreveport Class of 2023 will receive their Doctor of Medicine on Saturday, May 20.

Dr. David Lewis, Dean of the School of Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport stated, “With this being the School of Medicine’s 50^th Match Day, I find today’s match outcome  extremely meaningful for those of us who are early alumni of this medical school. With a five-year match rate of 99%, this year’s class further solidifies the schools’ reputation for training outstanding students who successfully compete with the ‘best of best’ across the nation. I offer my wholehearted congratulations to each of our students, their families and our dedicated faculty and staff.”

Match Day also reveals the number of newly minted physicians coming into the Shreveport-Bossier area to begin their post graduate training. LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine successfully filled 193 residency and fellowship positions. The new group of trainees will be welcomed to Shreveport in July, where they will train at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center, St. Mary Medical Center and Monroe Medical Center along with other partner hospitals.

“The Office of Graduate Medical Education is honored by those who selected to pursue their residency or fellowship at LSU Health Shreveport. The success and wellbeing of these individuals is what motivates our staff to deliver ongoing support and guidance during this important timeframe in their development as a physician,” stated Leisa Oglesby, BSRN, MBA, LSU Health Shreveport’s Designated Institutional Official for graduate medical education.

Dr. David Guzick remarks on his first Match Day at LSU Health Shreveport, “I am elated at the results of today’s match both for our medical students and our institution. I offer my deepest appreciation to our School of Medicine and the Graduate Medical Education (GME) leadership and staff for their hard work making today’s outstanding match results possible. To those individuals headed to LSU Health Shreveport for their residency, we can’t wait to welcome you to the LSU Health Shreveport family.”

On Saturday, March 4, 145 LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine students participated in a traditional rite of passage known as the “White Coat Ceremony” which signifies their entrance into the medical profession. During the ceremony, students receive a short white coat symbolizing their journey to the long white coat they will wear once they are a physician. After the white coat is placed on each student’s shoulders, the Hippocratic Oath is often recited, and students are welcomed warmly by academic leadership, faculty, and peers. This tradition was established by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993 at Columbia University as a way to highlight the importance of humanism in all care of patients, with the white coat serving as a tangible symbol of matriculation.

The 2023 LSU Health Shreveport White Coat Ceremony was held at a packed Strand Theatre with Dr. Christina Notarianni, Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery Residency Program Director serving as the keynote speaker.

“The annual White Coat Ceremony is one of the most memorable days in the lives of our medical students and their families and one that we as faculty and leadership look forward to each year.  We congratulate these students for accomplishing this important milestone in their goal of becoming physicians,” stated David Lewis, MD, MBA, Dean of the School of Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport.

In addition to the presentation of white coats, 30 new honorees were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS). This international honor society was established in 2002 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation with the purpose of recognizing medical students, residents and faculty who practice patient-centered care by displaying qualities of excellence, compassion, altruism, respect and empathy. Currently there are 187 chapters of GHHS comprised of over 45,000 students, faculty, and other healthcare leaders.

The list of 2023 Gold Humanism Honor Society Inductees is denoted below:

Faculty Inductees:

1. Richard “Shane” Barton
2. Kavitha Beedupalli
3. Jason Jordan
4. Gary Menefee

House Officer Inductees:

1. Eunice Adu Dapaah
2. Lance “Tyler” Albin
3. William Ishee
4. Payam Entezami
5. Tyiesha Brown
6. Pooja Shah

Student Inductees:

1. John Campbell
2. Ross Dies
3. Isabella Fabian
4. Farrah Flattman
5. Taylor Gatson
6. Deniz Gungor
7. David Heap
8. Madison Hoffman
9. Rebecca “Holly” Lacour
10. Amanda Langston
11. Brianna LeBlanc
12. Benjamin Maxey
13. William Mullen
14. Brennen Murphy
15. Laura Nussdorf
16. Collyn O’Quin
17. Shelby Patti
18. Sarah Peytavin
19. Stephen “Tanner” Ward
20. Kathryn White

Shreveport, La. – On Thursday, February 23, LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) held the 5th Annual Research Celebration, where members of the community and LSUHS employees and students were invited to hear about the past year's accomplishments of the LSU Health Shreveport Office for Research.

