March 16, 2016 Progress Notes
Medicaid/Bayou Health
- MCO Provider Calls to Continue Through March
- Bayou Health Informational Bulletins
- Health Plan Advisories
- SUDIA Recipe: Buttermilk Banana Bread Muffins
Upcoming Events:
- PCAL 4th Annual Community Engagement Luncheon | 3/24/16 | Baton Rouge, LA
- Pediatric Jambalaya XIII | 4/23/16 | Lafayette, LA
- Red River Potpourri | 8/19-21/16 | Shreveport, LA
Download a pdf version of this edition
NOTICE- VFC Vaccines Shipments Temporarily Suspended
It was brought to our attention that some of our members have seen a notice on the VFC ordering website indicating that all VFC vaccine shipments are temporarily suspended. The Chapter has reached out to the VFC staff to inquire about the suspension and have received the response below. Please let us know if you encounter any continued issues.
Immunization Program response to shipment suspension: This was not a decision that was made by the Louisiana Immunization Program. This decision was made by CDC, Mckesson, FedEx, and UPS, due to the storms on last week and the widespread flooding across the state that is currently happening. In the past several days we have had multiple vaccine shipments that were compromised. This is only temporary and we hope to resume shipping by the end of the week. They are updating us daily on the situation. As a reminder Mckesson has 10-15 days to process and ship your order. We haven’t gotten out of week one yet. You may still place your VFC order and it will be processed. We will notify all providers on the home page of LINKS when this has been resolved.
Adrienne Mercadel Whitney, MPH
Vaccine Procurement and Distribution Manager
Louisiana Office of Public Health Immunization Program
1450 L and A Rd.
Metairie, LA 70001
(504) 838-5300
adrienne.mercadel@la.gov
Assessing Your Needs Following Recent Flooding
The Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is seeking input on needs in your area following recent flooding.
American Academy of Pediatrics
Friends of the Children Disaster Relief Funds
Your American Academy of Pediatrics has established a Friends of the Children Disaster Relief Fund for the specific purpose of providing immediate relief to children in need in the aftermath of disasters. Over the years, many of you have graciously contributed to this fund. Because of the flooding we have experienced throughout Louisiana, the fund coordinators have reached out to the Louisiana Chapter to determine if there are unmet needs among children in our state which could be met using some of these funds. Below is a brief history and the type of assistance they have offered in past. Please let us know if you are aware of any such needs. EMAIL the Chapter.
Thank you for your membership and commitment to the health and well-being of all Louisiana children.Sincerely,
Bryan Sibley, MD, FAAP | John Vanchiere, MD, PhD, FAAP
LA AAP Presiden | LA AAP Vice President
Friends of Children Fund- A brief history
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers a Friends of Children Fund, through which contributions can be made to support pediatricians and the children they treat as a result of natural or man-made disasters anywhere in the world. These funds can also be used to support AAP efforts to train and prepare communities, states, regions, and countries to respond to future disasters.
The fund was established in 2005 and was originally called the “AAP Hurricane Katrina Victims Relief Fund”.
AAP Chapters in the Gulf Coast area were asked to conduct a needs assessment and were awarded funds to support the most pressing needs. Eventually, a new Disaster Relief gift designation was created within the Friends of Children Fund to support disaster relief efforts.
In addition to providing funds for education and training related to disaster relief, the fund has provided items such as formula, diapers, water, medicine and medical equipment to providers and residents in affect areas.
“Zika Virus: What can we expect in 2016?”
John Vanchiere, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics LSUHSC-Shreveport
Published on March 10, 2016
Click the image to view
MOTHERS’ MILK BANK OF LOUISIANA AT OCHSNER BAPTIST
One in eight babies is born prematurely and a significant number of mothers with premature babies are not able to breastfeed or produce adequate amounts of milk. Donor milk banking plays an important role in meeting the critical nutritional needs of these babies. In the US and Canada, there are 23 human milk banks and 7 developing banks functioning as depots currently operational under the guidance of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBABA). Human milk banks collect milk from lactating women who are producing more milk than their baby requires. These donors are interviewed and then have their blood screened prior to being accepted as a donor. The milk is processed (homogenized, pasteurized and cultured) prior to giving to an infant in need.
