Press Releases

The Shreveport Bossier Committee of One Hundred, Inc. presented LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor, G. E. Ghali MD with $7,500 in support of the community testing being provided by Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Lab at LSU Health Shreveport.  The designated use of this financial support is to assist in expanding and enhancing LSU Health Shreveport’s COVID-19 response efforts.

“The Committee of One Hundred recognizes the enormous impact LSU Health Shreveport is making on community testing and by conducting life-saving research on the coronavirus.  We are honored to support their work, which in turn supports our community and beyond” stated Mark Evans, Chair of the Committee of 100 Healthcare subcommittee.

Dr. G. E. Ghali shared, “Financial support by our community is incredibly meaningful to our outstanding faculty who have been working tirelessly to address numerous aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The funding provided by the Committee of One Hundred is essential for the Emerging Viral Threat Lab to be able to continue the costly endeavor of conducting antibody/serology testing, making testing kits, and processing of COVID-19 tests.”

The Emerging Viral Threat Lab at LSU Health Shreveport has processed more than 11,000 tests, of which over 6,000 have been from Caddo Parish.

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About the Shreveport & Bossier Committee of One Hundred, Inc.

The Committee of One Hundred Inc. is a nonpolitical, nonprofit membership group organized as an educational, civic and charitable organization whose members are the highest-ranking local executives of businesses and professional enterprises in Northwest Louisiana. The Committee works to mobilize the business community to improve Shreveport, Bossier City and the surrounding areas maintaining active interests in regional economic development, education and community relations.

About LSU Health Shreveport

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSUHS is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs along with over 500 residents and fellows. The primary mission of the LSU Health Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

District 8L Lions Club, comprised of 21 clubs located throughout north Louisiana, recently received a grant from the Lions Club International Foundation to assist with emergency services for medical supplies needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Lions Club learned about the COVID-19 research and community testing efforts being led by the Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Lab at LSU Health Shreveport, they did not hesitate to offer their support.

In addition to donating 300 medical grade masks, the Lions Club facilitated acquiring three pieces of equipment needed by the EVT Lab at LSUHS: an INTEGRA 12 Channel VIAFLO (a pipette that will be used for serology testing), a Thermo Scientific™ Heratherm™ General Protocol Microbiological Incubator (incubators provides optimal conditions for the growth of microbiology cultures), and a LulzBOT TAZ Workhorse 3D Printer (used for 3D printing needed items like nasal swabs). The masks and two pieces of the lab equipment were delivered to LSUHS on Friday, May 15. 

Video can be found here. Photos can be found here.

“The Lions Club is honored to be able to provide the Emerging Viral Threat Lab with critical protective gear and equipment needed to continue their COVID-19 testing endeavors. We are proud to support the work that LSU Health Shreveport is doing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is so important in our community and beyond, and synonymous with important values of the Lions Club International,” said Terry Harkey, District Governor District of Lions Clubs International District 8L.

“The Lions Club support of the EVT Lab at LSU Health Shreveport could not have come at a better time as we are ramping up our testing in the community. As noted by the CDC and WHO, expanded testing is a critical aspect of combating COVID-19 as it provides researchers with critical information about the virus so that it can be traced and better treated,” said Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research at LSU Health Shreveport.

More information about the Emerging Viral Threat Lab at LSU Health Shreveport can be found at www.lsuhs.edu/research/evt-lab.

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May 7, 2020 - LSU Health Shreveport is now one of five sites in the world and the first in Louisiana involved in a clinical trial that assesses inhaled nitric oxide as a treatment for patients with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.

To date, there are no targeted therapeutic treatments for COVID-19 and there are no proven interventions to prevent progression of the disease. This clinical trial in particular will monitor patients with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 to see how they respond to inhaled nitric oxide as a treatment. Preventing disease progression in spontaneously breathing patients with mild to moderate disease could help to reduce the number of severe cases and deaths, which in turn lessens demand on healthcare resources such a critical care physicians and nurses.

“We are excited to be approved for this early intervention treatment aimed at stopping the progression of the virus which gives patients an improved chance of recovering quickly by preventing the virus from worsening. This treatment will be especially important should we see an increase in the number of COVID-19 positive patients,” said Keith Scott, MD, MSc, FCCM, Professor and the clinical trial’s Principal Investigator at LSU Health Shreveport.

Massachusetts General Hospital reports that preliminary data suggests that inhaled nitric oxide could have a virus-killing effect on COVID-19, due to the genomic similarities between this virus and those that caused the SARS and MERS outbreaks. Studies during the SARS outbreak in 2004-05 demonstrated that nitric oxide was effective in killing that virus.

Patients in the clinical trial will be assigned to a treatment group or a control group. Patients in the treatment group will receive nitric oxide gas along with the standard of care for 30 minutes two times per day for 14 consecutive days. Patients in the control group will not receive the nitric oxide gas. Researchers will be monitoring patients to see if those receiving the nitric oxide gas had a reduced incidence of needing intubation and mechanical ventilation, which is common in patients with severe cases of COVID-19.

Nitric oxide has already been a miracle drug for newborns starved of oxygen by a heart defect due to the gas’s ability to relax blood vessels and the journal Science named nitric oxide the "molecule of the year" in 1992. UCLA pharmacologist Dr. Louis J. Ignarro shared a Nobel Prize in medicine in 1998 for uncovering nitric oxide's role as a "signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system.”

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to see that inhaled Nitric Oxide is being tested for its effectiveness in patients with COVID-19. Having spent twelve years as a Professor in Louisiana, I am very proud that LSU Health Shreveport is conducting yet another clinical trial involving nitric oxide. I applaud these novel efforts to address this viral pandemic,” said Dr. Louis Ignarro, Nobel Prize Winning Scientist, Discoverer of Nitric Oxide, UCLA Emeritus, Ph.D. in Pharmacology.

In humans, nitric oxide is naturally generated by blood vessels and by some brain cells as well. It helps to regulate blood pressure, engulfs invading toxins, and prevents platelets in the blood from forming clots that may be significantly compromised during times of stress including infection thus warranting the need for a supplemental supply. When inflammation, emphysema or a disease like cystic fibrosis attacks the lungs, the large blood vessels and tiny capillaries that deliver oxygen constrict. Inhaled nitric oxide also relaxes those vessels, increasing the transfer of oxygen to the blood and easing the heart's workload.

The Nitric Oxide Gas Inhalation Therapy for Mild/Moderate COVID-19 Infection clinical trial was conceived and sponsored by the Department of Anesthesia and the Respiratory Care Services at the Massachusetts General Hospital, which serves as the coordinating center for this international multicenter trial. In addition to LSU Health Shreveport, other collaborators are the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and academic medical centers in Austria and Sweden. For more information about this clinical trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04305457.

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SHREVEPORT, La. (May 1, 2020) – The LSU Health Shreveport Foundation has received a $10,000 gift from the U.L. Coleman Companies to support the effort to provide COVID-19 testing to first responders in north Louisiana.  

As U.L. Coleman Companies leadership evaluated options to meet needs in the community related to COVID-19, it determined that support of testing would not only impact the health of our community, but its ability to return to work based on testing data. 

“I am so grateful we have an institution like LSU Health Shreveport which is able to address this pandemic in numerous ways. As a property owner dealing with thousands of tenants, supporting testing for our first responders is an honor because of the services and sacrifices they make each day, but particularly during this pandemic,” stated Linc Coleman, President & CEO of U.L. Coleman Properties.

Researchers at LSU Health Shreveport established their own indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a lab-based test that can determine the amount of COVID-19 antibodies in a patient sample. Antibodies will be detected against the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. 

The LSUHS test is different from those that may become commercially available because it allows for the measuring of antibody titers, which shows the amount of antibodies in a person’s blood, and if linked to neutralization assays, could possibly determine whether somebody is immune.

“I deeply appreciate the support of U.L. Coleman Companies, as well as all who have contributed to this testing.  Every dollar contributed is critical to our expansion of COVID-19 testing, which is an expensive endeavor when delivered at the accuracy level provided by our Emerging Viral Threat and Serology lab,” shared LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor G. E. Ghali, DDS, MD, FACS, FRCS(Ed).   

Photograph details – featured L to R
Cole Guthrie, SVP of Development, U.L. Coleman Companies 
Linc Coleman, President/CEO, U.L. Coleman Companies
David Lester, CFO, U.L. Coleman Companies
Dr. G. E. Ghali, Chancellor LSU Health Shreveport
Dan Charchian, VP of Property Management/Operations, U.L. Coleman Companies

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT
LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSUHS is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs along with over 500 residents and fellows. The primary mission of the LSU Health Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu. 

ABOUT U.L. COLEMAN COMPANIES
U. L. Coleman Companies, founded by Linc Coleman in 1973 has grown to become a leading full service real estate company providing diverse product expertise for commercial and multifamily residential products. In providing these services, we utilize a fully integrated approach; one that respects the environment and social and economic needs of inhabitants. The growth of the companies has created employment opportunities for more than 150 associates in various departments and locations.

CONTACTS: 
Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Cell: 318-458-0166
Email: lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Megan Strecker, PR Coordinator
Cell: 770-595-3052 
Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

Jay Bowen
U. L. Coleman Companies
Cell: 318-470-3553
Email: jbowen@ulcoleman.com

SHREVEPORT, La. (April 24, 2020) – LSU Health Shreveport has received a $125,000 gift from Inferno Mfg. Corp. to support its efforts to bring COVID-19 testing to medically underserved areas of northwest Louisiana. The gift will be used in combination with a Caddo Parish Commission grant to deploy mobile testing units to virus hot spot areas, as well as rural areas within Caddo Parish. With Inferno’s gift, LSU Health Shreveport will also expand its mobile testing to six other parishes in north Louisiana.  

Inferno Mfg. Corp. is a Shreveport-based manufacturing company employing 27 people. Inferno produces sight glass gages for the oil and gas industry. Mr. Allen Organick, Inferno’s owner, read a recent story about the Caddo Commission’s emergency mobile testing grant. He called Commissioner Stephen Jackson to praise the action taken by the Commission and asked him how he could personally support these efforts. Mr. Organick was immediately connected with LSU Health Shreveport’s Chancellor, Dr. G. E. Ghali, and Vice Chancellor of Research, Dr. Chris Kevil, who explained the need for increased COVID-19 testing in Caddo Parish and beyond.

“The health sciences center is very appreciative of this generous gift from Mr. Organick and Inferno Manufacturing Corp.  It will be put to invaluable use in expanding the access to both viral and antibody testing, particularly in underserved areas of north Louisiana,” stated LSU Health Chancellor G. E. Ghali, MD, DDS, FACS, FRCS, (Ed.)

In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, LSU Health Shreveport created the Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Lab to address the need for faster detection and processing of COVID-19 tests. The EVT Lab has the capability to process up to 1,500 tests per day with results available in 24 to 48 hours. It can also track mutations in the virus, which will inform vaccine and research efforts. To expand the EVT Lab’s reach and conduct mobile testing, LSU Health Shreveport has temporarily repurposed its Partners in Wellness van that usually performs mobile cancer screening through its Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. The PIW van will now transport testing materials and staff to designated areas in north Louisiana. Inferno’s gift will ensure that the mobile testing program will quickly reach areas most affected by COVID-19.

Mr. Organick commented, “People who serve essential roles in our community such as grocery and retail service, nursing homes, and other healthcare services deserve our respect and gratitude. When I read that the Parish had committed to expanding testing, I knew it was going to help a lot of people. But I wanted to make sure we could help even more. My hope is that other business owners will support the research and outreach activities of LSU Health Shreveport. Local businesses have the power to act with speed for the public good.”  

For more information on how to support LSU Health Shreveport’s COVID-19 response efforts, contact Jesse Gilmore with the LSU Health Sciences Foundation at 861-0855 or visit www.lsuhsfoundation.org/covid19/.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Cell: 318-458-0166
Email: lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Megan Strecker, PR Coordinator
Cell: 770-595-3052
Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

The following Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs at LSU Health Shreveport recently received their continued accreditation notices from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME):

• Allergy & Immunology – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 9, 2020
• Pathology – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 14, 2020
• Cytopathology – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 14, 2020
• Radiology – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 23, 2020
• Neurology – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 30, 2020
• Sleep Medicine – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 30, 2020
• Pediatrics – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 27. 2020
• Medicine/Pediatrics – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 27. 2020
• Anesthesiology – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 27, 2020
• Pain Medicine – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 27, 2020
• Family Medicine (Monroe) – Continued Accreditation effective Jan. 29, 2020
• Obstetrics & Gynecology – Continued Accreditation effective Feb. 12, 2020
• Colon & Rectal Surgery – Continued Accreditation effective April 23, 2020

The ACGME reviews residency and fellowship programs, and their sponsoring institutions, annually to ensure a rigorous set of requirements are being met. The ACGME is responsible for ensuring the quality of more than 9,600 accredited residency and fellowship programs that are collectively responsible for the education of more than 120,000 residents and fellows. The Office of Graduate Medical Education oversees all training programs at LSU Health Shreveport, which currently offers 43 fully accredited residency and fellowship programs.

Caddo Parish, La. (April 24, 2020) - A mobile COVID-19 testing lab for medically underserved citizens began visiting sites across Caddo Parish this week, thanks in part to a partnership with LSU Health Shreveport and the Caddo Parish Commission.

LSU Health Shreveport continued a longtime alliance with David Raines Community Health Center to bring Fast Track COVID-19 Screenings to the Martin Luther King neighborhood. People wishing to be *screened should call (318) 227-3354 as soon as possible. Individuals will be prescreened by phone for COVID-19 related symptoms and registered for on-site drive thru testing if they meet testing criteria. There is no out of pocket costs for testing (insurance will be billed if applicable). Individuals wishing to be screened will need a physician order either from their personal physician or from a physician assigned at David Raines which requires registration and a signed consent and testing waiver. Test processing will be provided by the Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Lab at LSU Health Shreveport. Results will be sent to each individuals’ physician who will then relay results. 

The screenings will take place Saturday, April 25, and Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot outside of the David Raines Community Health Center located at 1625 David Raines Road. Those being tested will stay in their vehicles to receive nasal swab testing conducted by LSU Health Shreveport staff. 

*This is a screening only and not a medical evaluation. People with chronic health conditions or moderate to severe symptoms should be evaluated by a provider as soon as possible.  

Realizing the need for more testing in rural and other underserved locations in Caddo, the Caddo Parish Commission voted to provide up to $175,000 to LSU Health Shreveport for the Clinic’s mobile unit. The allocation will assist with operations and testing. Expanded testing is north Louisiana will occur thanks to a $125,000 gift by Inferno Manufacturing Corporation led by Allen Organick, President. 

“This opportunity allows the LSU Health Shreveport a great way to improve access to COVID-19 testing in our communities. More testing is needed to give us a better idea of where we stand and how quickly we can reopen," stated LSUHS Chancellor G. E. Ghali, MD, DDS, FACS, FRCS(Ed).

