Northshore District, Part One

Northshore District (Part One) 

After returning from a friend’s wedding in the Poconos mountains of rural Pennsylvania on Sunday evening, October 23^rd, I was not so sure I was ready to hop in the car and take on South Louisiana, but I got busy and prepared for my trip and took off about 3pm on Monday, October 24^th.  That put me in Baton Rouge just in time for dinner with my son, a freshman at LSU, and we chose Parrain’s.  Watching him wolf down a dozen raw oysters, salad, and fish, I realized he probably had not had a good meal in a while, as he is living in an apt.  He appeared grateful for the to-go boxes, too.

I arrived in New Orleans at 10pm and was thankful for a dear friend who allowed me to stay with during this working trip!  Since I’d been a little sleep-deprived during the wedding festivities, I hit the sack, ready to hit the Northshore the next day.

I found the Northshore to be a lesson in contrasts.  From the affluence of St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington to the extreme poverty of the LSUHealth’s Bogalusa Medical Center, this district struggles with identity.  Read on for more details of my travels through the Northshore. 

Slipping Through Slidell

I awakened early on Tuesday, October 25th and drove up to Slidell to begin my tour of the Northshore there.  I arrived at Slidell Memorial Hospital at 8am and was met by the impeccably dressed Julia Thomas, PT who is rehab director at Slidell Memorial, and told me she was dressed for a ladies’ luncheon sponsored by the Women’s Health Alliance, and that she was to perform stroke screening at that luncheon.  Great way for PT's to educate women about the risk of stroke!

I toured the inpatient rehab department where I met Patti Cognevich, PT who works in rehab, in this hospital, a nine-bed unit.  I also had arrived early enough to meet the acute therapists who had not ascended to the floors yet.  They were Brenda Taylor, PT and Bob Rolston, PTA who stated they’d been doing this for a long time! 

Julia walked me over to a 5000 sq. ft. building adjacent to the hospital, which housed the outpatient therapy, and there I met Lyndsay Gonzales, PT and Laurie Boutte, PT who work that dept.  They were busy with pt care, so I did not question them much. 

I always ask the therapists I meet if they have any questions or concerns for me as the new President of LPTA and Julia, on our way back toward the hospital, expressed some concern that in our Practice Act will be dry needling competency.  She wondered if this left us open for future requirements for things we already do such as vestibular rehab, lymphadema, NDT, and even sharps debridement, which we already perform, but often do require continuing ed to become prolific.   I listened and will take this question to the powers-that-be.  I could not elucidate the history of this addition to our practice act, so will look into that.  I did mention that dry needling is invasive and not taught in the normal course of PT school.  She stated she had brought this up at one of the Board’s hearings in New Orleans earlier.

Rayme and Heather, Wellness Physical Therapy

I drove just down Gause Blvd. and was warmly met by two therapists at Wellness Physical Therapy: Rayme Pullen, PT and Heather Matula, PT  Rayme graduated the same year I did from PT school, 2002.  She has earned her Orthopedic Certification from APTA and is still a member.  She showed me around the facility, which is just next door to a wellness center where patients who “graduate” from therapy can go!  There is even an indoor pool they share for some water aerobics and pool therapy.  Rich Baudry, PT out of New Orleans owns this clinic in Slidell, so I made it a point to put him on the list to meet the next day.  Rayme expressed some concerns with policy and documentation, but states that referrals are good, and that they even get some referrals from chiropractors. 

From there I went futher down Gause Blvd. to Oschner Medical Center-Northshore, to the Neurorehabilitation Institute, which is a free-standing building behind the hospital, containing a 15-bed rehab unit (all private rooms) and, marvel of all marvels, a $250K piece of equipment called the Lokomat (look it up on YouTube – robot-assisted walking therapy).  It’s the only one in Louisiana, and the therapists there say most of their patients love it!  It’s an offweighted treadmill with the robotic component moving the legs.  I met Paul McCann, Director of the Neurorehabilitation Institute, who has a background in rehab counseling; Karen Barkman, PT, Therapy Director, Steve Malek, PT, Melody Restivo, PT who does peds; and Mark S., PT from Poland by way of Canada who said his last name was too long to spell! They are going to e-documentation in January, using the program LSUHealth is switching to in Nov, EPIC.  Concerns expressed by Karen include supervisory requirements for PTA’s as they have some that come in PRN only on weekends, and difficulty obtaining PRN PTA coverage. 