Some highlights shared include:

• $25,104,155 in extramural grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and the US Department of Defense in the current fiscal year.
• The Clinical Trials Office has 27 active clinical trials and 19 follow up trials with over 290 participants.
• Data reflecting the impact of LSUHS research on the LSU System and the state as a whole.
• Continued pandemic response with COVID vaccines still being offered to the community. To date, more than 132,000 vaccines have been administered.

LSU Health Shreveport and the Office for Research also celebrated the 2023 Research Excellence Award Winners which are listed below.

• Dr. Martin Sapp - Excellence in Extramural Funding
• Dr. Nobel Bhuiyan - Excellence in Translational Research
• Dr. Patrick Massey - Excellence in Innovation
• Dr. Hui Chao "Reggie" Lee - Research Rising Star
• Kris Clements - Community Champion
• Service Awards were also given to Dr. Kenneth McMartin, 42+ years, and Dr. Kevin McCarthy, 25+ years for their service to our institution.

Shreveport, La. – LSU Health Shreveport has partnered with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to become one of five sites participating in the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease (BLAAC-PD) study, a project of the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) and the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative. MJFF serves as the implementation partner for GP2 and works with the ASAP initiative to coordinate a global program to conduct scientific research and analysis to identify genetic links to Parkinson’s disease.

It is estimated that nearly one million people in the United States are affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD), an age-related degenerative brain condition that impacts motor and cognitive function. It is the most common movement-related brain disease and the second-most common neurodegenerative disease.

The Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease (BLAAC-PD) research study seeks to learn more about gene changes that may cause Parkinson’s in Black and African American people. To date, 90% of genetics studies performed relating to Parkinson’s disease have involved populations of European ancestry, meaning that Black and African American individuals are underrepresented in current research data and the genetic impact on PD susceptibility in these populations is largely unknown.

“While great strides have been made in Parkinson’s disease research, there is still more to learn, especially regarding the genetic impact on disease development. Information gathered through studies like BLACC PD could lead to major breakthroughs in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Our team at LSU Health Shreveport is looking forward to working with GP2 and the Michael J. Fox Foundation to better understand PD and develop new therapies for all groups of people who are affected by this disease,” said Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD, Director of the Center for Brain Health and Professor of Neurology, who will lead the study at LSU Health Shreveport.

LSU Health Shreveport joins Rush University, University of Chicago, Kaiser Mid-Atlantic and University of Alabama at Birmingham as participating U.S. BLAAC-PD study sites.

LSUHS is currently recruiting volunteers to participate in the BLAAC-PD study. People who meet the following criteria are eligible:

• Age 18 or older
• Identify as Black or African American
• Do or do not have Parkinson’s disease

There is no cost to participate, and participants will be compensated. To learn more or to participate, please contact Dr. Elizabeth Disbrow at CBHResearch01@lsuhs.edu, go to blaacpd.org, or call (318) 656-4800 (The Bridge a local resource center associated with the Center for Brain Health).

Shreveport, La – Beginning Wednesday, February 1, LSU Health Shreveport’s North Campus Vaccination Site (formerly Chevyland) will administer vaccines Monday-Friday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM.

For COVID-19 Bivalent Booster Vaccinations:

• Pfizer and Moderna Booster: recommended to individuals who are at least 2 months out from any previous COVID-19 infection.
• Pfizer Bivalent Booster: available to anyone 12+ who is at least 2 months out from either their 2^nd primary vaccine or any booster dose.
• Moderna Bivalent Booster: available to anyone 18+ who is at least 2 months out from either their 2^nd primary vaccine or any booster dose.

For Primary Vaccines:

• For initial doses of the vaccine, children ages 5 to 17 can ONLY receive the Pfizer vaccine.
• Those age 5 and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may request a third primary dose of the either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
• Everyone ages 12 years and older can get a COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster at least 2 months after completing their vaccine primary series.
• Janssen (J&J) vaccine is no longer available at our site.
• Vaccines used for the primary vaccination (monovalent) are no longer being used as a booster.  Only the bivalent vaccine formulation is available as a booster.

No appointments are needed for vaccinations.  It is recommended that individuals who received their first and second dose of the vaccine from a non-LSUHS location should pre-register for a booster dose appointment at www.lsuhs.edu/covid19/vaccine. Individuals should provide ID and insurance information when they arrive at any LSUHS vaccine distribution site. Those that are without insurance are still eligible to receive the vaccine. For a list of COVID-19 testing sites in your area, visit ldh.la.gov/coronavirus.