Ochsner Baptist Hospital has been approved by HMBABA as a Developing Milk Bank, and has already opened a Milk Bank Depot which will collect human milk from pre-screened lactating women and send it to the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin, TX for processing. Ochsner Baptist is equipped with a freezer and will accept breastmilk around the clock.
“Donor milk helped my baby thrive,” states Lakita Wickware, who delivered her son, Ray Charles, prematurely at Ochsner Baptist. “Because he came early, my milk had not come in yet and I wasn’t able to breastfeed. The doctor in the NICU told me donor milk was an option. At first I was nervous about giving my son milk from another mother, but you want your baby to be healthy. He needed it and it was a blessing. He’s doing great now.”
Women who are currently breastfeeding infants under one year of age are eligible to be screened at no charge to become breast milk donors. Once screened and accepted, the donor will drop off her frozen milk at Ochsner Baptist where it will be sent to Austin. Research shows that the method of pasteurization used at Austin preserves approximately 70% of the immune factors that help protect babies from illness.
“I encourage those who may have a surplus of breastmilk to become donors,” says current milk bank donor Emily Martin. “You can help other babies become healthy and strong. The process is painless and anything helps. It’s very rewarding to help another family.”
Mothers who would like to donate should contact Laura Tankersley at The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin by calling 512-494-0800 or emailing laurat@milkbank.org. The process to donate requires an advance health screening and blood test. All costs for screenings are covered by Austin’s bank. Once screening is complete, women will be able to conveniently drop off frozen breast milk 24/7 at Ochsner Baptist located at 2700 Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans.
For detailed drop off information or to learn more about the developing milk bank visitwww.ochsner.org/mothersmilkbank
To support the milk depot at Ochsner and the development of the only fully functional milk bank in the community, contact Traci Lucas, CFRE, Director of Development for Women and Children at 504-894-2017 ortrack.lucas@ochsner.org.
Call for Chapter Award Nominations
Please submit nominations to Ashley Politz via email by April 29th
Charles M. Vanchiere Child Advocacy Award: This award is given to recognize special efforts to improve the health of children in Louisiana by increasing their access to needed health care.
Dr. Charles M. “Buzzy” Vanchiere was a private pediatrician in Lake Charles, Louisiana, for nearly 30 years, and a tireless advocate for children’s services. He pushed the private sector to accept Medicaid patients when the state first allowed them to bill for screening and diagnostic services. He was president of the LA Chapter of AAP at the time that the federal State Child Health Insurance Legislation was enacted and he was a major force in assuring that Louisiana took advantage of this new opportunity to cover children. He served on medical committees in his parish, in the state and for the American Academy of Pediatrics. He organized and led the Pediatric Society of Southwest Louisiana and the LSU Pediatric Alumni Association. He chaired the Pediatric Advisory Committee for Medicaid and was a member of the Blue Cross Physician Executive Committee. He was also active in the “Children’s Miracle Network” and received it “Miracle Makers” award in 1995 for outstanding service to that program. Dr. Vanchiere died in the year 2000 at the young age of 60 and the Chapter established this award in his name to honor outstanding child advocates.
Bettina C. Hilman Award for Services to Special Needs Children: This award is given to a pediatrician that has provided significant services for special needs children in the state.
Dr. Bettina Hilman is a renowned authority on pediatric cystic fibrosis. After graduating summa cum laude from Centenary in 1949, Dr. Hilman earned a Master of Science degree from Tulane and then earned her MD from Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Dr. Hilman is board certified in both Allergy/Immunology and Pediatric Pulmonary Diseases. Following completion of her training, she held positions in clinics, hospitals and universities throughout the United States and lectured throughout the world. She spent a major part of her career as a researcher and faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. While in Shreveport she served as Chief of the Pulmonary and Allergy Section. During her tenure, she established and served as first director of the LSU Shreveport Cystic Fibrosis Center and the Allergy/Immunology fellowship program.