On the way out of Slidell, I stopped by Audubon Physical Therapy but the therapists were busy with patients.  I left my informational sheet and a card with the receptionist to give to the therapists there. 

Boogying in Bogalusa

As I drove up the winding Hwy 41 from Slidell to Bogalusa, I realized scenery was changing.  Spanish-moss filled live oaks made way to scrubby pines in various stages of growth.  This is timber country, and timber trucks slowed me down more than once.  I went through little communities named “Bush” and “Sun” on my way toward Bogalusa, which I rank as the poorest of the communities I have visited thus far on my journey through Louisiana.  Often, I was the only vehicle on the highway at the 10am hour on Tues, Oct 26.

The first clinic I visited in Bogalusa was one of APTA’s Facility Challenge winners, Therapeutic Concepts, whose 2 PT’s and 1 PTA are all members!  Stephanie Keen, PT, a Texas Women’s grad, Heather Melancon, PT , a graduate of S. Alabama and Kaite Breeland, PTA work at this clinic, and Stephanie teaches Silver Sneakers classes there twice weekly.  (This is a Humana program whose participants can go workout for free!  The clinic gets a small fee per participant.) 

There has been a tragedy at Therapeutic Concepts in Bogalusa recently.  Two weeks ago, Katie Breeland, PTA was in an auto accident and sustained a displaced L2 fracture requiring surgical stabilization with little to no LE movement.  She is still at University Hospital in New Orleans.  There are good signs that Katie will return some or all LE function with intensive therapy, and she needs prayer warriors.  Katie is a fighter, and was in great shape prior to the accident, expecting to run a half-marathon in two weeks.  (Katie’s mother, Tina, gave me permission to post this.  I told her that we’d all keep her in our prayers.)

I spoke mostly with Heather who state they are working toward computerized documentation but for outpatient that is more difficult than acute or rehab, so they are contracting with an individual to work on this for them.  They do train students clinically.

Next stop was LSUHealth’s satellite hospital in Bogalusa, which was a step back into the ‘60’s.  Boy, does this hospital need updating, but with the strapped cash of the LSU system, that is but a dream.  I found the therapists there eating lunch on the second floor, Dana Rosser, PT who trained in Shreveport and was a ’98 grad, and Lacey Pierce, PTA.  They had two therapists who were out: Debbie Shilling, PT and a new grad from St. Augustine, Marcus Houston, PT who was on his honeymoon and works outpatient there.

The therapists where surprised and pleased that I visited them in their hospital. They had no pressing concerns for LPTA, and were not members currently (note I add that word “currently,” for every therapist and student, if they are not members, are potential members!).  I shared the reasons I value my membership and encouraged membership. 

Bogalusa has a large paper mill factory there, Temple-Inland, and one therapist told me this has a distinctive odor at times, but the day I was there, it did not, thank goodness!

Before going for lunch myself, I popped by The Spine and Joint Center that is run by a chiropractor and Robert Bardy, PT, but no one except the Office Manager Denise was there.  I left her a handout and a business card, and she recommended a seafood restaurant called Bino’s, so I went and found a little diner full of customers, and ordered snapper with crawfish cream!

Jay Schultz, PT  Care Physical Thearpy

My last stop in Bogalusa was at Care Physical Therapy run by Jay Schultz, MPT who is from Chalmette, a graduate of LSU N.O. and had worked prior in Lafayette.  In the last few years, he was persuaded to move to Bogalusa to this Care clinic to be director, and took the position.  He, his wife and 2 children are making their home in Bogalusa.  Jay is an enthusiastic member who is quite positive and very supportive of APTA/LPTA.  I took his picture and thanked him for his membership.  He told me he believes Bogalusa is set to turn around and he and his family are committed to making it a better place!

Flying Through Franklinton

Making a large circle through the countryside of the northern part of the Northshore District, my next stop was Riverside Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center, a free-standing outpatient clinic outside the hospital there.  I met Brooke Moody, PT, a Univ. of Miss. grad and a member of LPTA/APTA since ’89!  She is clinic director and quite knowledgeable.  They began CPSI e-documentation last November, and Brooke said it’s not very user-friendly.  She introduced me to Jessi Pounds, PT; Glenda Ritchie, PTA who was grandfathered in; and Wanda Freeman, PTA.  This clinic is Joint Commission certified and very well-run.  Brooke and I discussed the new Rules and Regs and I told her the Board will be coming around in the first quarter of the new Jurisprudence course to explain them, but that they are posted on the Board’s website and laptboard.org.

