Willis-Knighton Health System, with four fullservice acute care hospitals and a rehabilitation institute scheduled to open in early 2017, has signed a memorandum of understanding in a fi rst of its kind statewide partnership to form a clinically integrated network that expands on the Health Leaders Network and its almost 1,000 providers across Louisiana. More than 100,000 lives are currently under contract for management. These partner organizations will share quality data and focus on the changes in the health-care industry calling for predictable and consistent outcomes.

Named Health Leaders Network Partners, the founding members are market leader organizations with track records for collaboration and high-quality, highvalue care delivery.

The vision of Health Leaders Network Partners is for these community-focused, local healthcare organizations that share common values and performance expectations to join together in a structure to provide more value for patients. The goal of the Network Partners is to build upon the unique strengths of its members and share best practices to provide coordinated high-quality, safe and personalized patient experiences.

The structure assigns no ownership to the partners and is not considered any type of merger.

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David F. Lewis, M.D., has been named vice-chairman of Clinical Affairs at LSU Health Working in concert with department chairs and faculty, Dr. Lewis is responsible for increasing clinical volume and improving quality of care and outcomes, and facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration across clinical departments. He will serve as a key member of the chancellor’s leadership team with focus on developing and enhancing relationships with partner hospitals and driving clinical growth to support LSU Health Shreveport’s transition to a new business model.

Dr. Lewis, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at LSU Health Shreveport, has served successfully as chairman and professor of three OB-GYN departments. He is the incoming president of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and vice-president of the Roger K. Freeman Perinatal Society, and has served on numerous boards throughout the South.

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Debbie Chandler M.D., has been named the assistant dean for Diversity Affairs at LSU Health Shreveport Dr. Chandler will be responsible for providing leadership and vision to recruit, retain and support an outstanding and diverse faculty, staff and student body. Collaboration with students, staff, faculty, department chairs, the offi ce of multicultural affairs, secondary schools, state colleges and universities, and private industry to increase the populations and improve the graduation rate of historically underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students in medicine and the biomedical sciences.

Dr. Chandler is an associate professor of clinical anesthesiology, director of perioperative services and the pediatric division of anesthesiology at LSU Health Shreveport. She is actively involved in numerous professional associations and has won multiple awards for her teaching and contributions to residents.

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Adrian Chapa-Rodriguez M.D. has been named assistant professor of pediatrics at LSU Health in the section of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition He is board certifi ed in general pediatrics and is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition and the American Gastroenterology Association. Dr. Chappa-Rodriguez is trained to perform diagnostic and therapeutic upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, polypectomies, PEG tube placements, percutaneous liver biopsies, pH/impedance and esophageal manometry studies.

Dr. Chapa-Rodriguez completed his pediatric residency at the John H. Stroger Jr. hospital of Cook County in Chicago followed by a pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition fellowship at New York State University at Buffalo.

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Edwin H. “Sonny” Byrd Jr., MD, and Warren C. West Jr., MD, have joined Paul G. Crawford, MD, FACOG, and Charles F. Sale, MD, FACOG, at Pierremont Women’s Clinic The practice is located in the WK Pierremont Health Center Medical Offi ce Building at 8001 Youree Drive in Shreveport, Suite 300.

Dr. Byrd earned his Bachelor of Arts at Louisiana College in Pineville and subsequently fi nished medical school at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

A graduate of Centenary College, Dr. West earned his medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans.

The doctors accept new patients and most insurance plans.

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Willis-Knighton Health System has successfully performed its fi rst endovascular mechanical thrombectomy Willis-Knighton Health System has successfully performed its fi rst endovascular mechanical thrombectomy, treating a patient with an acute ischemic stroke. This was the fi rst time the procedure had been performed at Willis-Knighton.

The patient, who was treated at the end of November, was transported from an out-of-town hospital to WK Pierremont Health Center, the site of the health system’s center of excellence for stroke. Understanding that “time is brain,” the team performed the thrombectomy within two hours of arrival. The procedure involves removal of a thrombus, or clot, within the vascular system that is preventing the fl ow of blood.

The patient was receiving care via telemedicine at the outlying facility where she was given the clot buster drug. Neurohospitalist Dr. Alan Little was contacted at WK Pierremont, and after reviewing a CT angiogram, he identifi ed the clot in an area that could be reached by catheter. Dr. Little and the WK Pierremont stroke team coordinated efforts with Dr. Hugo Cuellar, a neurointerventional radiologist. The WK Pierremont cath lab team and anesthesia team were activated, and the procedure was a huge success.

The patient, who had complete paralysis on her left side, has fully recovered and has returned home to her daily routine.