When people ask Judy Goodwin, MLS, SBB (ASCP), how long she has worked at St. Francis Medical Center, she has to remind herself it has been 45 years. To her, it doesn’t feel like that long, but she says time flies when you love what you do. Goodwin is supervisor for the blood bank at…
When it comes to an annual mammogram, accuracy and peace of mind are key. New advanced mammogram technology is available from Our Lady of the Angels Health as part of our commitment to the fight against breast cancer. Compared to conventional mammography, the 3D mammography exams are better at finding early, treatable breast cancer and…
Mary Ann Smithhart, RN, BSN, currently serves as the director of nursing-geriatric services for St. Dominic’s Behavioral Health Services. She started her journey with St. Dominic’s in 1982, when the hospital was hiring 15 new graduates to help staff the upcoming critical care wing. Simple Beginnings Smithhart credits her parents with encouraging her to pursue…
Getting ready for the birth of a new baby can feel overwhelming, but there are things parents-to-be can do to prepare. Evie Robison, RN, pregnancy navigator at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Lafayette, shares her tips to help expecting parents plan for the big day in this ParentingU podcast episode. As…
Being there with women as they receive a breast cancer diagnosis is sacred work that Evelyn Goodrow, RN, BSN, OCN, feels called to do. At Our Lady of Lourdes Breast Center, Goodrow’s job is primarily education, helping patients make sense of and navigate their cancer treatment, connecting them to care across the continuum. She serves…
A childhood experience seeing her grandmother get hurt being pushed to the pavement led Claudia Nelson to want to pursue a career in healthcare. Nelson has been in the United States for more than 40 years and is originally from El Salvador in Central America. She is a Pipil Indian, who are descendants of Aztecs.…
Karla Espinoza has turned her passion for working with children into a fulfilling career with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health. Espinoza is a nurse assistant for Health Centers in Schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System. She assists students and parents with an emphasis on providing care for students living…
Brooke LeBlanc was only 30 years old when she received her breast cancer diagnosis, despite having no family history of the disease. She was a breastfeeding mom, and her second son was only four months old. She and her family were days away from moving home to Acadiana after living in Colorado for several years.…
Keeping up with a busy schedule is difficult for many of us. For men in high-powered positions or with major business responsibilities, it’s next to impossible. That’s why men’s health needs often fall to the bottom of the to-do list. What’s alarming is that men are twice as likely as women to suffer from chronic…
Mayra Rocha, RN, is a first generation Cuban American, and she’s been working at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital since 2009 when it was known as LSU Bogalusa Medical Center. As a bilingual registered nurse in the hospital’s ER, Rocha is able to help many people. “Having the advantage of speaking Spanish has helped…
Much of the work of parenting involves balance, avoiding extremes one way or another. That good general advice also applies to helping kids establish healthy eating habits. Carmen Alexis Miller, MS, RDN, LDN, outpatient dietitian at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital in Lafayette, shares about ways to feed our kids well, encouraging…
With strengths in diagnosing and fixing broken things, Johnathan Segovia serves as a maintenance mechanic 3 for St. Francis Medical Center’s downtown campus. “Working in maintenance allows me to use my gifts and talents to keep the hospital running,” he says. “I believe in working for a cause greater than myself.” A member of our…
Caring for others has been a central part of life for Ashley Torres, RN. While she’s early in her nursing career, so far it has been as an Our Lady of the Lake team member. She started as a student nurse in 2015, worked briefly as a nurse tech and has been a full-time RN…
We all slip up every now and then. But falls can be serious business in the workplace—for you and for your place of work, too. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, 15% of all accidental deaths are due to some sort of slip or fall. Michael Brown, APRN, FNP-C, of St. Francis Medical…
Since starting as a college intern until today working as a senior communications specialist, Camille Amadeo has built her career as a team member within our health system. As part of the internal communications team, Amadeo’s role entails communicating to team members within all five markets across our health system: Our Lady of the Lake…
For a holiday that is supposed to be all about fun, costumes and treats, Halloween can be big concern for parents with food-allergic children. Theron McCormick, MD, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health, shares trick-or-treat tips for those parents. Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen a significant…
Taking a biology class in high school started a career path toward medicine. “I was amazed at how beautifully we creatures were made and how interesting the human body is,” says Gabriel Zevallos, MD, hospitalist at St. Dominic Hospital. Dr. Zevallos provides acute care for patients admitted to the hospital and joined the St. Dominic’s…
Serving his community as a bilingual certified registered nurse anesthetist is something Rodrigo Lopez, CRNA, loves about being part of the team at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa. Lopez has been with our ministry since 2014 when the hospital became part of our health system, and he’s been a CRNA since 2007.…