Dr. Hilman held a number of leadership positions in state and national organizations throughout her career and was an active member of the Louisiana Chapter of the AAP. She served as a member of the AAP’s Task Force on Opportunities of Women in Pediatrics in 1978-9. Dr. Hilman was on the editorial boards of a number of journals and served as the editor-in-chief of the journal Pediatric Asthma, Allergy and Immunology for a number of years
Dr. Hilman has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Humanitarian Award for the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1989, the Shreveport Medical Society Distinguished Service Award in 1996, the William Stewart Distinguished pediatric Alumni Award from LSUHSC-NO in 1996, the Women Who Make a Difference Award in Shreveport in 1997, and was inducted into the Centenary College Alumni Hall of Fame in 1998. The LA AAP presented the David William Van Gelder Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Hilman in 1996 and the Elizabeth Casenelli Award in 2000.
Named in her honor, the Hilman House opened in September 1988 in Shreveport to provide a homelike residence for cystic fibrosis patients and their families to have free housing while undergoing medical treatment at the Cystic Fibrosis Center in Shreveport.
Throughout her career she has been a strong advocate for her patients, for advancing pediatric care, for medical education and for women in medicine.
Chapter Service Award: This award is to recognize a committee or special interest group that has most successfully accomplished its goals and objectives.
Sandra C. Adams Award: recognition of a non-physician in their efforts to improve health of children in Louisiana through advocacy and community involvement.
Sandra C. Adams served as the Executive Director of the Louisiana MCH Coalition from January 1, 1990, when it began, until her retirement on June 20, 2009. The Coalition is a non-profit advocacy organization focused on improving health care for women and children. Ms. Adams was a registered lobbyist at the Louisiana Legislature and worked on a variety of issues including prenatal care, well-child care, adolescent pregnancy, Medicaid eligibility, health insurance reform and comprehensive school health. She concurrently served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and managed both the LA AAP Foundation and the LA Perinatal/MCH Foundation.
Her career was shaped by a diverse combination of business, government and non-profit experience in states from coast to coast. After graduation from the University of Maryland, she worked on injury prevention at the US Department of Health and Welfare in Washington, DC. She moved to New York and served as a human resources officer at Bankers Trust Company on Wall Street and then moved to the west coast where she was a financial analyst for Xerox in Los Angeles. After moving to Louisiana, she sought work in the non-profit realm and led community services for the elderly until she was appointed to a term as Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs.
Ms. Adams also has an extensive list of volunteer accomplishments including:
- ·Board of Trustees, Woman’s Health Foundation/Woman’s Hospital (Past Chair)
- ·Capital Area United Way Board of Directors and Chair of Community Partnership Division (Allocation Process)
- ·Council for a Better Louisiana (Member of Board and Executive Committee)
- ·Past President of WRKF, Public Radio
- ·Founder and first president of La. Senior Olympics
Medicaid/ Bayou Health
MCO Provider Calls to Continue Through March
To continue to offer support to providers during the integration of mental health and substance use services into Bayou Health, the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) will continue to co-host the calls with the Managed Care Organizations (MCO) through the month of March 2016. The calls will take place Monday through Friday with a different MCO each day. The calls will allow DHH to continue to keep providers up to date with announcements and will allow providers to make comments or ask the MCOs questions. If you email your questions or comments to bayouhealth@la.gov before the call, Medicaid will forward your email to the appropriate MCO. This will allow the MCOs time to prepare a response. All provider types are welcome to participate on the calls. The call schedule will be as follows:
• Monday – Aetna
• Tuesday – Amerigroup
• Wednesday – AmeriHealth Caritas
• Thursday – Louisiana Healthcare Connections
• Friday – United Healthcare
All calls will take place from noon until 1 p.m. There will be no call on Good Friday March 25, 2016.
