NANCY DAWES - Ochsner.org

hardest-hit areas. The five facilities that used
generator power for a short period of time kept
air conditioning running, keeping our staff and
patients comfortable in a frightening situation.
And for a time, Ochsner Medical Center –
Baton Rouge was the only hospital in the
Baton Rouge region able to perform surgery.
• Ochsner prepared ahead of time. All hospitals
were prepared to be completely self-sufficient,
with enough power, medical supplies, drugs,
food and water to last for two full weeks.
• We were able to assist area hospitals by sharing
fuel and receiving patients when those facilities
were at risk. In fact, Ochsner Medical Center
in New Orleans received 25 patients and was
prepared for more.
• The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans
received ten babies from regional hospitals,
increasing our nursery to 34 babies! The unit
stayed cool, well stocked and well cared for as
nurses remained nearby the entire time.
• Ochsner’s 1,200 essential employees who rode
out the storm within our hospitals received
hot meals and sleeping accommodations.
Additionally, in Baton Rouge, employees were
allowed to buy gas from the hospital and other
necessities at a makeshift “Och-Mart” as the
city faced shortages. Family members and pets
of employees were taken care of in all regions.
• Over 500 patients stayed in Ochsner hospitals
through Gustav, including four babies who
were born during the storm. Each patient could
have one family member stay with them.
• A few days post-Gustav, all facilities were
running as usual. On Friday, September 5th,
one day after the evacuation order was lifted,
we performed four transplant surgeries and
began performing cath lab procedures.
While Hurricane season doesn’t close
until November 31st, I hope these
illustrations provide peace of mind that
all Ochsner hospitals and employees
are ready and dedicated to meet your
healthcare needs today, and in a
disaster. As always, we remain
“everywhere you need us.”
Patrick Quinlan, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Ochsner Health System
The NICU took expert care
of 34 fragile babies.
appen
SAVE A LIFE
Make your wishes known.
Register at www.lopa.org,
Ycall 1-800-521-GIVE,
or go to any Louisiana DMV.
Plus, call 1-888-306-9748
or watch Health Link
videos on Ochsner’s
Transplant Program at
www.ochsner.org.
How Ochsner Compares
Dr. Loss explains that one reason for the Abdominal Organ
Transplant Program’s success is that its experienced physicians
have a keen eye for choosing donor organs and a streamlined
process for getting them transplanted quickly. “We have access
to livers that other programs don’t use. We never use a bad liver,
but we do use good livers with bad stories,” he says. “And we
improve the odds of them working by implanting them quickly.”
heal the burn
Barrett’s esophagus, a complication of reflux, occurs when tissue in
the lower esophagus is damaged.
“We want to prevent Barrett’s from progressing to esophageal
cancer,” says Dr. Ramon Rivera, Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopist,
Department of Gastroenterology at Ochsner Medical Center in New
Orleans. “The risk of developing cancer is 30 to 125 times higher in
people who have Barrett’s esophagus than in people who do not.”
Dr. Rivera recommends radiofrequency ablation to treat Barrett’s.
The FDA-approved procedure, in which damaged tissue is destroyed,
has extremely low complication rates and is 98 percent effective.
Reflux itself still needs to be treated with medication and lifestyle
changes. “This does not take care of the reflux,” says Dr. Rivera. “It
takes care of a complication of reflux.”
£ Call the Department of Gastroenterology at 1-888-306-8274 for more
information and to learn about other treatments for reflux.
3
LIVER TRANSPLANTS
QUALITY
Ochsner National
MEASURE Average Average
Organ waiting time 20-30 days 20 months
Graft failure rate 0.5% 2-7%
1 month patient survival 99% 96%
1 year patient survival 94% 87%
Time on ice under 5 hours 91% 35%