“The Caddo Parish Commission is proud to support the efforts of LSU Health Shreveport and to provide more testing for COVID-19 in our communities. Through this partnership, we hope to see greater access to medical resources, and ultimately, data that will move us closer to a vaccine and treatment of this disease,” said Caddo Commission President Mario Chavez.

Saturday’s testing site will be the first of multiple mobile locations across the Parish and northwest Louisiana.

The testing schedule is as follows, with more dates to be added in the future:

• MLK (1625 David Raines Rd.): Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Mooretown (Oak Park Elementary - 4331 Henry St.): RESCHEDULED FOR LATER DATE DUE TO WEATHER
• North Caddo (12763 Lay Street, Gilliam, LA): Friday, May 1, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
• Cedar Grove/Sunset Acres (Woodlawn High School - 7340 Wyngate Blvd.): Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• MLK (1625 David Raines Rd.) - Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

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ABOUT CADDO PARISH COMMISSION
The Caddo Parish Commission is the governing authority for the Parish of Caddo and is a political subdivision of the State of Louisiana. The Commission consists of twelve members called commissioners who are elected to four-year terms from single member districts.

ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT
LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) is one of only 154 Health Sciences Centers in the nation. LSUHS is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

ABOUT THE EMERGING VIRAL THREAT (EVT) LAB AT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT
The Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Lab at LSU Health Shreveport opened on March 25 with support of Governor John Bel Edwards and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). The EVT Lab is different from any other laboratory in the state because it will not only be testing to determine if a patient is COVID-19 positive, but will also be screening samples for other mutations of the virus. The lab provides the same offerings as the CDC testing locations and is working collaboratively with the World Health Organization and CDC testing labs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the Univ. of Washington in Seattle and Yale University.

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SHREVEPORT, La. (April 17, 2020) – The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has produced many medical challenges, which LSU Health Shreveport has risen to meet. Among the most important goals for clinicians and scientists has been to determine whether a patient is infected with COVID-19. While the LSUHS COVID-19 Response Team very rapidly created the Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Lab at the health sciences center, there have been national shortages for testing supplies, which have threatened the ability of such testing labs to perform tests. A crucial part of COVID-19 test kits are the nasal swabs, which have been in short supply as the demand for COVID-19 testing has increased around the United States and internationally. These swabs need to be prepared from specific materials and must have particular shapes to ensure accuracy of for specimen collection.

Fortunately, scientists at LSU Health Shreveport were able to utilize existing research and design facilities at the institution to 3D print resin polymer nasal swabs which can be used by the EVT Lab. As part of a national cooperative with the University of South Florida (USF) Health, Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider, and Formlabs, LSU Health Shreveport has obtained the printing files for a patented swab design, becoming the first in Louisiana to produce these patented 3D-printed swabs. Steven Alexander, PhD, Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, is leading the effort and started to produce these 3D-printed nasal swabs in large numbers using a technique called photopolymer laser printing. This light activated printing technique can produce medical devices which are chemically inert, sterile and compatible with accurate testing procedures. Dr. Alexander’s lab has started swab production with photoprinting occurring throughout the day and night. His lab has the capability to produce 324 of the swabs in one day and is planning to ramp up production significantly over the next couple of weeks. The printing of additional batches of swabs is already underway, and Dr. Alexander is working with LSU Health Shreveport’s EVT Lab to get the swabs into their COVID-19 test kits.

“This type of printing enables us to make even the most sophisticated testing tools available anywhere and the workflow is increasing so that hopefully soon we may not only meet our own needs, but perhaps other hospitals in the area,” said Dr. Alexander. “The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally challenged how we work, but 3D printing can really help overcome problems with the availability of medical supplies, shipping and delivery which help to ensure continuity of medical testing and care.”

“I want to commend Dr. Steven Alexander, an extremely bright and humble physiologist, for thinking outside the box and finding a solution to address the local and national rate-limiting factor for COVID-19 testing, which is lack of nasal swabs. This newest 3D printing development will revolutionize access to swabs, and our intent is to help increase testing capabilities, not only regionally, but throughout the United States,” stated LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor G. E. Ghali, DDS, MD, FACS, FRCS(Ed).

PHOTOS & VIDEO

Photos and video courtesy of Dr. Steven Alexander, LSU Health Shreveport

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

CONTACTS:

Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Cell: 318-458-0166
Email: lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Megan Strecker, PR Coordinator
Cell: 770-595-3052
Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

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DATE: April 15, 2020 

Scientists at LSU Health Shreveport continue to have a significant impact on the fight against COVID-19 in Louisiana with their latest achievement being able to offer serology testing. Serology testing is in high demand to be able to better determine the number of COVID-19 cases that include those of people who have already recovered and were asymptomatic. LSUHS will be using serology testing to support the Convalescent Plasma Therapy clinical trial and help identify ideal plasma donors.

Researchers have established their own Indirect Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a lab-based test that can determine the amount of COVID-19 antibodies in a patient sample. Antibodies will be detected against the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This domain of the major glycoprotein mediates attachment to the host cell, is most diverse among different coronavirus strains and induces virus-neutralizing antibodies. Florian Krammer, Professor of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, was instrumental in providing the necessary reagents to the lab at LSUHS and allowing researchers to get their own tests up and running quickly. These reagents are necessary to produce the protein used as antigen (receptor binding domain) for the ELISA.

The team is also aiming to validate the ELISA by a neutralization assay, which measures the neutralization of ‘pseudotyped’ VSV virions. These are viruses that mimic SARS-CoV-2 on the outside by expressing the SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor protein in the viral envelope but harbor harmless (not disease causing) genetic information that allow easy measurement of infection in the lab.

The LSUHS test is different from those that may become commercially available because it allows for the measuring of antibody titers, which shows the amount of antibodies in a person’s blood, and if linked to neutralization assays, could possibly determine whether somebody is immune.

"The serology lab will aid the Convalescent Plasma Therapy that is ongoing at LSU Health Shreveport. By identifying the amount of antibody in donated plasma, we can select of the most effective plasma to be used in patients," said Matthew Woolard, PhD, O'Callaghan Family Endowed Professor in Microbiology and Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. "In the future, we hope to use this serology assay to better determine who has been infected and understand the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northwest Louisiana."

The Emerging Viral Threat Lab at LSU Health Shreveport is already working with LifeShare Blood Center to identify blood plasma for suitability for Convalescent Plasma Therapy for COVID-19 patients. This investigative therapy uses convalescent plasma from individuals who have recovered from the virus, which could possibly contain COVID-19 antibodies and might be effective in treating those who are currently fighting the infection.  

Serology testing is one of several important components that can help better determine who would be an ideal plasma donor for the potentially life-saving convalescent plasma therapy. Convalescent plasma donors must meet several criteria: they must have tested positive for COVID-19 on the RT-PCR test, they must be symptom free for a minimum of 14 days, and then they must receive a negative RT-PCR test result. After re-testing negative for COVID-19, they can donate plasma for the therapy. The serology lab, which is part of the Emerging Viral Threat Lab, tests the plasma and determines effective antibody titers to see if the plasma has the potential to be effectively neutralizing and improve disease outcome.  

At this time, the serology testing is only available to be performed on possible Convalescent Plasma Therapy donor samples.

PHOTOS & B-ROLL

WATCH RESEARCH UPDATE

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

CONTACTS:

Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Cell: 318-458-0166
Email: lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Megan Strecker, PR Coordinator
Cell: 770-595-3052
Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

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DATE: April 5, 2020

Critical care and emergency medicine faculty at the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine join the Department of Anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at University of Alabama- Birmingham (UAB) as being among the first centers in the US to enroll patients in an international study testing using inhaled nitric oxide to improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients with severely damaged lungs; using gas to effectively “kill” corona virus in the lungs and improve delivery of oxygen to injured tissues. “Inhaled nitric oxide had previously been suggested to decrease original SARS-CoV infectivity over a decade ago but its effect on SARS-CoV2 remains unknown.  Moreover, research from LSU Health Shreveport has shown that nitric oxide is a strong protector against tissue hypoxia, which occurs during severe Covid-1 infection”, said Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research at LSU Health Shreveport.

“This is a wonderful collaboration with two highly regarded institutions in the US as well as the sites in Europe.  We have tremendous confidence this therapy will alter the devastating effects of CoVID-19 but we must test it. If results show promise, and since this gas is already FDA approved, wide spread use could begin immediately,” shared Keith Scott MD, MSc, FCCM, Principal Investigator for the nitric oxide clinical trial.  “I am fortunate to have my esteemed colleague Steven Conrad MD, PhD, MS, ME, MBA, MSST, MSC working alongside me on this trial as he brings immense research experience and knowledge in working with critically ill patients.”   

Nitric oxide has already been a miracle drug for newborns starved of oxygen by a heart defect due to the gas’s ability to relax blood vessels, which ultimately led to the resolution of erectile dysfunction as targeted by the drug Viagra. In 1992, the journal Science named nitric oxide "molecule of the year." In addition, in 1998, UCLA pharmacologist Louis J. Ignarro shared a Nobel Prize in medicine for uncovering nitric oxide's role as a "signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system.”

Unlike nitrous oxide (known as laughing gas), nitric oxide has an even brighter future as the colorless, odorless gas, inhaled through a mask or potentially through a small "flute," is now being tested as an experimental treatment for COVID-19. It may also prove helpful in protecting healthcare workers on the front line of the pandemic from getting sick.

In Italy during the COVID-19 outbreak the gas was used under less controlled study conditions; however the treatment appeared to dramatically boost oxygen levels in the blood of COVID-19 patients, said Dr. Lorenzo Berra, the critical-care specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital who is leading the new trial. However, it will take more rigorous testing to clarify how much nitric oxide helps, he said.

A proposed second trial, still under review by a research panel at Massachusetts General Hospital, would enroll healthcare workers who are routinely exposed to patients with COVID-19 and are themselves at high risk of infection. For 10 to 15 minutes at the start and end of every shift, doctors and nurses would tug on a handheld device and inhale a high dose of nitric oxide.

In humans, nitric oxide is naturally generated by blood vessels and by some brain cells as well. It helps to regulate blood pressure, engulfs invading toxins, and prevents platelets in the blood from forming clots that may be significantly compromised during times of stress including infection thus warranting the need for a supplemental supply.

When inflammation, emphysema or a disease like cystic fibrosis attacks the lungs, the large blood vessels and tiny capillaries that deliver oxygen constrict. Inhaled nitric oxide also relaxes those vessels, increasing the transfer of oxygen to the blood and easing the heart's workload.

Physicians who are interested in a patient accessing this clinical trial should send an email to ino_trial@lsuhsc.edu with pertinent patient details. 

Additional COVID-19 clinical trials will be announced soon.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE

DATE: April 4, 2020

Health care professionals with LSU Health Shreveport, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and LifeShare Blood Center provide first COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy in Louisiana

At approximately 2:30 p.m., the first convalescent plasma therapy in Louisiana was provided to a critically ill COVID-19 patient at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center. The transfused plasma was donated hours earlier by two people at LifeShare Blood Center in Shreveport. Both individuals who donated plasma at LifeShare are fully recovered from COVID-19.

“LifeShare is among the first centers in the country to partner with regional hospitals to provide this type of therapy for COVID-19 patients”, says LifeShare Medical Director Dr. Tim Peterson.

“The FDA just released new guidelines allowing us to investigationally use convalescent plasma for patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections. The only source of this convalescent plasma is donations from people that have recovered for at least two weeks from COVID-19 and have produced antibodies. As cases are expected to peak in the coming week, LifeShare needs additional convalescent donors who are fully recovered from COVID-19. This is an important step in bridging a gap until a suitable vaccine is developed,” stated Dr. G. E. Ghali, Chancellor of LSU Health Shreveport.

This investigative therapy uses convalescent plasma from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. It is possible convalescent plasma contains antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and might be effective against the infection. Use of convalescent plasma has been studied in outbreaks of other respiratory infections, including the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic, 2004 SRS-CoV-1 epidemic, and the 2012 MERS-CoV epidemic.

“With the new LSU Health Shreveport Emerging Viral Threat Lab and its upcoming serology testing platform, we are uniquely able to identify potential convalescent plasma donors in collaboration with LifeShare to produce this potentially life saving therapy,” said Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research of LSU Health Shreveport.

Although promising, convalescent plasma has yet to be definitively shown to be effective in COVID-19. In addition to the establishment of clinical trials for convalescent plasma therapy, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with multiple federal partners and academia to open an expanded access protocol to facilitate access to COVID-19 convalescent plasma. For those not eligible to participate in a randomized clinical trial, access is being made available through participation of acute care facilities in an investigational expanded access protocol.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

ABOUT LIFESHARE BLOOD CENTER

LifeShare Blood Center regularly supplies blood components to approximately 100 medical facilities throughout Louisiana, East Texas and South Arkansas. Founded in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1942, it is a nonprofit community service provider governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. With collection sites in nine cities, LifeShare operates daily blood mobiles to collect lifesaving blood products for use in our communities. LifeShare is a member of America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and the American Rare Donor Program (ARDP), is licensed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and accredited by AABB.

CONTACTS:

Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Public Affairs & Communication – LSU Health Shreveport Office: 318-675-8769, Cell: 318-458-0166, lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Megan Strecker, Public Relations Coordinator – LSU Health Shreveport Office: 318-675-8789, Cell: 770-595-3052, mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

Benjamin Prijatel, Senior Director of Blood Operations – LifeShare Cell: 865-405-1938, benjamin.prijatel@lifeshare.org

PRESS RELEASE

You can find photos and b-roll of the EVT Lab as it was being set up this week and an audio and video recording of today’s press briefing here.

LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT ESTABLISHES COVID-19 TESTING LABORATORY

Shreveport, LA (March 25, 2020) – With the support of Governor John Bel Edwards and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), scientists at LSU Health Shreveport have established the Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) Laboratory to address the need for faster detection and processing of COVID-19 tests. The EVT Lab at LSUHS is the first in North Louisiana approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to conduct and analyze tests to determine if an individual has COVID-19. The EVT Lab is currently in operation and fully staffed as of today, March 25.

The EVT Lab is different from any other laboratory in the state because it will not only be testing to determine if a patient is COVID-19 positive, but it will also be screening samples for other mutations of the virus. LSU Health Shreveport is also the only academic center in Louisiana with this capability. The lab provides the same offerings as CDC testing locations and is working collaboratively with the World Health Organization and CDC-sanctioned testing labs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the University of Washington in Seattle, and Yale University.

LSU Health Shreveport faculty and staff will be processing the tests and will be adhering to all personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines. Data obtained from testing samples will be used for further COVID-19 research to better determine how to combat the virus.

“LSU Health Shreveport is proud to have nationally and internationally renowned NIH funded virologists on our faculty. Creation of the Emerging Viral Threat (EVT) laboratory brings together numerous regional experts to provide urgently needed COVID-19 testing solutions while allowing our community and state to be prepared for future viral threats when they occur,” said Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research.