Shreveport, La. – On Wednesday, January 25, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the new Teen Lounge at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport - St. Mary Medical Center. Funding for the Teen Room was provided by the LSU Health School of Medicine Class of 2024. The Teen Lounge provides a space for older hospitalized children to play arcade games, video games and other activities providing a fun place for patients that is near their room or healthcare team. The interactive and relaxing space was funded by LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine’s Pars for Peds Golf Tournament, a student-led fundraiser.

Pars for Peds was started in 2021 by then second-year medical students, Tanner Ward and Landon Waite. They each saw a need for age-appropriate, recreational and entertainment spaces that are comforting and enjoyable for children who are hospitalized. Together they created the annual Pars for Peds Golf Tournament that in 2021 and 2022 raised approximately $20,000 and $25,000 respectively. The proceeds from their first tournament were used to create the Teen Lounge with the most recent proceeds being designated to their next project, revitalizing the atrium at St. Mary Medical Center into an entertainment space complete with grass turf and a movie screen.

“It is a beautiful room and today is a beautiful celebration. The thing Landon and I are most proud of is that Pars for Peds will facilitate ongoing investments in children in our community,” stated Ward at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Shreveport, LA – The LSU Health Sciences Foundation in Shreveport is pleased to announce Tom Ostendorff, III was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for a 2-year term, which began on January 1, 2023.

Ostendorff is a lifelong Shreveport resident and has served on the LSU Health Sciences Foundation Board of Directors for four years, most recently as Vice Chairman. He is the current owner and President of Southern Research Company, which focuses on background investigation for employment, tenancy, and volunteerism. Previously, he worked for the Shreveport Police Department in the Division of Special Investigations and as the District Manager of Purolator Armored.

Ostendorff is a member and former Regional Vice President of the American Society of Industrial Security, a Member of the Committee of One Hundred, and Former Chairman of the Committee of One Hundred Healthcare Subcommittee.

“I look forward to leading this dedicated board and continuing to grow and use Foundation resources to strengthen LSU Health Shreveport in its mission to train our future healthcare providers, deliver exceptional health care, and expand research opportunities. We will continue to help position our academic medical center as a leading economic driver for North Louisiana,” said Ostendorff.

The LSU Health Sciences Foundation’s mission is to inspire donors to invest in LSU Health Shreveport and steward contributions toward its support.

“I am honored to welcome Tom to his new role in serving LSU Health Shreveport,” said Kevin Flood, President and CEO of the LSU Health Sciences Foundation. “Throughout his years on our board, Tom has demonstrated a strong passion for LSU Health Shreveport and brings invaluable leadership, perspective, and expertise.”

Ostendorff will lead a 22-member board which includes the following officers and committee chairs:

Bill Comegys, III - Vice Chair & Investment Chair
Ray Lasseigne - Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair
Valarie Jamison - Secretary & Audit Committee Chair
Bubba Rasberry - Governance Committee Chair
Shane Bridges - Property Committee Chair
Susan Moffitt - Development Committee Chair
Armand Roos - Immediate Past Chair

For a full list of the LSU Health Sciences Foundation Board of Directors, please visit https://www.lsuhsfoundation.org/your-foundation/#board.

LSU Health Shreveport will host the Louisiana Junior Science Humanities and Symposium (JSHS) this weekend, one of 48 regional JSHS competitions that features presentations of original research conducted by high school students from around the state of Louisiana. At each of the regional competitions, three finalists are eligible to receive scholarship awards totaling $4,500 (awarded at $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000). Five regional finalists are awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Symposium held in Bethesda, Maryland.

JSHS is designed to challenge and engage students in grades 9-12 in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). Forty-one students from across Louisiana will compete for scholarships and recognition by presenting the results of their original research efforts before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers. Symposium participants also hear presentations of current research by the host universities, visit research and development laboratories, and meet and exchange ideas with practicing researchers and fellow students.

The Junior Science and Humanities Symposia Program is jointly sponsored by the United States Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, in cooperation with leading research universities throughout the nation. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed JSHS on the NASSP Advisory List of Contests and Activities.