Close to this Medical Center was Care Physical Therapy run by Kevin McCain, PT, but often in this area the clinics close at noon on Tu/Th and this was the case here, so I left a handout in the door with my card. 

Casey Cassanova, PT  Heritage Manor

Last stop in Franklinton was at Heritage Manor, a SNF.  I arrived at 3pm and met Casey Cassanova, PT who moved there with his wife Brandi a little over a year ago.   She’s a PT also, who does home health in that area, and they have just had their first baby who is only 5 weeks old.  They are both St. Augustine grads who did some traveling contract PT before settling in Franklinton.  Casey states he was quite active as a student but that in the chaos of moving and having a baby, he has let his membership expire, but that he’d probably join again soon.  (see his pic)  He was glad I’d stopped by to visit. 

 Cruisin’ Through Covington (Part 1)

Driving down from Franklinton, toward Covington on Hwy 25, the views began to change.  I didn’t know this was the seat of the nursery business, but on either side of the road for many miles were many species of nursery plants, row upon row.  (Bring me a shrubbery! – Monty Python)  And the abodes began to change as well, from modest homes to mansions enshrouded in massive plantings, just barely visible from the road.  I could tell I was entering a more affluent part of this district. 

Because the afternoon was waning (it was 4:15pm), I rushed toward St. Tammany Parish Hospital and was amazed by the opulence of this facility!  Indoor and outdoor fountains, large bouquets of fresh flowers greeted me and I easily found the rehab unit in the hospital.  There, finishing some documentation from inpatient rehab, was Kathy Dunlap, PT who, with another PT and 2 OT’s work this 14 bed unit.  Just next to rehab was the acute PT office which was filled with PT’s and PTA’s finishing up their documentation.  I met Lisa Dantin, PT and Sara Borne, PT who both trained at the New Orleans campus.  I also met Kim Shockley, PT who was Northshore District Chair before David Hendricks.  She also trained in New Orleans and had a student, Brittany Bates, SPT from New Orleans campus, with her.  They also have a PTA, Randy Martinez who trained at Delgado.  Great group of therapists serving these patients!

The outpatient clinic associated with this hospital was just on the other side of the parking lot and was a former funeral home.  I had just missed Michelle Fell, PT, outpatient coordinator.  Deborah Deweese, PT gave me a tour of this first-class facility, and I met Kevin Mizell, PT.  They have an off-weight treadmill, and utilize 3 PTA’s in this clinic. 

That facility was all I had time to visit in Covington this day.  I’d return on Friday to visit more places in this area, and in Mandeville and Hammond to complete my Northshore tour.  It was approaching time for the Northshore District meeting, which I’d been talking up to everyone I’d met that day. 

Northshore District Meeting

David and Greg

David Hendricks, PT, Northshore District Chair, had planned a thorough, exciting meeting for his district at 6pm.  He’d bought sandwiches, drinks, chips and cookies for a crowd that, unfortunately, never materialized.  The only PT who showed up besides me and David was Greg Jones, PT who practices mainly now in MS, although he still has a clinic on the Northshore.  (See pic of David and Greg.)  Greg had been a delegate in the past. 

We talked fairly informally about the Workers’ Comp guidelines powerpoint prepared by Seth Kaplan, PT.  We also discussed LPTA’s updated website and the updated mission/vision statement and strategic plan, as well as the new rules and regs from the Board.  David is very good at researching topics, and had printed out everything we may have needed, including the 100-page Workers’ Comp guidelines and the entire new Rules and Regs. 

We talked a bit about how we can increase the attendance and enthusiasm of this typically low-participatory district.  There are no easy answers here.  Everyone makes time for what is important to them in their lives.  It was easy to see what is not important to the therapists in the Northshore District.  We could not fault lack of notice, as this was announced via email, snail mail and on Facebook 30 days in advance.  Quite disappointing for David and me.  Come on, Northshore, man up!

Thus ended my 13-hour day and I’d toured only half of the Northshore.  I made plans to finish up after spending a couple of days in the New Orleans District.