“I am grateful to all those involved in securing and granting the approvals required to stand up this needed lab so quickly. Our research leadership, faculty and staff have worked tirelessly to reach the milestone of processing COVID-19 tests starting today. Their efforts will play a key role in addressing the impact of this virus on the citizens of Louisiana,” stated G. E. Ghali, MD, DDS, FACS, FRCS (Ed), LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor.

Details on submitting COVID-19 tests to the LSUHS EVT Lab will be forthcoming and will reflect CDC protocol.

Additional updates on the EVT Lab will be shared as they become available.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.

CONTACTS:

Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Cell: 318-458-0166 Email: lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Megan Strecker, PR Coordinator
Cell: 770-595-3052 Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

PRESS RELEASE
DATE: March 20, 2020

CONTACTS:
Lisa Babin, Executive Director of Public Affairs, Communication and Development
Cell: 318-458-0166 | Email: lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Megan Strecker, Public Relations Coordinator
Cell: 770-595-3052 | Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

MATCH DAY 2020: LSU Health Shreveport Medical Students Learn Residency Training Placements

The National Resident Matching Program® released 2020 Main Residency Match® results via email to students 

SHREVEPORT, La. (March 20, 2020) – Today, all 124 LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine fourth-year students learned where they will be going for their residency training. On Monday, students received a notification from the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®), confirming if they matched with a residency program. Due to the COVID-19 disruptions of regularly scheduled Match Day events, the NRMP released the highly anticipated news to the students via email at 11 a.m. CST. LSU Health Shreveport will be virtually celebrating the students and their accomplishments via social media channels. The NRMP reported that the 2020 Main Residency Match is the largest on record.

Many students will be staying in the state of the Louisiana for their residencies. Twenty-seven percent of students will be pursuing residencies in Shreveport, an increase of five percent from 2019, and 46 percent of students will be staying in the state of Louisiana. Of the students pursuing a residency in Louisiana, 89.5 percent are entering a LSU Health residency program. Students matched to prestigious residencies around the country such as Columbia, University of Virginia, Mt. Sinai, Wake Forest, University of California - Davis, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Baylor Medical College, among others.

Match Day is also a strongly anticipated day for Graduate Medical Education at the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine, which learned it successfully filled all 134 residency positions available across 43 programs. The new group of LSUHS residents will be welcomed to Shreveport in July, where they will train at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe and other partner hospitals.

"Today is an extraordinary day for our institution, the state of Louisiana and most importantly for our students. It is my honor to share this year’s positive results. These results are a direct reflection on the caliber and commitment of our faculty who work tirelessly in delivering the best possible education and training to our students and residents.  I wish the very best to our students staying in Shreveport, as well as to those who matched in programs around the country.  I am confident each one of them will represent LSU Health Shreveport well and strengthen our legacy of successful medical education,” said LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor Dr. G.E. Ghali.

The announcement of Match Day results takes places same time on the third Friday in March at medical schools around the country. Throughout their final year of medical school, students apply and travel to residency programs around the country to complete interviews. Students then rank their preferred residency programs through National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®), or the Match®. A computer algorithm then simultaneously takes the list of programs ranked by the student and the list of students ranked by the residency programs to fill available program positions.

LSUHS will share the Match Day celebrations of our students virtually with photos and videos that can be found on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LSUHealthShreveport. Photos and video will be posted throughout the day on Friday, March 20.

2020 Main Residency Match Press Release from the NRMP®: Thousands of Medical Students and Graduates Celebrate NRMP Match Results

American Society for Radiation Oncology Press Release: Drug used for breast, kidney cancers may also extend survival for patients with advanced head and neck cancer

SCOTTSDALE, Az., February 27, 2020

A targeted therapy drug used for breast and kidney cancers may also extend progression-free survival for patients with advanced head and neck cancer who are at high risk for recurrence after standard treatment. Patients enrolled in a randomized phase II trial who received the mTOR inhibitor everolimus were more likely to be cancer-free a year after therapy than those who took a placebo drug, and the benefit persisted for those with mutations in their TP53 gene. The findings may present a new treatment option for a group of patients whose survival rates have not improved in more than 30 years.

The study will be presented at the 2020 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium, taking place February 27-29 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

"While cure rates tend to be upwards of 85% for patients with head and neck cancers associated with HPV, they tend to be less than 40% for patients with disease related to smoking," said lead author Cherie-Ann O. Nathan, MD, professor and chair of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Shreveport and director of head and neck surgery at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. "These patients are recurring most often, and their survival rates have not changed in decades, despite advances in surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy."

To address this disparity, the researchers focused on patients with advanced, HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), or HPV-positive disease and smoking history of more than 10 pack-years, and enrolled 52 patients to receive up to one year of either everolimus or a placebo drug. Eligible patients had to be free of disease after either definitive treatment with chemoradiation therapy or surgery followed by chemoradiation. Researchers then tracked how long they remained cancer-free with additional therapy.

After a year, 81% of patients on everolimus remained progression-free, compared to 57% of those in the placebo group (p=0.039). Dr. Nathan clarified that this timepoint was not stipulated a priori and is a post-hoc analysis. Two-year progression-free survival, which was the primary endpoint, continued to favor everolimus but was no longer significant. Subset analysis determined that for patients with TP53 mutations, the survival difference remained significant for an additional year after they stopped immunotherapy (two-year PFS of 70% vs 22.5%, p=0.036). The difference was not significant at two years for patients without the mutation.

While TP53 mutations occur in almost 80% of HPV-negative, smoking related cases of HNSCC, the potential link between TP53, the mTOR pathway and survival was a surprise to the researchers. "There's really no drug that targets TP53, and so we've never had a targeted therapy for it or considered it an actionable mutation," she said.

Sixteen of the 28 patients on everolimus and seven of the 24 patients on the placebo drug experienced Grade 3 or higher toxicities, including three and five serious adverse events, respectively. Dr. Nathan said the drug's tolerability indicates that it may have potential as longer-term maintenance therapy to delay recurrence for high-risk patients.

"Although the sample size is small, as it closed due to lack of accrual, these finding indicate that patients at high risk for tumor relapse could be given mTOR inhibitors to stall progression and keep any residual cancer cells from growing. Our hope is that head and neck cancer can be treated as chronic disease, similar to some breast cancers," she explained. "Everolimus is used for patients with breast cancer or renal cell cancer for extended periods without major side effects, and there is potential for patients with TP53-mutated head and neck disease to see a survival benefit, as well."

Additional trials are needed to confirm the link between TP53 and survival, as well as to determine the safety of keeping patients with HNSCC on the drug for multiple years.

Dr. Nathan, who is also the current President of the American Head and Neck Society, will present "Multi-Institutional Randomized Double-Blind Phase II Trial of Everolimus vs. Placebo as Adjuvant Therapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck" (Abstract 5) today during the symposium's Plenary Session. The investigator-initiated trial was sponsored by the University of Chicago and funded by Novartis. Email press@astro.org for a copy of the abstract or presentation slides from the meeting.

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Attribution to the 2020 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium requested in all coverage. This release includes updated information not available in the abstract.

2020 Head and Neck Cancers Symposium News Planning Team
Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD; Maie St. John, MD, PhD; Francis P. Worden, MD; Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH; Sue Yom, MD, PhD; Brian O'Sullivan, MD, FASTRO; disclosures available online.

ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM
The 2020 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium is a two-and-a-half-day meeting that convenes radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, surgeons and all members of the treatment team for a practical and comprehensive examination of treatment advances for patients with head and neck cancers. Scientific, interactive and case-based educational sessions will cover the latest research on multidisciplinary therapies, clinical applications and new treatment strategies, supportive care and toxicity mitigation. The meeting is cosponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC).

ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the world's largest radiation oncology society, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. The Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes three medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics, Practical Radiation Oncology and Advances in Radiation Oncology; developed and maintains an extensive patient website, RT Answers; and created the nonprofit foundation Radiation Oncology Institute. To learn more about ASTRO, visit our website and follow us on our blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

ABOUT ASCO
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is committed to making a world of difference in cancer care. As the world's leading organization of its kind, ASCO represents more than 40,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research, education, and promotion of the highest-quality patient care, ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy. ASCO is supported by its affiliate organization, the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Learn more at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

ABOUT AHNS
The American Head & Neck Society (AHNS) is the single largest organization in North America for the advancement of research and education in head and neck oncology. The mission of the American Head and Neck Society is: to promote and advance the knowledge of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of neoplasms and other diseases of the head and neck; to promote and advance research in diseases of the head and neck, and; to promote and advance the highest professional and ethical standards. For more information, visit www.ahns.info.

ABOUT SITC
Established in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a nonprofit organization of medical professionals dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the development, science and application of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. SITC is comprised of influential basic and translational scientists, practitioners, health care professionals, government leaders and industry professionals around the globe. Through educational initiatives that foster scientific exchange and collaboration among leaders in the field, SITC aims to one day make the word “cure” a reality for cancer patients everywhere. Learn more about SITC, our educational offerings and other resources at sitcancer.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Kevil brings global scientific expertise to advance JanOne’s drug development portfolio and advise on upcoming Phase 2b clinical trials for PAD               

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — JanOne Inc. (NASDAQ:JAN) appoints Christopher Kevil, Ph.D., a pioneer in nitrite based PAD treatment, to lead its scientific advisory board. In this role, Dr. Kevil will chair the Company’s scientific advisory board to advise on drug development and technology strategy, assist with clinical research, and help to advance its lead candidate TV1001SR, for the treatment of PAD. Dr. Kevil is considered a foremost expert in the development and analysis of various small molecules, biologics, disease indications, pharmaceutical, medical device, and drug delivery systems.

Most notable, is Dr. Kevil’s research that led to the development and formulation of TV1001SR, a nitrite based treatment for PAD which has shown positive results in phase 2a trials. Internationally recognized for his research on inflammatory vascular pathology, specifically on and the relationship between inflammation and vascular growth and function, he discovered detailed mechanistic relationships between angiogenesis and inflammation.

“We are thrilled to have Chris lead our Scientific Advisory board, and look forward to his contributions,” said Tony Isaac, CEO of JanOne. “Dr. Kevil’s passion, accomplishments and expertise in vascular inflammation, treatment for PAD, and translational and clinical research provides an unparalleled level of leadership that is necessary as we advance TV1001SR into phase 2b trials.”

Dr. Kevil earned his Ph.D. degree from LSU Health Shreveport in Molecular and Cellular Physiology followed by a fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) with an emphasis on redox pathophysiology. Returning to LSU Health Shreveport in the Department of Pathology, he established cutting edge research programs regarding redox biology regulation of peripheral vascular diseases. This led to groundbreaking insights on how glutathione, nitrite/nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide regulate vascular health during ischemia.

“The team at JanOne is committed to bringing potential treatments for PAD and associated pain into the clinic and I look forward to contributing my expertise to advance its clinical candidates,” said Dr. Kevil. “Their mission to treat diseases that cause severe pain and to reduce the need for pain-relieving prescription opioids is an important patient benefit and also critical outcome of my research on TV1001SR.”

Dr. Kevil is an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Pathology and Editor in Chief of the Redox Biology journal, as well as a member of numerous editorial boards including Cardiovascular Research, American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulation Physiology, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, and Frontiers in Oxidant Physiology. He has received numerous research grant awards and honors and has led research initiatives for the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association, and other professional societies.

About JanOne
JanOne is a unique NASDAQ-listed company offering innovative, actionable solutions that it believes can help create an end to the opioid crisis. JanOne is dedicated to funding resources toward innovation, technology, and education to find a key resolution to the national opioid epidemic, which is one of the deadliest and widespread in the country’s history. The company continues to operate its legacy businesses – ARCA Recycling and GeoTraq – under their current brand names. JanOne’s subsidiary ARCA Recycling recycles household appliances by providing turnkey recycling and replacement services for utilities and other sponsors of energy efficiency programs. JanOne’s subsidiary GeoTraq engages in the development, design and, ultimately, expected sale of Mobile IoT modules. Please visit www.janone.com for additional information.

Media Contact:
Mark Rosenberg
mark@trueparallel.com
919-412-7378

SHREVEPORT, La. – LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) has received a $10,000 gift from the Committee of 100 Shreveport-Bossier as a public statement of support for the construction of the new Center for Medical Education. This new building is a transformational project on the LSU Health Shreveport campus that will further enhance the health sciences center’s ability to address the growing healthcare shortages in our state and country.   

“The Committee of 100 is committed to supporting LSU Health Shreveport’s continued growth and success. We recognize that this institution is a driving force in our local economy. It is the foundation on which our healthcare industry is built,” said Mark Evans, Secretary and Treasurer of the Committee of 100 Board. “The Center for Medical Education is a welcomed $60 million project for our region. The Committee of 100 is proud to invest in opportunities like this that will have a positive economic impact on our community for many years to come.”   

“The Committee of 100 has been an important partner of LSU Health Shreveport since our founding over 50 years ago,” said Dr. G. E. Ghali, Chancellor of LSU Health Shreveport. “I would like to personally thank the Committee members for this gift, as well as for their strong vocal support of this project and recognition of the Center for Medical Education’s importance for our institution and community.”

About the Center for Medical Education at LSU Health Shreveport: The Center for Medical Education will be 5-story, 187,000 square foot building. Included in its design will be a 500-person auditorium, lecture halls and teaching space, simulation centers, as well as a wellness center. A $60 million public-private partnership with the State of Louisiana, this new building will allow LSU Health Shreveport to accommodate growing class sizes of the medical school and select allied health professions programs, enhance education curriculum, faculty recruitment and wellness offerings, and support the develop new training programs. Construction is slated to begin in late 2020.

About the Committee of One Hundred, Inc.: The Committee of One Hundred, Inc., was founded on August 31, 1961. Its purpose is to study, confer, and act upon any matter, civic or economic in character, which may be deemed to affect the welfare of the Cities of Shreveport and Bossier, the Parishes of Caddo and Bossier, and the surrounding areas of Northwest Louisiana. The Committee supports any educational, charitable or civic enterprise deemed to promote the welfare of those entities. These activities must be absolutely nonpolitical in character and constitute a nonprofit corporation.    

Pictured L to R: Dr. G.E. Ghali, LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor; Mark Evans, Committee of 100 Secretary/ Treasurer and Market President – Regions Bank; Steve Roop, Market President – JPMorgan Chase; Kevin Flood, LSU Health Shreveport Foundation President & CEO

Media Inquiries:
Megan Strecker, Public Relations Coordinator
LSU Health Shreveport
Phone: 318-675-8789 (office), 770-595-3052 (cell)
Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

Information on the Center for Medical Education giving opportunities: 
Kevin Flood, LSU Health Shreveport Foundation
Phone: 318-861-0855
Email: kflood@lsuhsfoundation.org

Lisa Babin, LSU Health Shreveport
Phone: 318-675-8769
Email: lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Three Fellows in the Department of Pathology and the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences at LSU Health Shreveport have been awarded Postdoctoral Fellowships from the American Heart Association (AHA), funding their ongoing research into cardiovascular diseases.