The call-in information is as follows:
• Call-in #: 1-888-636-3807
• Access Code: 1133472
DHH offers providers numerous avenues for reporting and resolving issues related to Bayou Health. Please refer to Information Bulletin 12-27 posted on www.makingmedicaidbetter.com. This bulletin also includes contact information for each of the MCOs.
For news specifically pertaining to the integration, you can click on the “Behavioral Health” tab onwww.makingmedicaidbetter.com. To automatically receive updates and releases from the Department regarding the integration, subscribe to the “Integrated Health Care” newsletter.
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Bayou Health Informational Bulletins for Providers
Informational Bulletins cover a variety of topics related to Bayou Health, and all are available here.
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Health Plan Advisories
Health Plan Advisories are available at http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/1734
SUDIA Recipe: Buttermilk Banana Bread Muffins
These grab-and-go muffins call to mind the flavor and texture of banana bread. The addition of flaxseed and walnuts adds nuttiness and a double punch of heart-healthy omega-3 fats.
Ease: Easy
Yield: 12 muffins muffins
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Source: Maureen Callahan, MS, RD
Ingredients
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Beat in sugar. Combine flour and next four ingredients (flaxseed through cinnamon). Add flour mixture to banana mixture; mix just until blended. Spoon batter into a 12-count muffin tin filled with nonstick paper liners. Sprinkle each muffin with 1 teaspoon walnuts and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes in pan. Remove muffins to wire rack and cool completely.
For more information and recipes visit www.southeastdairy.org
Upcoming Events
PCAL 4th Annual Community Engagement Luncheon
Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation
and the E.J. and Marjory B. Ourso Family Foundation
When:
Thursday March 24, 2016 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM CDT
Where:
Renaissance Hotel
7000 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Join Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana Thursday, Mar. 24 as we kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month with our annual Community Engagement Luncheon!
We welcome Laura Porter, Co-Founder of ACE Interface, LLC as our keynote speaker. Laura will present, “After ACEs: Building Resilience and Community Awareness.” Now that we know about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Laura will talk to us about how to build resiliency in those with high ACE scores and how to increase community awareness about ACEs and the need for child abuse prevention.
Newly appointed DCFS Secretary Marketa Walters will join us, as we hope you will, too! The event is free, but you must register by Friday, Mar. 18.
Questions? Contact Angela Vanveckhoven, our Communications Director, at (225) 925-9520 or .’; document.write( ‘<a ‘=”” +=”” path=”” ‘\”=”” prefix=”” addy4369=”” suffix=”” attribs=””>’ ); document.write( addy_text4369 ); document.write( ‘<\/a>’ ); //–>
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<a ‘=”” +=”” path=”” ‘\”=”” prefix=”” addy4369=”” suffix=”” attribs=””>Thank you for your support of our prevention activities. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month! Find out what we have going on and please be sure to thank our CAP Month Sponsors!
Pediatric Jambalaya XIII
Our Jambalaya faculty have been confirmed! You don’t want to miss these speakers!
Kathi J. Kemper, MD, MPH
Director, Center for Integrative Health and Wellness
Professor, Pediatrics and Dietetics, College of Medicine
Adjunct Professor, College of Nursing
The Ohio State University
Dennis Styne, MD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of California,
David Medical Center
Register Here | Download the Brochure
The 2016 Pediatric Jambalaya will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at LITE in Lafayette, LA.
Pediatric Jambalaya is a mixture of health care topics which will enhance your pediatric practice. Attendees will receive a maximum of 5.25 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™.
If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Lambert at the Woman’s Foundation.
337-988-1816 ext 122 | ashley@womansfoundation.com
Red River Potpourri
August 19-21, 2016
Shreveport Convention Center
Shreveport, LA
Registration details will be forthcoming
www.womansfoundation.com
Call us for more information 337.988.1816
Red River Potpourri is presented by The Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
For all the latest updates, go to: www.laaap.org/2016potpourri