Congratulations to Our Heroes!

CityBusiness’ Health Care Heroes honors 50 outstanding health care professionals in the New Orleans area in six categories: professional, physician, nurse, first responder, animal care, and volunteer. A Health Care Hero identifies men and women in the health care industry whose contributions have increased the well-being of the community. Honorees are nominated by their peers and then selected by CityBusiness based on industry and community involvement and achievement that have set the pace for the overall community. Below is a list of EJGH Health Care Heroes and their achievements.

Judy Brown, EJGH Executive Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer

Judy Brown joined EJGH and the New Orleans area last year with over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry and a strong background in the intricacies of healthcare finance. She has quickly established herself as one of the key members of our EJGH team. What sets Brown apart is not only her ability to plan and implement financial strategies to ensure the financial stability of our community hospital but also her focus on integrating technology and clinical guidelines that will promote patient care and safety.

James McKinnie, MD, Cardiologist, and Electro-Physiologist

Dr. McKinnie introduced Cryoablation, a procedure involving a minimally invasive catheter approach, traditionally for Atrial Fibrillation (AF) treatment, the most common and most undertreated heart rhythm disorder in America. Dr. McKinnie successfully performed the new procedure on Jan. 19, 2011, the second time Cryoablation had been performed in America. Since then, he has successfully performed the procedure twice more. For thousands in our region who suffer from AF, there is now a new option, a new chance to not only save their lives but also to regain their quality of life.

Tod Engelhardt, MD, Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeon

Dr. Engelhardt introduced a procedure that would change the treatment protocols for PE (pulmonary embolism) cases and perhaps save many of the 600,000 lives that are lost each year to cases of massive PE. As of February 2011, Dr. Engelhardt had saved 30 lives with the new procedure. He has been asked to provide lectures on this procedure to physicians throughout the U. S., Switzerland, Germany, and India.

Wanda Genovese, RN, Non-Invasive Cardio Supervisor

Wanda Genovese manages a team of six physicians in the cardiology clinic and is in charge of all inpatient and outpatient testing in her area. She recently opened a new testing area outside of the hospital increasing the department’s volume by 28-30 patients per day. In addition to her administrative role, Wanda is a hands-on clinician working directly with patients on a daily basis. She also helps with Cardiopulmonary Exercise (CPX) testing for The Fitness Principle and helps with the Jefferson Parish Fire Department with testing that clears them for exercise programs and does their screening for pre-employment physicals prior to them entering the fire academy. Wanda is on the Medical Assistant Advisory Board at Herzing University where she provides lectures in relation to her field as she is in high demand as a lecturer within the field of cardiology administration and nursing.

Raul Guevara, MD, EJGH EMS Medical Director

Dr. Guevara has served as the EMS Medical Director at EJGH for over 27 years. Ten years ago, he made EJGH’s EMS service one of the first services in its region to have 12 lead electrocardiogram (EKG) capabilities along with technology to transmit. He helped author and review the regional pre-hospital protocols that all medics in the region follow. Dr. Guevara also served with the American Heart Association Operation Heartbeat, a program to place Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in public buildings to reduce death from sudden cardiac arrest. The program was very successful and placed over 250 AEDs in our region. Dr. Guevara also donates a lot of his time to the community by volunteering his medical services to different health care programs and those in need.

Clarisse Schleichardt, EJGH Volunteer

Clarisse Schleichardt has been a loyal volunteer to EJGH for many years. She is diligent and precise with everything she does. Besides her impeccable work ethic, she also has a bright personality and positive attitude that make her a great asset to the EJGH team. Clarisse is an irreplaceable member of our EJGH family.

All honorees were recognized at a May 25 luncheon at the New Orleans Ritz-Carlton and will be honored in a special insert to run in the May 27, 2011 issue of CityBusiness. To see a complete list of the 2011 Health Care Heroes, click here.