Chowdhury Abdullah, Ph.D., in Dr. Md. Shenuarin Bhuiyan’s laboratory, received an AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship award to fund his project, “Sigma-1 receptor protects diabetic cardiomyopathy by activating adaptive endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.” Diabetic patients suffer more heart failure-related deaths than patients without diabetes. Diabetes causes a defect in heart muscle structure and function known as ‘Diabetic Cardiomyopathy,’ which is an underlying cause of increased heart failure in diabetic patients. Currently, available therapies do not offer sufficient protection to diabetic patients’ hearts, which is why more research is required to understand the fundamental mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy development to lay the ground for effective drug discovery. In the present grant, Dr. Abdullah aims to discover the novel cardioprotective roles of Sigma-1 receptor (Sigmar1) protein to protect the heart under diabetes to pave future drug development targeting Sigmar1.

Mabruka Alfaidi, Ph.D., in Dr. Wayne Orr’s laboratory, received an AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship award to fund her project, “Nck1 Regulates Atherogenic Endothelial Activation.” Despite our revolution in terms of technology and improvement in day-to-day clinical care, heart disease and heart attacks are the number one killer of people in the United States. Lifestyle modifications and some other secondary prevention prescribed drugs are the only way to intervene, but a curative therapy has not yet been discovered. Dr. Alfaidi’s research is investigating the molecular mechanism of heart attacks, particularly focusing on the endothelium (a single monolayer of cells coating the blood vessels), which is thought to be involved in the healing process of a heart attack. Her research, funded by American Heart Association, is studying a protein named Nck1 that plays a critical role in endothelial cell function. Dr. Alfaidi and others in Dr. Orr’s lab have developed a therapeutic approach to target this protein in cell culture and animal models. By understanding how the Nck1 protein causes build-up and vessel thickening, there is potential for new drug development to target this protein and help prevent heart attacks.

Matthew Scott, Ph.D., also in Dr. A. Wayne Orr’s laboratory, received an AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship to fund his project, “EphA2 signaling mechanisms in smooth muscle performance proliferation and migration in atherosclerosis.” Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the world, with more than 85 million Americans currently affected by this disease. Plaque build-up in blood vessels (atherosclerosis) accounts for 80 percent of all CVD-related deaths, which is why understanding this disease is so important. Dr. Scott’s project proposes a new and exciting idea: that the EphA2 protein plays an important role in atherosclerosis, and may become a potential target for cardiovascular disease medicine in the future. Despite widely available treatments to combat plaque build-up, like statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) and vessel stents, not all individuals respond favorably to these treatments, proving the need for alternatives to be available. By understanding how EphA2 causes plaque build-up and vessel thickening, there is the potential for new drug development to target this protein. This would benefit patients who cannot take statins, and potentially lower risk factors involved with stent placement.

“The American Heart Association is proud to be able to award grants to deserving recipients. More than 80% of the funds raised through our local events are returned back to our community to further research and studies. The research these doctors are performing holds the potential for global impact. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with all those at LSU Health Shreveport who are dedicated to impacting cardiovascular disease,” said Jill Lucero, Regional Director for Northwest Louisiana, American Heart Association.

Phase 2b testing planned for PAD treatment and PAD-associated pain to address more than 8.5 million patients in the US market      

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 25, 2019) — JanOne Inc. (NASDAQ: JAN), a company focused on reducing opioid addiction by finding treatments for conditions accompanied by pain and bringing to market drugs and therapies with non-addictive pain-relieving properties, today announced a licensing agreement for TV1001SR, a treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease, commonly called PAD. The agreement with LSU Health Shreveport, UAB Research Foundation, and TheraVasc, Inc., gives JanOne a worldwide, exclusive license for TV1001SR along with a portfolio of 30 patents and other intellectual property relating to the sustained release of sodium nitrite.

The company anticipates TV1001SR will be a groundbreaking treatment for those with PAD, an often painful disease affecting more than 200 million people worldwide and 8.5 million in the United States. There is no known efficacious single-drug treatment for PAD available. Current treatments only mitigate the effects of PAD without treating the underlying cause – reduced ischemic tissue blood flow, which is a lack of blood flow to the extremities, and often leads to significant pain. As a result, according to a recent Stanford University study, nearly 25% of patients with PAD are at increased risk of high opioid use.

TV1001SR was invented by Dr. Christopher Kevil, Professor of Pathology, Molecular and Cellular Physiology, and Cell Biology and Anatomy at LSU Health Shreveport. In initial research studies, the drug effectively restored ischemic tissue blood flow and was effective in a wide range of pathologies involving alterations of angiogenesis — development of new blood vessels — including diabetes, wound healing and tissue necrosis. Beneficial effects included enhancing angiogenesis, endothelial cell proliferation, and arteriogenesis.

“In our Phase 2a trials, we saw encouraging results in the participants. The compound not only improved vascular function, but patients also reported a significant reduction in their PAD-associated pain,” said Tony Giordano, Ph.D., former CEO of Theravasc and JanOne scientific advisory board member. “During the trial, a number of patients reported that their long-term pain had subsided, which was a positive and unexpected development.”

As a result of TV1001SR’s promising clinical trial history, JanOne will begin planning a Phase 2b clinical protocol for PAD with an expectation to commence Phase 2b trials by the second half of 2020. In addition, the company intends to apply for the secondary indication of PAD-associated pain as part of its Phase 2b trials. To streamline development and FDA approval, the company expects to pursue FDA 505(b)(2) pathway for new drug approval, due to an already approved agent associated with TV1001SR.

“Developing a non-addictive drug to treat a major disease that causes pain normally managed with opioids is exactly the kind of imaginative thinking the opioid crisis demands,” said Eric Bolling, JanOne’s chairman and president. “By treating PAD, the root cause of the disease, we hope to also be preventing and treating pain.”

“Partnering with JanOne to bring to market this important treatment for a significant health issue is extremely gratifying,” said Dr. Kevil. “We know that by treating PAD we can improve outcomes, increase quality of life, and avoid opioid addiction for potentially millions of people. I’m excited to work with JanOne and to continue the ongoing development of this critical medication.”

If the company is ultimately granted FDA market approval, it believes that TV1001SR would immediately disrupt the $4.37 billion a year PAD market in the United States .

“We are thrilled to fast-track this drug into Phase 2b clinical trials with the addition of treating pain associated with PAD. We believe that having a solution to a major cause of neuropathic pain while eliminating the dependence on opioids could be an effective game-changer, with even greater long-term implications,” added Bolling.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the fact that TV1001SR will treat PAD, the timing of the commencement of clinical trials, that the FDA will permit approval through a 505(b)(2) pathway, that upon approval TV1001SR will immediately disrupt the PAD market, and other statements including words such as “continue,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “hope,” “should,” “would,” “may,” “potential,” and other similar expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, and contingencies. Many factors could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements described in this press release. Such factors could include, among others, those detailed in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions set out in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our filings with the SEC underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and we do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. We cannot assure you that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

About JanOne
JanOne is a unique Nasdaq-listed company offering innovative, actionable solutions that it believes can help create an end to the opioid crisis. JanOne is dedicated to funding resources toward innovation, technology, and education to find a key resolution to the national opioid epidemic, which is one of the deadliest and widespread in the country’s history. The company continues to operate its legacy businesses – ARCA Recycling and GeoTraq – under their current brand names. JanOne’s subsidiary, ARCA Recycling, recycles household appliances by providing turnkey recycling and replacement services for utilities and other sponsors of energy efficiency programs. JanOne’s subsidiary GeoTraq engages in the development, design and, ultimately, expected sale of Mobile IoT modules. Please visit www.janone.com for additional information.

About LSU Health Shreveport
LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University (LSU) System and one of only 154 in the nation accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). LSU Health Shreveport is home to three professional schools (School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions), Graduate Medical Education (GME) and a robust research enterprise. At any one time, more than 900 students are enrolled in degree programs, and more than 560 residents and fellows are being trained at LSUHS partner teaching hospitals in North Louisiana. The primary mission of the LSU Health Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead research efforts, educate students, train residents and fellows, and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information visit www.lsuhs.edu.

(1) Diagnosis and Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease Debra Kohlman-Trigoboff, MS, ACNP-BC: 200 million people in the world suffer from PAD and 8.5 million of them reside in the US https://www.npjournal.org/article/S1555-4155(18)30645-7/fulltext
(2) https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/peripheral-artery-disease
(3) Dr. Itoga Department of Surgery Stanford University: 24.7% of PAD people with PAD are at increased risk of high opioid use https://www.jvascsurg.org/article/S0741-5214(19)30179-X/fulltext
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18687757#

Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins will be the guest reader at 20^th anniversary celebration on Nov. 5

SHREVEPORT (Nov. 4, 2019) – Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national, non-profit organization with a mission to give young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into routine pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. Started by the Department of Pediatrics at LSU Health Shreveport with support from the Faculty Wives Club in 1999, Reach Out and Read in North Louisiana supports children’s literacy development by providing them with books starting at an early age and sharing information, support, and materials with parents to help them make books a part of their daily lives.

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. Reach Out and Read will celebrate their 20^th anniversary with a reception at the Ochnser LSU Health Shreveport Women’s and Children’s Pediatric Subspecialty Clinic (1602 Kings Highway). Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins will be the celebrity guest reader at the event.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read's evidence-based, three-part model into regular pediatric checkups:

1. Trained doctors and nurses speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud, starting in infancy.
2. At each regular checkup from age 6 months through 5-years-old a child receives a new book to take home.
3. Reach Out and Read sites create literacy-rich environments that include gently used books for waiting room use and/or volunteer readers to model for parents the techniques of reading aloud to young children.

Eighty percent of a child’s brain is formed between birth and age 3, making this a critical time to lay the foundation in children for success in reading and language skills when they begin school. Extensive research supports the Reach Out and Read model. Key findings show that parents served by Reach Out and Read are up to four times more likely to read aloud to their children, children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests during their preschool years.

Reach Out and Read in North Louisiana by the Numbers:

• More than 100,000 children served since 1999
• 54 medical providers promote language building and early literacy with parents of our youngest community members
• Medical providers share more than 10,000 books annually in seven pediatric clinics at well-child visits, and they support parents to be their children’s best learning advocate
  • Three Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport clinics served: Residents Continuity Clinic, Medicine/Pediatrics Clinic, and Family Medicine Clinic
  • Four additional pediatric clinics are served around Shreveport/Bossier City: Bombina Medical Clinic, David Raines Community Health Centers in Shreveport and Bossier, and the Willis Knighton Tots to Teens Clinic
• The cost per child age 6 months to 5-years-old seen at one of these clinics for each of their well child check-ups is approximately $25.00.

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Life Savers 2019: A Louisiana Saturday Night

When: Saturday, November 2, 2019 - Doors open at 6 p.m., Dinner at 7 p.m.
Where: CenturyLink Center (2000 CenturyLink Center Drive)
Tickets: Individual tickets: $125, Sponsorships start at $250

Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Hosts 22^nd Annual Life Savers Gala
This year’s event is held in honor of Anne Higdon, and proceeds will support cancer education and research grants in Shreveport.

SHREVEPORT – Mark your calendar for a special “Louisiana Saturday Night” with Feist-Weiller Cancer Center’s 22^nd annual Life Savers Gala! The event will be held on Saturday, November 2, at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City. All proceeds from Life Savers stays in our community and supports cancer research, and education being conducted by doctors and scientists at LSU Health Shreveport. This year’s event will be held in memory of Anne Higdon. Anne, who passed away in October of 2018 after battling lung cancer, worked at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center for over 20 years and was instrumental in developing Life Savers into the successful event it is today.

“Life Savers is something we look forward to every year. Thanks to the generous support of our community, doctors and scientists at Feist-Weiller have been able to study various causes and types of cancer, as well as research innovative treatments, all to help fight cancer and make sure we continue providing the best care possible to our patients,” said Dr. Glenn Mills, Director of Medical Services at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center.

Proceeds from Life Savers help fund the Idea Grant program at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, which awards cancer research grants to in-house doctors and researchers on a competitive basis to help them further develop their ideas to combat cancer in their individual areas of expertise. Since 1998, more than $1.5 million has been awarded to Feist-Weiller researchers who have gone on to leverage their Idea Grants into more than $14.3 million in additional external funding from sources such as the National Institutes of Health, a true testament to the important research being done in north Louisiana and to the donors who support the annual Life Savers fundraiser.

Event highlights:

• Music by The Lovers, featuring Cole Vosbury (Season 5 of NBC’s The Voice) and Creedence Revived, one of the best Creedance Clearwater Revival tribute bands.
• Online silent auction with an array of items for attendees to bid on, from artwork to sporting experiences to gourmet dinners to weekend getaways. Items can be viewed in person at Life Savers and are currently available to view and bid online at bidpal.net/lifesavers19.
• Red Box Raffle sponsored by Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry
• Open bar and complementary valet parking

Individual tickets and sponsorships are available at www.feistweiller.org/lifesavers19. It is encouraged to reserve your seat or table early, as Life Savers does sell out every year.

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EVENT CONTACT:
Darlene Whitaker
Email: dwhita@lsuhsc.edu
Phone: 318-813-1485

MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Strecker
Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu
Phone: 318-675-8789

Shreveport, LA (Oct. 9, 2019) – LSU Health Shreveport has received a generous gift of $64,000 from Dr. and Mrs. Dennis J. O’Callaghan to establish an endowed professorship within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Graduate Studies. The O’Callaghan Family Endowed Professorship in Microbiology will enhance the department’s competitive, cutting-edge research program and facilitate the continued research productivity and academic excellence of a faculty member in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

The gift from the O’Callaghan family will be combined with other donations supporting the O’Callaghan Family Endowed Professorship, which honors Dr. O’Callaghan’s parents, John and Odeal O’Callaghan, and the life and legacy of Dr. O’Callaghan’s wife of 51 years, Helen Frances O’Callaghan, who sadly passed away in November 2018.

The Louisiana Board of Regents through its Endowed Professorships program has provided $20,000 in matching funds to create this professorship.

“Dr. O’Callaghan came to us as he was approaching his retirement last spring with the desire to have a deeper impact on the institution he loved so dearly. He has given so much to LSU Health Shreveport already over the years, yet still wanted to give back and do something truly special to support LSUHS faculty and students,” said Kevin Flood, president and CEO of the LSU Health Sciences Foundation. “This endowed professorship bears the name ‘The O’Callaghan Family Endowed Professorship’ to honor Dr. O’Callaghan’s parents and his beloved wife. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this Endowed Professorship and honored to have it be a part of Dr. O’Callaghan’s legacy at LSU Health Shreveport.”