Media are invited to attend the poster presentation on Saturday, January 14 and/or the awards program on Sunday, January 15.  Interviews will be available with LSUHS faculty, coordinator for Louisiana JSHS, and student participants. Media planning to attend should notify Megan Strecker at 770-595-3052.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

• Poster Presentation: Saturday, January 14, 1:45 – 3:15 p.m.in the BRI Atrium
• Awards Program: Sunday, January 15, 12:45 – 1:00 p.m. in the LSUHS Auditorium

PARKING:

Parking will be available in the B Lot, located behind the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. Follow the event signage posted that directs attendees to parking lot and building entrance.

Shreveport, La. – LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) has received continued accreditation with no citations from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The ACGME is an independent organization that sets and monitors professional education standards essential in preparing physicians to deliver safe, high-quality medical care and oversees the accreditation of residency and fellowship programs in the United States. Residency and fellowship, or graduate medical education (GME), refers to the period of education and training in a particular specialty or subspecialty after a physician’s graduation from medical school.

The ACGME requires institutions to comply with regulations such as providing residents and fellows with financial compensation, supportive training services and a collaborative work and education environment where residents and fellows engage with patient care, quality improvement, supervision, accountability, and more. Institutions must meet these requirements annually and those that do not meet the provided standards may receive citations or lose accreditation.

Leisa Oglesby, BSRN, MBA, and Designated Institutional Official at LSU Health Shreveport stated, “Thank you to our faculty who supervise and train residents and fellows for their unwavering dedication to ensure our residents and fellows receive the best training for their futures as physicians. A special thank you for our program administrators and GME office staff for their ongoing commitment and hard work to ensure that LSU Health Shreveport maintains compliance with ACGME standards and receives continued accreditation.”

LSU Health Shreveport has 45 ACGME accredited programs and over 600 residents and fellows for the 2022-2023 academic year. There are also over 3,000 LSUHS resident and fellow alumni. In the 2021-2022 academic year, the ACGME accredited 12,740 residency and fellowship programs with 182 accredited specialties and subspecialties. There were 871 sponsoring institutions housing accredited programs and 153,843 active residents and fellows in ACGME accredited programs.

Dr. David Guzick has been selected as the next chancellor of LSU Health Shreveport. Guzick, a member of the country’s premier honorific society for medical scientists and leaders, the National Academy of Medicine, will begin on Jan. 9, 2023.

A renowned clinician, medical scientist and health economist with expertise in the field of reproductive medicine, he used mathematical and statistical models to generate evidence-based approaches aligned with improving clinical outcomes, while generating novel insights into polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and infertility. He was awarded with the “Best Physician for Women” recognition by Good Housekeeping. He is a recipient of the Roy M. Pitkin Award for the best paper published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. He earned “Top Paper of the Decade in Reproductive Medicine,” from the Serono Symposium International Foundation. His 2020 book, entitled, “US Health Care Industry: Balancing Care, Cost and Access” published by Johns Hopkins Press captures his interest in health economics and public health.  

“We are excited to put David’s extensive experience in medical administration and leadership, graduate medical education, research and partnerships to good use for our students, faculty, staff, and the people of North Louisiana,” said William F. Tate IV, LSU President. “His vision for this institution will further our mission of exceptional medical education and community health.”

Dr. Guzick’s most recent position was at the University of Florida, where he served as senior vice president of health affairs and president of UF Health for nine years. In this role, he was responsible for UF’s six health science colleges and two hospital systems in Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida. He was able to integrate the hospital system and health science faculty in a manner that spurred tremendous growth in the size and stature of all critical mission areas.

“I am so excited to be joining the LSU family! I was inspired to become a candidate for Chancellor of LSU Health Shreveport by President Tate’s broad and ambitious vision,” said Guzick. “In partnership with Ochsner Health, and in concert with faculty staff, students and the broader LSU community, I am now thrilled to embark on the task of building an elite, functionally integrated academic health center in North Louisiana – a powerful virtuous circle of education, research and patient care that will grow in size, scope and stature, and serve as an economic engine for the region.”

Prior to Dr. Guzick’s position at UF, he served for seven years as dean of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. During that time, he led a community health effort that led to the AAMC Outstanding Community Service Award; oversaw a GME program that was the first in the nation to receive Special Commendation from the Accreditation Committee on Graduate Medical Education; implemented a new, nationally recognized, “Double Helix” medical school curriculum; and was Principal Investigator on an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award, won during the first round of funding.

Dr. Guzick received his MD and PhD (economics) from New York University as part of the NIH Medical Scientist Training Program. He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and his fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at The University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center.