Matthew D. Woolard, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, is the first holder of the O’Callaghan Family Endowed Professorship in Microbiology. Dr. O’Callaghan and Dr. Martin Sapp, PhD, Chairman of the Microbiology and Immunology Department, shared that Dr. Woolard is a talented and outstanding scientist, faculty member, and mentor to doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. His ongoing research on atherosclerosis is supported by a R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and he serves his field nationally and internationally as a journal reviewer and member of numerous scientific societies. Dr. Woolard was recognized at an investiture ceremony held on September 18.

About Dennis J. O’Callaghan, PhD:
Dr. Dennis J. O’Callaghan, Boyd Professor Emeritus, served LSU Health Shreveport for nearly 34 years as the Chairman of Microbiology and Immunology. During his tenure, Dr. O’Callaghan taught approximately 10,000 students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents throughout his career. At LSUHS, Dr. O’Callaghan developed the Doctoral Program in Microbiology and Immunology and established the Center for Molecular and Tumor Virology (CMTV), which was awarded 15 years of funding by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Research Resources. His contributions to research at LSUHS are extensive. He was the first faculty member to be awarded a COBRE grant, which supported the CMTV, and has secured more than $39 million dollars in research funding, the most of any faculty member in the history of the institution.

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CONTACTS:

Media inquiries:
Megan Strecker, Public Relations Coordinator
LSU Health Shreveport
Phone: 318-675-8789 (office), 770-595-3052 (cell)
Email: mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

For information on opportunities to support LSU Health Shreveport, please contact: 
Amanda Felan, Director of Donor Relations and Events
LSU Health Sciences Foundation
Phone: 318-861-0855
Email: afelan@lsuhsfoundation.org
www.lsuhsfoundation.org

The first annual Heart Health Day in Shreveport will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28. The day will start off with a 1-mile fun run and 5K, and a FREE community health fair will be held from 9am-2pm. Developed by LSU Health Shreveport’s Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences (CCDS) and held in conjunction with Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, Heart Health Day will offer community members the opportunity to engage with healthcare professionals in a fun, family-friendly environment while participating in various educational activities about heart health.

“As physicians and researchers, we want to serve our community and provide local citizens with the tools necessary to adopt healthier lifestyle habits and improve their cardiovascular health. In addition to valuable overall health information that will be provided at Heart Health Day, there will be multiple screenings offered to help determine a person’s heart health, and more advanced screenings will be available to people who meet high-risk criteria,” said Dr. Paari Dominic, Assistant Director of the CCDS in Clinical and Translational Research at LSU Health Shreveport and cardiologist at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.

Cardiovascular disease is a problem in our nation, state and local community. It affects both men and women, and remains the leading cause of death in the United States as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The American Heart Association reports that 34.1% of adults in Louisiana have high blood pressure, and 38.7% of adults have high cholesterol, both of which are risk factors for developing heart disease.

“The prevalence of cardiovascular disease in our society is why research and raising awareness about this disease is so important,” said Dr. A. Wayne Orr, Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences at LSU Health Shreveport.  “It’s our mission at the CCDS to not only understand how this disease works, but advance how it is treated by offering patients in north Louisiana the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and receive the latest cutting-edge treatments.”

Research shows that adopting a heart healthy lifestyle, especially at a young age, has tremendous effects in preventing cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle changes, early diagnoses, and medication compliance can reduce and sometimes reverse harmful symptoms, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, before they cause irreversible damage.

The FREE Heart Health Day Community Health Fair will be from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will offer:

• Health screenings to include EKG, echocardiography in high-risk individuals, cholesterol profile, peripheral vascular health screening in high-risk individuals and cardiovascular diseases genetic screening in high-risk individuals that meet screening criteria
• Group exercise activities/Lifestyle medicine/Nutrition guidance
• Physician consultations
• Booths and presentations from various vendors
• Children’s activities (heart-related crafts, virtual heart demos, interactive heart rate games, and a build-your-own heart model)
• Hands-Only CPR Training by North Louisiana American Heart Association
• A heart healthy lunch will be provided for the first 250 attendees
• Goodie bags and opportunity to win door prizes

No appointments are required and there is no charge to attend Heart Health Day. All ages are welcome and a children’s area will be available if needed. Attendees must meet guidelines for select advanced screenings.

Heart Health Day will take place at the Margaret Place Properties Community Center (located in the former CHRISTUS Schumpert Hospital) at 915 Margaret Place.

For more information, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/hearthealthday.

To register for the 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk, visit Run Wild Shreveport's website at runsignup.com/Race/LA/Shreveport/HeartHealthDay5k.

LSU Health Shreveport Health Sciences Library faculty will be exhibiting at Geek'd Con at the Shreveport Convention Center this weekend, August 16-18. At the Library booth, children will receive an activity book on genetics created by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine - Greater Midwest Region, and a box of crayons. In addition, there will be stickers and other consumer information on genetics and precision medicine. Each hour during the convention, Library volunteers will draw the names of four lucky kids to receive a printed copy of the Amazing Captain Fit by mail after the event.

Over 12,000 people attend Geek’d Con, and a majority of them are children, making it an ideal place to highlight the Library's The Amazing Captain Fit comic. The comic was originally funded through an NN/LM South Central Region Health Information Literacy Award in 2014. Library faculty Talicia Tarver (now at Virginia Commonwealth University) and Deidra Woodson wrote the comic, in consultation with Dr. John Vanchiere and Dr. Nelsihan Gungor from the LSU Health Shreveport Department of Pediatrics. Nick Fechter, an LSU Shreveport Bachelor of Fine Arts student, illustrated and lettered the comic. The comic follows the adventures of a child who aspires to be like his favorite hero, Captain Fit. However, he must first complete a series of tasks to make sure he is healthy enough to help Captain Fit fight childhood obesity.

“A lot of teachers, and even professors, are using comic books - either characters or the books themselves - as a way to teach literacy about a variety of topics, especially science,” said Talicia Tarver, co-author of The Amazing Captain Fit, about the comic in April 2015 on Red River Radio.

Captain Fit received local and national praise. It was featured in the Shreveport Times and the American Library Association weekly e-mail. The authors received written thanks from Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator. The Amazing Captain Fit comic can be found online at www.healthelinks.org/kidshealth.

Exhibit costs are funded through a grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine - South Central Region (NN/LM-SCR).

For more information on Geek’d Con, visit www.geekdcon.com. For more information on the Health Sciences Library at LSU Health Shreveport, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/our-schools/library.

American Heart Association Meeting Report – Presentation #120; Concurrent Session 13A

Study Highlights:

• Autopsy samples reveal that methamphetamine use makes dangerous structural changes in heart muscle that increase the risk of heart attack, sudden cardiac death and heart failure.
• A microscopic understanding of how the stimulant drug changes the heart could help in devising ways to treat meth’s toxic effects.

BOSTON, Aug. 1, 2019 — Use of the illegal stimulant methamphetamine causes build-up of tough protein fibers in heart muscle, which may help explain the development of enlarged hearts and heart failure in users, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2019 Scientific Sessions.

Methamphetamine, also known as meth, is an extremely addictive and commonly abused stimulant drug, with 1.6 million Americans reporting using the drug in 2017.

Previous autopsy reports of some meth users have documented injury to heart cells, scarring of heart muscle and enlargement of the heart. The current studies were designed to systematically compare autopsy results in meth users and non-users and look for the mechanisms by which the drug might create heart problems.

“Our goal is to discover a fundamental mechanism of methamphetamine toxicity in order to find a way to treat heart muscle diseases associated with illicit methamphetamine use,” said Md. Shenuarin Bhuiyan, Ph.D., senior author of the study and assistant professor in the department of pathology and translational pathobiology at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport.

Researchers used heart samples obtained at autopsy from 32 chronic meth users (mostly Caucasian men, average age 38 years) who died from meth overdose or from gunshot wounds, hanging, blunt force injury, stab wounds or sudden heart or lung problems. These were compared with samples from five non-substance users who also died suddenly from gunshot, hanging, blunt force injury or blood clots in the lungs. Meth used was established by medical history and the results of toxicology reports.

In comparison to samples from non-users, samples from the heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle) in meth users showed:

• Increased deposits of collagen (stiff protein fibers) around the blood vessels.
• Accumulation of collagen throughout the spaces between heart muscle cells.

“Regardless of the cause of death, we found methamphetamine has profound harmful effects on the cardiovascular system and results in irreversible damage to the heart, raising the risk of a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest and heart failure,” said Chowdhury S. Abdullah, Ph.D., co-lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Bhuiyan’s laboratory. “Rehabilitation centers for methamphetamine users should routinely monitor heart function and look for signs of heart failure, since early detection of heart problems could prevent further deterioration of the heart muscle. Monitoring should continue even after people have quit using the drug.”

The researchers found similarly increased collagen deposits in mice exposed to meth compared to those who were not. The studies on mice also indicated that methamphetamine may lead to structural changes in heart muscle by inhibiting a specific receptor in the heart, suggesting a possible mechanism to prevent meth-induced heart damage in the future.

The study is limited by using only autopsy samples, so researchers could not determine how the structural differences they documented in methamphetamine users might specifically affect blood tests and heart function.

“We need to further study cardiac function and biochemical blood parameters in methamphetamine users and compare them to those in other substance users and in non-substance users,” Bhuiyan said.

Co-authors are Richa Aishwarya, B.S., co-lead author; Shafiul Alam, Ph.D; Mahboob Morshed, Ph.D; Gopi K Kolluru, Ph.D.; James Traylor, M.D; Sumitra Miriyala, Ph.D.; Manikandan Panchatcharam, Ph.D.; Matthew D. Wollard, Ph.D.; Nicholas E. Goeders, Ph.D.; Xioa-Hong Lu, M.D., Ph.D; Paari S. Dominic, M.D.; Christopher G. Kevil, Ph.D.; A. Wayne Orr, Ph.D.; Norman R. Harris, Ph.D.; and Felicity N.E. Gavins, Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport Malcolm Feist Cardiovascular Research Grant provided funding for the study.

Additional Resources:

• Concerns about heart health amid the opioid, meth epidemic
• Heart failure in methamphetamine users: could this be the next epidemic among vets?
• Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews #BCVS19

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Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/aha-financial-information.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and AHA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173
Cathy Lewis – 214-706-1324; cathy.lewis@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org

July 15, 2019 - The School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Shreveport has been awarded the “Geaux Upstate Technology Expansion” grant from The Noel Foundation, Inc.

The grant for $43,010 was presented at a check presentation today attended by members of the Noel Foundation Board of Directors, Dr. Robert C. Leitz, III (Board President), Mr. Shelby L. Smith (Board Vice President), and Mr. Merritt B. Chastain, Jr. (Board Secretary), and LSU Health Shreveport leadership, Dr. G. E. Ghali (Chancellor), Dr. Sharon Dunn, (Dean of the School of Allied Health Professions) and Dr. Suzanne Tinsley (Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, Assistant Dean of Development for School of Allied Health Professions).

The “Geaux Upstate Technology Expansion” grant will support implementing current best practice technology capabilities within the School of Allied Professions for the purposes of teaching, research and patient care. This is the first grant LSU Health Shreveport has received from the Noel Foundation.  

This proposal is focused on the enhancement of SAHPs students’ learning experiences and increases the educational opportunities available to all students enrolled in the school’s programs. Current practice and teaching standards mandate students be educated in evidence-based practice protocols, and lack of access to the most up-to-date technology and equipment limits learning experiences for students that they will ultimately need in clinical practice upon graduation.

The addition of the equipment requested in the grant proposal will not only greatly impact the educational offerings to current students, but also aid in the recruitment of future students to all programs offered by the School of Allied Health Professions, which are Cardiopulmonary Science, Clinical Medical Science, Communication Disorders, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant. All programs will benefit from this grant.  

The Noel Foundation was established in 1972 as a non-profit organization that supports education, cultural arts, and the community in Shreveport, Louisiana. Their aim is to grow Shreveport both culturally and academically. Noel Foundation Board Vice President Shelby L. Smith stated at the check presentation, “The grant awarded today clearly reflects the vision of James Smith Noel to support both education and our community.”

For more information about the Noel Foundation, visit https://www.jsnoelcollection.org/about-the-foundation.html

For more information about the School of Allied Health Professions at LSUHS, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/our-schools/school-of-allied-health-professions.

PHOTO OF RECIPIENTLouisiana Native Receives Full Tuition for LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine

NEW ORLEANS – Recent Xavier University of Louisiana graduate Sarah Bertrand was awarded the inaugural Ochsner Health System Medical School Scholarship for LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine. The scholarship award will cover cost of tuition and fees for Bertrand to attend the four-year medical school program at LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine starting this fall.

Bertrand, 21, graduated Magna Cum Laude this spring from Xavier with a degree in biology, a minor in chemistry and honors in biology, English and chemistry. While at Xavier, Bertrand was an active member of the school’s chapter of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Delta Sigma Theta – a service-based organization. Originally from Marrero, La., Bertrand grew up in Baton Rouge and graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy before moving to New Orleans to study at Xavier – the same school where her mother earned her pharmacy degree. 

“Medicine is a profession where you can really help someone and make a positive change in their lives. I’ve seen this first hand from my mom working in the medical field. She’s really inspired me to follow this path,” said Bertrand. “There’s a strong need for high quality healthcare here in Louisiana. I was raised here, and I’d like to give back by serving this community.”

On average, it takes 7 to 15 years for a physician to complete medical training. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the demand for physicians is projected to grow faster than the current supply and it anticipated that the United States will see a shortage of up to nearly 122,000 physicians by 2032. The physician shortage is most pronounced in Southern states like Louisiana.

“Since its founding, Ochsner Health System has been committed to training the next generation of healthcare providers. Given the physician shortages faced by our country, continuing to invest in the future of healthcare education is critically important,” said Leonardo Seoane, M.D., Chief Academic Officer, Ochsner Health System. “This scholarship creates a clear pathway for students to continue their medical education here in Louisiana. Furthermore, it builds upon existing partnerships with Xavier University and LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine. By working together, we are sending a clear message that we believe and choose to invest in the future of medicine in Louisiana – today and for years to come,”

To qualify for consideration for this scholarship, students were required to be Louisiana resident, Xavier students, and have already been accepted into the LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine. To apply for the scholarship, Xavier students submitted an application detailing academic accomplishments, recommendations and an essay reflecting on how they have overcome adversity. A joint Xavier and Ochsner committee reviewed the applications and selected the final scholarship recipient. Moving forward, one scholarship recipient will be selected annually for this scholarship program.

The scholarship program is the next evolution in a long-standing relationship between Ochsner and Xavier, which dates to the early 1980s when Ochsner and Xavier’s College of Pharmacy established an affiliation agreement partnership to provide educational experiences to pharmacy students. Through this partnership, Ochsner has provided clinical training for an average of 80 Xavier pharmacy students each year. Earlier this year, Ochsner and Xavier announced the launch of a new Physician Assistant program, with the first class beginning in January 2020.

“Nurturing Louisiana talent is essential to the future of healthcare in our great state. It is gratifying that Sarah Bertrand, one of our Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (UGRAP) graduates, was selected for this inaugural scholarship from Ochsner Health System.  We are grateful for the support from Ochsner and look forward to all that Sarah will accomplish in her pursuit of becoming a physician.” said Dr. Debbie Chandler, Associate Dean for Diversity and Student Affairs, School of Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport.

On Oct. 1, 2018 Ochsner Health System (Ochsner) and LSU Health Shreveport jointly formed Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport to oversee and coordinate activities between the health sciences center and the healthcare delivery system in Shreveport and Monroe, La.  Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport is a public private partnership with a vision to improve the health and well-being of its communities, access to care, quality and facilities, expand patient-centered technology, grow the medical school and enhance research in North Louisiana by building on the strengths of Ochsner and LSU Health Shreveport. Under the new structure, Ochsner brings their nationally-recognized expertise to the management of operations for partner hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe, clinics and the clinical activity of the LSUHSC-S Faculty Group Practice. LSU will continue to successfully oversee the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine, School of Allied Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, Graduate Medical Education and research initiatives.

For more information about Ochsner Academics, visit www.ochsner.org/locations/center-for-academic-excellence. For more information about Xavier, visit www.xula.edu. For more information about LSU Health Shreveport – School of Medicine visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/our-schools/school-of-medicine.

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About Ochsner Health System

Ochsner Health System is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across three specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About LSU Health Shreveport

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 145 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, Graduate Medical Education and a robust research enterprise. Almost 900 students are enrolled in degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 550 residents and fellows are trained in Shreveport each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu.

About Xavier University of Louisiana

As America’s only historically Black and Catholic University, Xavier University of Louisiana has set itself apart for nearly a century. Despite its small size (3,300 students), Xavier is a nationally recognized leader in the STEM and the health sciences fields, producing more African American students who graduate from medical schools each year than any other university in the United States. Its liberal arts-based programs in such areas as art, business, education, psychology, and political science – as well as such recent additions as bioinformatics, data science, neuroscience, crime and social justice, and jazz studies – offer students an unbeatable combination of traditional classroom study, hands-on research, service-learning opportunities, and life experiences.  For more information about Xavier University of Louisiana visit us online at www.xula.edu or follow us on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter @XULA1925. To book interviews, contact Diana Hernandez at (504) 520-5120 or dhernan1@xula.edu. 

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In the United States, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds according to the American Heart Association. In 2015, stroke deaths accounted for 11.8% of total deaths worldwide, making it the second leading cause of death in the world behind heart disease.

A paper authored by many researchers at LSU Health Shreveport on the prevention and treatment of stroke was recently published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. The paper is titled, “A Novel Role for the AnxA1-Fpr2/ALX Signaling Axis as a Key Regulator of Platelet Function to Promote Resolution of Inflammation.”

During stroke, blood supply to parts of the brain becomes limited causing cell death. This complex response called “inflammation” involves blood vessels, chemical mediators and immune cells. Ongoing or worsening inflammation further damages the brain. Reducing and ideally eliminating inflammation is critical to recovery from stroke – a process termed ‘resolution’.

Platelets are tiny cells that play a crucial part in the development of stroke. By collecting samples from human subjects within 24 hours of having a stroke and from age-matched volunteers (i.e. without stroke) (IRB Protocol: STUDY00000261 and STUDY00000572), along with animal models of stroke, Dr. Gavins and her team at LSU Health Shreveport have discovered that targeting the formyl peptide receptor 2, Fpr2/ALX - a key player in the resolution process, with a compound called Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is able to reduce platelet function, resolving both thrombosis (clotting) and inflammation, and limiting brain damage during stroke.

Dr. Gavins and her team, which includes many clinical and non-clinical collaborators from LSU Health Shreveport and other institutions in the United States, Australia and Germany, are particularly excited as this is the first study to ever show a multi-faceted role for AnxA1, which could help to protect people against stroke and from the worsening outcomes following a stroke.

Their work not only represents clinicians and scientists working together, but a global collaboration to find a treatment for stroke. Louisiana residents also contributed to this research by volunteering to donate blood samples that could be studied by the researchers.

Shreveport Team Members:

• Felicity N. Gavins, Ph.D., FRSB (Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Director of Small Animal Imaging at LSU Health Shreveport)
• Elena Senchenkova, Ph.D. (Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology)
• Junaid Ansari, M.D., Ph.D. (Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology)
• Ms. Shantel Vital, MS (Dr. Gavins’ Lab Manager in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology)
• Hai Sun, M.D., Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Epilepsy Surgery)
• Hugo Cueller-Saenz, M.D. (Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Neurointerventional Surgery)
• A. Wayne Orr, Ph.D. (Professor of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology and Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences)
• Zaki Al-Yafeai (Molecular and Cellular Physiology Ph.D. student at LSU Health Shreveport)
• Karen Stokes, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology  and Assistant Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences)
• Ana-Maria Dragoi, Ph.D. (Associate Director of Innovative North Louisiana Experimental Therapeutics)
• Jennifer Carroll, Ph.D. (Director of the In Vivo, In Vitro Efficacy Core)
• D. Neil Granger , Ph.D. (Boyd Professor and former Chair of the Department of Physiology at LSU Health Shreveport)

PAPER CITATION: A Novel Role for the AnxA1-Fpr2/ALX Signaling Axis as a Key Regulator of Platelet Function to Promote Resolution of Inflammation.  Circulation. 2019 Jun 3. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.

NOTE: All animal experiments were approved by the LSU Health Shreveport Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and were in accordance with the guidelines of the American Physiological Society.

TWITTER: @Gavins_Lab

LAB WEBSITE: www.shreveportphysiology.com/faculty/felicity-gavins-phd/

The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) recently accredited the Ochsner LSU Regional Epilepsy Center as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center.

The Epilepsy Surgery program is a collaboration between members of the departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology at LSU Health Shreveport. Hai Sun, MD, PhD, FAANS, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of the Ochsner LSU Regional Epilepsy Center, and Rosario Maria S. Riel-Romero, MD, FAAP, FAAN, FACNS, Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, Co-Medical Director of the program and Director of Child Neurology and the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, jointly lead the program. Peimin Zhu, MD, PhD, and Jayson Rodriguez, MD, are the two other board-certified epileptologists in the program. Additional LSU Health Shreveport faculty who are active members of the program include Christina Notarianni, MD, FAANS, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery; Eduardo Gonzalez-Toledo, MD, Professor of Radiology; and Christina Ledbetter, PhD, Fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery. Credit also goes to the center’s team of electroencephalogram (EEG) techs, which is headed by Alena Stevens.

The NAEC has four levels of epilepsy care and accredits centers that meet criteria to be a Level 3 or Level 4, which provide specialized epilepsy care. By the NAEC definition, a Level 4 center provides more complex forms of intensive neurodiagnostic monitoring, as well as more extensive medical, neuropsychological, and psychosocial treatment than a Level 3 center can provide. Level 4 centers also offer complete evaluations for epilepsy surgery and perform more complex epilepsy surgeries.

The Regional Epilepsy Center at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center is the only facility in North Louisiana with Level 4 NAEC accreditation and the resources to care for epilepsy patients in need of more specialized care. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures and affects approximately 10,000 people in the region. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there are about 3.4 million people in the U.S. with epilepsy.

 “I am extremely honored to be recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers with the Level 4 designation,” said Dr. Sun. “Since becoming Director of Epilepsy Surgery three years ago, I was committed to expanding our epilepsy services at the hospital and to provide access to high-level care to patients in our community who have complex neurological conditions such as epilepsy and seizure disorders. Having a NAEC Level 4 designation means that we are able to provide the most acute and comprehensive care for epilepsy patients, and it also enhancing the training of our LSU Health Shreveport Neurosurgery and Neurology Residents to become the next generation of epilepsy specialists.”

“The accreditation of the Epilepsy Center is a tremendous accomplishment that was made possible only by the hard work, dedication, and commitment of the individual members of our Epilepsy team. Our team is driven by the common vision and goal of providing the best possible care to our patients, and to ensure the best possible surgical outcome to those who suffer from medically refractory seizures. We are very proud to have been able to come this far, and to be able to offer this service to the people in our community and north Louisiana,” said Dr. Riel-Romero.

Physicians committed to setting a national agenda for quality epilepsy care founded the NAEC, a non-profit association, in 1987. Today, the NAEC has a membership that includes more than 230 specialized epilepsy centers throughout the United States, and it continues to develop standards of epilepsy care and educate various interest groups about the complexities of and need for patient access to specialized epilepsy services.

More about the NAEC’s accreditation process and criteria can be found here.

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SHREVEPORT, La. (May 22, 2019) – On Saturday, May 25, 193 LSU Health Shreveport students will celebrate a great accomplishment in their education and pursuit of a career in the medical field by graduating with a Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD, or Doctorate degree. Twelve students will receive a PhD or Master’s degree from the School of Graduate Studies; 62 students will receive a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate from the School of Allied Health Professions; and 119 students will graduate from the School of Medicine and become Doctors of Medicine.

Graduation for all three of LSU Health Shreveport’s professional schools will take place in a combined ceremony held at Centenary College’s Gold Dome. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards will give the keynote commencement address.

“We look forward to welcoming Governor Edwards to Shreveport to address our graduates,” said LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor G. E. Ghali, DDS, MD, FACS, FRCS(Ed). “Graduation is a momentous occasion for students, their families, our health sciences center and our community. The Governor has consistently shown a commitment to higher education and healthcare in our state, and we are grateful to have him join us and celebrate such a significant achievement with our students.”

LSU President F. King Alexander and members of the LSU Board of Supervisors will also attend the graduation ceremony.

“I am looking forward to celebrating this incredible graduating class. These outstanding individuals will go on to improve the collective health and well-being of citizens in the Shreveport-Bossier area, the state of Louisiana, and the world beyond. We are proud to count them as part of the LSU family,” said President Alexander.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, the number of healthcare occupation employees is projected to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 2.4 million new healthcare jobs will be added over this ten-year time span, which is more than any other occupational group. This increase in demand for more healthcare professionals is due to a growing, aging population. Physician Assistants, Physical Therapists, and Physicians and Surgeons are in the top ten most in demand healthcare jobs. The growing and aging population, along with increased rates of several chronic conditions and a growing reliance on pharmaceuticals, is also leading to the employment outlook for medical scientists to grow at a faster than average rate. There is a growing need for medical scientists and their contributions to the development of treatments that improve human health.

Healthcare remains one of central factors that drives economic growth in our community. LSU Health Shreveport has an economic impact of nearly $6 million in the Shreveport region. Combined with the economic impact of its practicing alumni, LSUHS has a total economic impact of nearly $3 billion on North Louisiana. More than 70 percent of the physicians and allied health professionals in our community received a portion or all of their training at LSU Health Shreveport. Many Class of 2019 School of Medicine graduates will be staying in the state of the Louisiana to complete their residency training, with 22 percent staying in Shreveport.

The LSU Health Shreveport graduation ceremony will stream live online at www.youtube.com/user/LSUHSCShreveport.

SHREVEPORT and RUSTON, La. (May 1, 2019) – The LSU and University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors have provided one-year conditional approval of the request to establish the Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), a collaborative research endeavor between LSU Health Shreveport and Louisiana Tech University.

The proposal will be reviewed next by the Louisiana Board of Regents.

The Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM) will focus on the development of cell-based and tissue-engineering therapies to combat tissue inflammation, damage, and loss associated with complications of metabolic syndrome or trauma injury. Specifically, the goal of CTERM is to produce clinically relevant stem cells and biomaterial scaffolds to generate useful cell- and tissue-based therapies that can combat the loss of healthy tissue associated with chronic diseases.

A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from LSU Health Shreveport and Louisiana Tech will combine their expertise to study chronic health issues that affect the region and parishes across the state, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The CTERM will also offer an ideal environment to train future scientists, engineers and clinicians for careers in stem cell biology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

“We are grateful for the approval of the governing boards of LSU and the UL System. This collaboration holds tremendous potential for addressing the issue of tissue loss associated with chronic disease, as well as providing an innovative genre of scientific training,” stated Dr. Chris Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research at LSU Health Shreveport.   

“This new Center is directly aligned with our commitment to providing the highest quality research, education, and economic development for our state and nation,” said Dr. Les Guice, President of Louisiana Tech University. “This formal partnership has grown from collaborations between our two institutions over several years, and it represents an opportunity to capitalize on the respective strengths of faculty and staff at both institutions.”  

CTERM supports an already established collaborative relationship between LSUHS and Louisiana Tech, and will enhance opportunities available to students, researchers and clinicians in a critical area of basic and translational research.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 145 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions. Almost 900 students are enrolled in degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 500 residents and fellows are trained in Shreveport each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all.

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY

Today, Louisiana Tech University continues a tradition of excellence in the classroom, on the playing field, and in the community. Members of the Louisiana Tech community are trailblazers. They seize opportunity, embrace challenge and create solutions that benefit our region, state and nation. Louisiana Tech University provides an unparalleled educational experience for its diverse community of learners.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Tonya Oaks Smith
Executive Director, Office of University Communications
Louisiana Tech University
318.257.4854 | 318.548.0877 | tonya@latech.edu

Lisa Babin
Executive Director of Public Affairs & Communication
LSU Health Shreveport
318.675.8769 | 318.458.0166 | lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

SHREVEPORT, La. (April 8, 2019) – An Evening for Healers, hosted by the LSU Health Sciences Shreveport Foundation, will take place on Thursday, May 2, at the Shreveport Convention Center. The event will honor local physicians, healthcare professionals and first responders who have dedicated their lives to saving others.

An Evening for Healers supports LSU Health Shreveport and funds the most critical needs of the health sciences center, making it possible to continue the mission of educating tomorrow’s healthcare professionals, delivering outstanding patient care, and conducting promising research.

Doctor Ed and Mary Pat Morgan will chair this year's event. Ed is an Orthopaedic surgeon in private practice with Willis Knighton and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at LSU Health Shreveport. Mary Pat is a graduate of LSU School of Nursing and a community volunteer. Their daughter, Ali, is a second- year student at the LSU Health School of Medicine in Shreveport.

“We are excited and proud to participate in this event benefiting LSU Health Shreveport! The evening celebrates the incredible dedication and strength of our community of healers. It is also a wonderful opportunity to showcase how our community’s support directly impacts the growth of the health sciences center, which in turn enhances healthcare for all of us,” said Ed and Mary Pat.

This year’s An Evening for Healers will feature the stories of three patients from around the state who experienced life-changing medical emergencies and defied the odds to survive with the help of dedicated first responders, expert LSU Health Shreveport faculty physicians, and a caring team of nurses and support staff at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center.

LSU Health Shreveport faculty physicians provide life-saving care to patients, like the three who will be featured at Healers, at the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center, North Louisiana’s only Adult and Pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons.

Past events have welcomed more than 800 attendees each year and raised nearly $2 million to support LSU Health Shreveport. Funds raised have gone towards purchasing new physical therapy rehabilitation technology, supporting student research programs, enhanced technology in the student simulation center, and recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty that help to enhance LSU Health Shreveport’s mission to teach, to heal, and to discover.

“I look forward to An Evening for Healers each year. We are deeply appreciative of the financial support received through Healers, and the opportunity to educate the community on the impact our health sciences center has here in Shreveport/Bossier and beyond. It is an honor to recognize the first responders, doctors, allied health professionals, and nurses who provide patients with live-saving care every day,” shared G. E. Ghali DDS, MD, FACS, FRCS (Ed), Chancellor of LSU Health Shreveport.

Individual tickets and sponsorships are available at www.lsuhsfoundation.org/healers. Reserving your spot early is encouraged as An Evening for Healers is expected to have another sell out year. For more information, contact Mary Cobb at mcobb@lsuhsfoundation.org, or call (318) 861-0855.

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SHREVEPORT, La. (March 15, 2019) – This morning, 116 LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine students learned where they will be going for their residency training during a Match Day ceremony held on campus. On Monday, students received a notification from the National Resident Matching Program of the Association of American Medical Colleges, or the NRMP®, confirming if they matched with a residency program. At the ceremony, each student was randomly called to the stage where they received a sealed envelope containing the highly anticipated news of where they matched. Each student announced their fate and shared their excitement in front of a large crowd of family, friends, faculty and fellow students.

Match Day is also a strongly anticipated day for the LSU School of Medicine, which learned it successfully filled all 122 residency positions available. The new group of residents will be welcomed to Shreveport in July, where they will train at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Academic Medical Center and other partner hospitals.

Many students will be staying in the state of the Louisiana for their residencies. Twenty-two percent of students will be staying in Shreveport, and 47% of students will be staying in the state of Louisiana. Prestigious out-of-state residencies students matched to include University of Massachusetts, Harvard University, Wake Forest, University of Virginia, Mt. Sinai, Temple University, UT Southwestern, Baylor University, Oregon Health and Science University, and University of Alabama-Birmingham.

"Match Day is a day a medical student never forgets as it determines a key step in their goal of becoming a practicing physician. I am so proud of our students, as well as our dedicated faculty, for delivering another successful match. It is gratifying to see a large number of students electing to stay in Shreveport to continue their training. I know those staying, as well as those accepting residencies around the U.S., will represent LSU Health Shreveport well, strengthening our reputation for outstanding medical education,” said Dr. David Lewis, Dean of the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport.

Match Day ceremonies are held at the same time on the third Friday in March at medical schools around the country. Throughout their final year of medical school, students apply and travel to residency programs around the country to complete interviews. Students then rank their preferred residency programs through the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®), or The Match®. The NRMP then uses a mathematical algorithm to place applicants into available residency positions.

This year’s Main Residency Match was the largest in history:

• Record-high of 38,376 applicants who submitted program choices
• 35,185 positions available, the most ever offered in the Match
• Available first-year (PGY-1) positions increased by 6.5% from 2018
• Nationally, 79.6% of applicants matched to a PGY-1 position, as compared to 98.3% of LSUHS School of Medicine students matching to a PGY-1 position.
• Nationally, 94.9% of PGY-1 available positions were filled, compared to 100% at LSU Health Shreveport.

SHREVEPORT, La. (March 11, 2019) - At the February Louisiana Board of Regents meeting, the Board unanimously approved the continuation of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences (CCDS) at LSU Health Shreveport as a Center of Excellence of research and innovation.

A Center of Excellence is uniquely focused and specific in its designation. It may consist of a unit, program, or functional area that, as a Center, is accountable to higher expectation of performance and productivity, including contributions to the body of knowledge and to economic development, placement of graduates, generation of external interest and support, formation of joint ventures and partnerships, and positive recognition of the area and its faculty and students.

A Center of Excellence must demonstrate that it is a statewide leader in the area of designation and must address how it does so in a proposal to the Board of Regents. With designation as a Center of Excellence comes the responsibility for leadership within the state and, if applicable, beyond. Implied in the designation is a commitment to concentrate and build on this strength by advancing knowledge and skills, thereby creating better opportunities for the citizens of the State. The Center is expected to serve as a resource to support similar programs offered by other institutions.

There are three Centers of Excellence at LSU Health Shreveport: The Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences (CCDS), the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center (FWCC) and the Center of Excellence for Arthritis and Rheumatology (CEAR).  

The third annual Family Health Day at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9. Festivities will kick off at 9 a.m. with information and activities for the whole family.

February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and LSU Health Shreveport’s Feist-Weiller Cancer Center is partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, and the FWCC Partners in Wellness clinic to offer a day of free cancer screenings to the community. Free screenings offered will include: mammograms, prostate cancer (PSA), lung cancer (with low dose CT scanning), and colon cancer. In addition to screenings, free blood pressure checks, glucose checks, and EKG will be available.  Doctors will be available to discuss the results with participants.

Free breakfast and lunch will be provided, along with gift bags and a chance to win great door prizes, including gift cards to local stores and an iPad. Participants will have the opportunity to sample and learn how to make delicious smoothies and learn about other healthy foods. Family Health Day participants can receive a ticket for each session attended and enter for the chance to win.

Physicians and staff from Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport will be on hand to host informational sessions on topics including: questions about medications, nutrition for health and cancer prevention, smoking cessation, sickle cell anemia, and more.

 “Family Health Day is a great way to let our community know that they can fight cancer by getting screened and learning about healthy lifestyle choices. Screenings are important to help find a cancer early, and when cancers are found early, the chance of cure is improved,” said Dr. Jennifer Singh, LSU Health Shreveport Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Partners in Wellness Clinic of Feist-Weiller Cancer Center.

No appointments are required and there is no charge to attend Family Health Day. All ages are welcome, but participants must meet cancer screening guidelines.

Feist-Weiller Cancer Center is located at 1405 Kings Highway in Shreveport.

For more information, contact Feist-Weiller at (318) 813-1485.

SHREVEPORT, La. (Sept. 24, 2018) – The State of Louisiana (“State”), the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (“LSU”) Board of Supervisors on behalf of LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport (“LSUHSC-S”) and the LSUHSC-S Faculty Group Practice, and Ochsner Health System (“Ochsner”) announced today that they have signed the final Public Private Partnership Agreement in Shreveport and Monroe. LSU Health Shreveport and Ochsner will jointly form Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport to oversee and coordinate activities between the health sciences center and the healthcare delivery system. Under the new structure, Ochsner will bring their nationally-recognized expertise to the management of operations for partner hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe, clinics and the clinical activity of the LSUHSC-S Faculty Group Practice. LSU will continue to successfully oversee the LSUHSC-S School of Medicine, School of Allied Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, Graduate Medical Education, and research initiatives.

Under the new structure, the partners announced the following expansions and investments:

• Facility Investment will initially be focused on renovation of select operating rooms and the surgical intensive care unit in addition to the overall infrastructure of facilities.
• Investments in technology enhancements will include but are not limited to enhancing functionality of electronic medical records with a goal of enhancing coordination of care and upgrading lab and monitoring equipment. 
• Investments in people and programs to improve quality including hiring a new Chief Quality Officer to maintain a relentless focus on improving outcomes in both our hospital and clinic settings; launching a hospitalist program in both hospitals to provide additional care for our inpatients, and more effective coordination with their primary care and specialty physicians; and implementing best practices regarding quality, and safety analytics and processes;
• Expansion to improve access to care including identifying opportunities to open new facilities outside of the current campuses, such as an ambulatory care clinic, diagnostic imaging center, urgent care clinics, and convenient, community based primary care clinics; investment in centralized and online appointment scheduling, and through recruitment of new physicians to support specialized needs;
• Advancement in digital and telehealth, as well as post-acute care, to add capabilities that provide new options designed to improve the overall patient experience in north Louisiana;
• Increased focus on the health and wellbeing of the community by broadening our primary care network, implementing programs that empower patients to stay healthy while managing chronic disease, expanding preventative screenings, and developing new community partnerships.

“I’m excited about this opportunity for the people of North Louisiana and for our state,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “Our commitment has been to finding the right solutions that enable us to take care of more Louisianans, while preserving medical education in Northwest Louisiana. We are able to do that without additional financial burden on the state or our citizens. It takes innovative thinking and I believe this partnership will enable Ochsner and LSU to bring that same expertise to strengthening and growing the medical school, improving facilities, and ultimately delivering better health care to everyone in this region.”

“Today marks a new beginning for healthcare delivery in north Louisiana. LSU is proud to partner with Ochsner as we continue to train the nation’s finest healthcare professionals in Shreveport and across Louisiana,” said LSU President F. King Alexander. “I’d like to thank our faculty and staff for never wavering in their commitment to the people of this critically important region, and also Gov. Edwards and his administration for supporting LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport and its teaching mission.”

Chuck Daigle has been named Chief Executive Officer and Dr. David Lewis will be the Chief Medical Officer of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport. Dr. Chuck Fox will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the LSUHSC-S Faculty Practice Group. These leaders will work together to establish a bold vision that builds on the strengths of Ochsner and LSU Health Shreveport. 

"This new partnership with Ochsner Health System is very exciting for our patients, students and the local economy. I am grateful to Governor Edwards, Commissioner Dardenne, LSU President King Alexander, the leadership teams of Ochsner and LSU Health Shreveport for their unwavering commitment to create this partnership that may well become the benchmark for public private healthcare operations. I also want to acknowledge and thank our dedicated employees, who even during very challenging times, remained acutely focus on our mission to teach, heal and discover,” stated LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor G. E. Ghali MD.

As a part of the new agreement, a new governing board will be formed with representation from LSU Health Shreveport, Ochsner and the North Louisiana communities being served.

“This is an historic day and one we know that means a great deal to the state and to the people of north Louisiana,” said Warner Thomas, President and CEO, Ochsner Health System. “We remain committed, with our partner LSU, to drive healthcare innovation in our state, to make the investments needed to expand patient-centered technology, to advance care, and to develop new models that deliver more to patients, physicians, students and residents. As true partners, and through new relationships in the region as well as participation in new programs, we will work to ensure the financial stability of the new organization and identify opportunities for continued growth.”

Under the terms of this agreement, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport will go in to effect October 1, 2018.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System.  LSUHSC- S is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions.  More than 800 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time.  Additionally, nearly 600 residents and fellows are trained each year.  The primary mission of the LSU’s Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the wellbeing of the region and beyond.  At the heart of the LSUHSC-S is a strong faculty that include a number of nationally and internationally-acclaimed physicians and scientists.  More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region.  LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all.  For more information, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu.

ABOUT OCHSNER HEALTH SYSTEM

Ochsner Health System is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 30 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and more than 80 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across four specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs more than 18,000 employees and over 1,100 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts more than 600 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit www.ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

CONTACTS

Office of the Governor
Richard Carbo
225-342-2999
Richard.carbo@la.gov

LSU Health Shreveport
Lisa Babin                                                                   
318-458-0166
lbabi6@lsuhsc.edu

Ochsner Health System
Nicole O’Malley
504-615-7622
nicole.omalley@ochsner.org

SHREVEPORT, La. (August 15, 2018) – Strap on your boots and ride into the sunset with Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at the 21^st annual Boots & Bikers-themed Life Savers Gala! The event will be held on Saturday, September 15, at Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino. Life Savers supports cancer research happening right here in northwest Louisiana. All proceeds from the event stay in our community and support work being done by local Feist-Weiller doctors and scientists.

“Life Savers is something we look forward to every year. The life-saving cancer research that takes place at Feist-Weiller is able to happen thanks to the generous support of our community,” said Dr. Glenn Mills, Director of Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. “Our doctors and scientists have been able to study various causes and types of cancer, as well as investigate innovative treatments, all to help fight cancer and make sure we continue providing the best care possible to our patients.”

Proceeds from Life Savers fund the Idea Grant program at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, which awards cancer research grants to in-house doctors and researchers on a competitive basis to help them further develop their ideas to combat cancer in their individual areas of expertise. 

Over the past 20 years, 33 local Idea Grants totaling $1.8 million have been awarded. Feist-Weiller scientists have leveraged this local money in to more than $12 million in national grants, a true testament to the important research being done here, and to the donors who support the annual Life Savers fundraiser.

Shreveport artist Mary O’Neal and Dr. Destin Black, a local Gynecologic Oncologist, are the chairs of this year’s event. They share their passion for giving back in the community, and that passion is sure to be seen at Life Savers in September.

“Destin and I met when she became one of my art students.  We share a special connection that goes beyond the few years we have known each other.  She is a little dynamo when it comes to her passion for the betterment of women’s health.  She ‘gives of self’ every day with her cancer patients and is a role model for me,” said Mary O’Neal of her co-chair.

The attire for this year’s event is casual to fit the theme. Jeans and boots are encouraged!

Individual tickets and sponsorships are available at www.feistweiller.org/lifesavers. It is encouraged to reserve your seat or table early, as Life Savers does sell out every year. For more information, contact Darlene Whitaker at dwhita@lsuhsc.edu or 318-813-1485.

Life Savers 2018: Boots & Bikers
When: Saturday, Sept. 15
Doors open: 7 p.m., Dinner: 8 p.m.
Where: Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino, 315 Clyde Fant Pkwy.
Tickets: $400 per couple; Sponsorships from $2,000

CONTACT:         
Darlene Whitaker
Email: dwhita@lsuhsc.edu   
Phone: 318-813-1485

SHREVEPORT, La. (January 30, 2018) – The National Institutes of Health has awarded LSU Health Shreveport with a five-year, $10.5 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant.

The $10,580,176 grant will fund the Center for Redox Biology and Cardiovascular Disease project at LSUHS and promote research on campus in the redox regulation of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and Louisiana ranks in the top five of states most affected by cardiovascular disease. The COBRE Center for Redox Biology and Cardiovascular Disease will advance new insights and understanding of redox biology control of heart and vascular disease processes that may lead to new and better ways to detect or treat cardiovascular disease.

The NIH’s COBRE initiative aims to strengthen an institution's biomedical research infrastructure through the establishment of a thematic multi-disciplinary center. COBRE projects also enhance the ability of investigators to compete independently for complementary NIH individual research grant or other external peer-reviewed support.

Each COBRE project requires the following:

• A principle investigator who is an established biomedical research scientist with expertise central to research theme, an active lab, relevant peer-reviewed funding, and has demonstrated administrative leadership,
• Three to five individual research projects, each supervised by a junior investigator,
• And at least one mentor for each junior investigator, along with a mentoring plan for how the junior investigators will transition to competitive grant support in the future.

The Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences at LSU Health Shreveport has assembled investigators with advanced knowledge and research expertise across several departments to address redox biology mechanisms contributing to cardiovascular disease.

The principle investigator of the project is Chris Kevil, PhD, Vice Chancellor of Research and Professor in the Department of Pathology. In addition to Dr. Kevil, key research personnel include Christopher Pattillo, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology; Manikandan Panchatcharam, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy; and Hyung Nam, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience. Also instrumental in helping to secure the COBRE grant was Dr. Wayne Orr, Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences, Dr. Karen Stokes, Assistant Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences, and Dr. Andrew Yurochko, Professor and Member of the CCDS Board of Directors.

This is only the second COBRE grant in the history of LSU Health Shreveport, making Dr. Kevil the second faculty member to receive the prestigious award. Dr. Dennis J. O’Callaghan, Boyd Professor and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, was awarded and served as principle investigator on the institution’s previous COBRE grant, which supported the Center for Molecular and Tumor Virology. 

SHREVEPORT, La. (Dec. 19, 2017) – The State of Louisiana (“State”), the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (“LSU”) on behalf of Louisiana Health Sciences Center Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) and the LSUHSC-S Faculty Group Practice, the Biomedical Research Foundation (BRF) and Ochsner Health System (Ochsner) announced today that they have signed Letters of Intent (LOI) to create a new, long-term, Public Private Partnership agreement in Shreveport and Monroe. Under the proposed agreement, LSU and Ochsner will jointly form a new University Health System (UHS) structure to coordinate activities between the school and the healthcare delivery system. Under the new UHS structure, Ochsner will bring their nationally-recognized expertise to the management of operations for both University Health hospitals and the clinical activity of LSU’s Faculty Group Practice, and LSU will continue to successfully oversee the LSUHSC-S School of Medicine, School of Allied Health and School of Graduate Studies.

“Both Ochsner and LSU are proven partners who are committed to leading the advancement of healthcare in our state,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “LSU has significant strengths in medical education and research while Ochsner, also committed to academics and research, has tremendous expertise in operating hospitals and supporting the clinical activity of large physician groups. Working together, in a more integrated fashion, we plan to successfully deliver quality, cost-effective patient care in an environment that is optimal for the continued teaching and training of our state’s future doctors and healthcare professionals.”

“The Governor and his Administration have worked diligently to find a long-term solution for health care delivery at the safety net hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe, as well as finding a way to support the LSU Health Sciences Center and its teaching mission,” LSU President F. King Alexander said. “We are pleased with the prospect of working with a world renowned experienced hospital partner, like Ochsner. LSU’s goals are simple: improve outcomes for today’s patients and train the nation’s finest healthcare professionals to serve the patients in the future. This proposed partnership will help us achieve our goals. “

“I appreciate Governor John Bel Edwards’ support of our health science center.  I am optimistic that a formal agreement with Ochsner will be reached in the coming months, assisting LSU Health Shreveport in reaching its immense potential.  The opportunity to strengthen our institution and community is very motivating,” stated LSU Health Chancellor G.E. Ghali.

The UHS structure under consideration would be governed by a new UHS board of directors made up of Ochsner, LSU and community board members from Shreveport and Monroe and in addition a Community Advisory Board made up of Shreveport and Monroe community members, and representatives from Ochsner, LSU and BRF to provide insight into the healthcare needs of the greater Shreveport and Monroe region.

“We at University Health are extremely pleased by this announcement today,” said Steve Skrivanos, University Health Board Chair. “We have been engaged in discussions with Ochsner for some time because of their healthcare expertise, experience and commitment to delivering high-quality care in our state. We are honored to have been able to improve access to care at the Shreveport and Monroe Hospitals and look forward to continuing to deliver our substantial expertise in in advancing biomedical research, which will continue to be invaluable to both hospitals. The great work of the dedicated employees of University Health and their incredible care for patients is to be commended and they will be taken care of in this transition process.”

“In addition to the incredible opportunity to collaborate from an education and research perspective, we understand the responsibility of fulfilling the historic mission of both hospitals to serve and care for Medicaid and indigent patients in Shreveport and Monroe,” said Warner Thomas, President and CEO, Ochsner Health System. “Based on our strategic and clinical expertise, we look forward to improving and expanding care while working with LSU to drive healthcare innovation in our state. Together we can explore additional relationships in the region, new community partnerships and the creation of new care delivery models that delivers more value to patients, physicians and students in north Louisiana.”

Under the non-binding LOI’s, teams from all organizations will work toward finalizing the details of the new agreements in early 2018.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System.  LSUHSC- S is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions.  More than 800 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time.  Additionally, nearly 600 residents and fellows are trained each year.  The primary mission of the LSU’s Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the wellbeing of the region and beyond.  At the heart of the LSUHSC-S is a strong faculty that include a number of nationally and internationally-acclaimed physicians and scientists.  More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region.  LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all.  For more information, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu. 

ABOUT OCHSNER HEALTH SYSTEM

Ochsner Health System is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 30 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and more than 80 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across four specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs more than 18,000 employees and over 1,100 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties, and conducts more than 600 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit www.ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

ABOUT BRF

BRF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 1986 during the oil and gas industry crisis to diversify and grow our regions’ economy.  Originally known as the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, rebranding as BRF occurred in 2016.In fulfilling its mission, BRF operates as a catalyst to expand and develop research, entrepreneurship and high-growth businesses in our region.  With its $560 million budget, BRF has created and manages initiatives that address community needs to promote health and medicine, entrepreneur creation and resources, and science and technology-based workforce development.  These include the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy, University Health Hospital System, the Entrepreneurial Acceleration Program (EAP), InterTech Science Park in Shreveport, Office for Research Development and Administration (ORDA), Digital Media Institute at InterTech (DMII), EDVentures STEM K-12 programs, and EMR Everywhere electronic health records services and systems.

Jennifer Singh, MD, LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Physician Assistant Program Medical Director, has become Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM).

She is among the 204 physicians and 43 PhD/Masters-level health clinicians who have become the first medical professionals globally to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She is also the first Doctor of Medicine in the state of Louisiana to be Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine. To complete the certification, Dr. Singh completed online and live continuing education hours, submitted case studies, and took a written exam.

Lifestyle Medicine, defined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, is the use of evidence-based lifestyle approaches, such as a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, tobacco cessation, and other non-drug modalities, to prevent, treat, and, oftentimes, reverse chronic disease.  

Despite advances in medicine, Americans are still suffering and dying from diseases that are preventable. Lifestyle Medicine targets the underlying causes and offers patients skills and knowledge to protect their health and fight disease. As much as 80 percent of chronic disease in the United States, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, can be prevented or treated by changing diet and other daily habits.

“The most rewarding thing for me has been helping patients not just improve their numbers, but really improve their quality of life – they feel so much better, which is not always the case with writing prescriptions. It’s been very rewarding,” said Dr. Singh about her work with Lifestyle Medicine.

Dr. Singh received her Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana Tech, then attended LSU Health Shreveport, where she completed a combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency. She previously served on faculty in the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics at LSU Health Shreveport.

She is also certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics.

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ABOUT THE AMERICAN BOARD OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: The ABLM was formed in November, 2015, in Nashville, TN, by a group of visionary physicians who saw the need to: educate physicians and allied health professionals about Lifestyle Medicine; set a common standard/language for Lifestyle Medicine protocols globally; differentiate between evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine professionals and non-evidence based Lifestyle Medicine practitioners; set a global Lifestyle Medicine benchmark; and attract health insurance funding for evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine by requiring that any fund receivers be formally certified. Learn more at https://ablm.co/about/.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the professional medical association for those dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system. More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanizing force for change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective desire to domestically and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever increasing quantities of pills and procedures. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the cause of disease. Learn more at http://www.LifestyleMedicine.org.

The LSU Health Shreveport Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology and Aphios Corporation has obtained United States Patent No. 9,994,585 entitled “Transplantation Therapies,” for marine pharmaceutical ‘Bryostatin-1,’ which will be used as an additive to organ transport and storage solutions.

The use of this additive may allow nearly more organs to be made usable for transplantation by making marginal, or substandard, organs survive where they would not have before. Currently, many organs are not ultimately usable in transplantation and are considered less than ideal because they have exceeded the amount of time beyond which the organ would undergo failure. The current patent technology specifically blocks the mechanisms through which the body attacks the graft to prevent acute transplant failure. This innovative approach will have far-reaching impact on the entire transplantation industry.

J. Steven Alexander, PhD, Professor of Molecular & Cellular Physiology and Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport, working with April Carpenter Elrod, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health and Exercise Physiology at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Penn., and Dr. Trevor Castor at Aphios Corporation in Woburn, Mass., discovered that the treatment of blood vessels with Bryostatin-1, a compound derived from the marine bryozoans species Bugula neritina, stabilizes blood vessel cells called ‘endothelial’ cells allowing them to stop the infiltration by white cells, which should lead to better organ survival and many more organs being available. This will allow more organs to now be safely shipped trans-nationally and even internationally. Also important is that this drug does not need to be given to the recipient, but rather is only introduced to the donor organ during cold storage.

“The approach is nothing less than revolutionary and before very long we hope that it will be widely used as a main transplant solution,” said Dr. J. Steven Alexander about the new use patent.

Previously, Bryostatin-1 was researched for treating cancer for which it is not highly active, but consequently, has extensive human safety data.

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ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System.  LSUHSC- S is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions.  More than 800 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time.  Additionally, nearly 600 residents and fellows are trained each year.  The primary mission of the LSU’s Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the wellbeing of the region and beyond.  At the heart of the LSUHSC-S is a strong faculty that include a number of nationally and internationally-acclaimed physicians and scientists.  More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region.  LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all.  For more information, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu.

ABOUT APHIOS CORPORATION

Aphios Corporation (www.aphios.com) is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing green enabling technology platforms for improving drug discovery, manufacturing, delivery and safety, and enhanced natural therapeutics for health maintenance and disease prevention, and the treatment of cancers and supportive care, infectious diseases such as HIV, and CNS disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and opioid addiction.

CONTACTS

Megan Strecker
Public Relations Coordinator, LSU Health Shreveport
Office: 318-675-8789 | Cell: 770-595-3052 | mstrec@lsuhsc.edu

Trevor P. Castor, Ph.D.
CEO, Aphios Corportation Contact
(001) 781-932-6933
tcastor@aphios.com

SHREVEPORT, La. (March 16, 2018) – Today 121 LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine students learned where they will go for their residency training during a Match Day ceremony held on campus. On Monday, students received a notification from the National Resident Matching Program of the Association of American Medical Colleges, or the NRMP®, confirming if they matched with a residency program. A sealed envelope containing the highly anticipated news of where they matched was given to each student as their name was called in random order. Each student announced their fate and shared their excitement in front of a crowd of family, friends, faculty and fellow students.

Much of the class will be staying in the state of the Louisiana to for residency. Twenty-nine percent of students will be staying in Shreveport, with 45 percent of students staying in the state of Louisiana. Students also matched with prestigious programs around the country including Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Mount Sinai, Georgetown, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Baylor Scott & White.

Match Day is also a strongly anticipated day for the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine, which learned it successfully filled all 119 residency positions available. The new group of LSUHS residents will be welcomed to Shreveport in July, where they will train at University Health and other partner hospitals.

"Today is an extraordinary day for our institution, the state of Louisiana and most importantly for our students. It is my honor to share that this year represents the most successful Match Day in the history of our health sciences center. These results are a direct reflection on the caliber and commitment of our faculty who work tirelessly in delivering the best possible education and training to our students and residents.   I wish the very best to our students staying in Shreveport as well as to those who matched in programs around the country.   I am confident each one of them will represent LSU Health Shreveport well strengthening our legacy of successful medical education,” said Chancellor and School of Medicine Dean, Dr. G.E. Ghali.

Students are randomly selected for the order in which they receive their Match Day envelopes. Following a tradition of LSU Health Shreveport, each student made a donation to a monetary gift that went to the last student who received their envelope, in consolation for having to wait through the entire ceremony before learning their fate. This year the money went to David Detz who will be completing his General Surgery residency at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.

Match Day ceremonies are held at the same time on the third Friday in March at medical schools around the country. Throughout their final year of medical school, students apply and travel to residency programs around the country to complete interviews. Students then rank their preferred residency programs through the National Resident Matching Program® (NRMP®), or The Match®. A computer algorithm then simultaneously takes the list of programs ranked by the student and the list of students ranked by the residency programs to fill available program positions. The NRMP® expects this year’s Main Residency Match to be the largest in history.

Students will receive their Doctorate of Medicine medical degrees in May at graduation before starting their respective residency programs.

Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, was recently re-elected President of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). APTA is a national professional organization representing more than 100,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students with the goal to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education.

Dr. Dunn has been an active member of APTA leadership for many years, having also served on the Board of Directors and as vice president.  Her passions are advocacy, member engagement, and the Physical Therapy profession’s potential to add great value to a disrupted health delivery system.

Under the leadership of Dr. Dunn during her first tenure as President, APTA reached a record-setting membership number with more than 100,000 members and a growth trajectory not seen since the early 1990s. She was also instrumental in the decision to invest in a new APTA headquarters building in Virginia, and in the successful congressional effort for a permanent fix to the 20 year long Therapy Cap on Medicare beneficiaries. Dr. Dunn will serve her second three-year term as President of APTA leading up to the organization’s 100^th anniversary in 2021.

“I have always been a proud member of APTA, and I was first elected President in 2015. It was a tremendous honor to be able to contribute in a leadership role and to help lead the organization during a transitional period for health services delivery in this country. It has been so enriching to my life and my career to be able to serve the physical therapy profession in this capacity,” said Dr. Sharon Dunn, Associate Professor, Physical Therapy Program at LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions.

One of the issues Dr. Dunn and the APTA leadership team will address is the rising cost of Physical Therapy education, which is outpacing entry-level income. Completing a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program can cost nearly as much as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, and student loan debt can impact a recent graduate’s career choice.  Another opportunity she sees is the need for integration of PT across the health delivery continuum as an added value which helps save overall healthcare costs.  In her 2018 Presidential Address to the APTA House of Delegates in Orlando, Fla., Dr. Dunn stated that the future of the physical therapy profession will be “characterized by an increased role in sustaining health and proactively preventing disability and disease.”

“President Dunn’s tireless commitment to advancing the profession and advocating for APTA’s members and their patients, and the positive results we’ve seen during her tenure, make it clear she is an incredible leader,” said APTA CEO Justin Moore, PT, DPT. “Sharon has been a true inspiration, not just to me, but also to those whose lives she’s touched. Her passion and positive energy are contagious and I am looking forward to continuing our work together to transform society.”

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About American Physical Therapy Association
The American Physical Therapy Association represents more than 100,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy nationwide. Visit MoveForwardPT.com to learn more about the types of conditions physical therapists treat, and find a physical therapist in your area. To learn more, visit www.apta.org.

About LSU Health Shreveport
LSU Health Shreveport is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System.  LSUHS is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions. More than 800 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time.  Additionally, nearly 600 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU’s Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the wellbeing of the region and beyond.  At the heart of the LSUHS is a strong faculty that include a number of nationally and internationally-acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region.  LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all.  For more information, visit www.lsuhscshreveport.edu.