From the Heart: It could be worse. It could be 2020.

Wednesday, June 30, 2021 | Vol. 2, No. 6

It could be worse. It could be 2020.

Yes, it’s hot. Yes, it’s hurricane season. Yes, it’s still months until we get to see the Saints embarrass the Falcons again (and again).

But at St. Tammany Health System, we’re always looking for reasons to be grateful, and here’s a big, honkin’ one: This summer isn’t last summer.

We can go out again. We can gather again. Those of us who are vaccinated can breathe a sigh of relief.

And we can all also get back to those preventative health screenings the pandemic forced us to put on hold, which is the whole point of the “Return to Screenings” initiative of which STHS is a part.

“Simply put, regular screenings can improve and save your life,” St. Tammany Health System Community Health Coordinator Anne Pablovich said, adding that regular screenings increase the chances of detecting some conditions early, when they may be easier to treat.

If you haven’t seen your doctor in a while, fire up the MyChart app or call our scheduling line at (985) 898-4001 to set up a visit. Don’t have a doctor? We can help with that, too.

After all, you want to be around to relish each and every Falcons loss you can.

In the meantime, here’s our latest batch of goings-on at St. Tammany Health System. Stay cool this summer – and stay healthy.

Community Checkup with Joan Coffman

The future of cancer care on the Northshore has arrived in the form of the new St. Tammany Cancer Center, a campus of Ochsner Medical Center. St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan Coffman offers a first-hand look at what it has to offer in this week’s Community Checkup video message.

‘A new day for cancer care’

Can you tell we’re excited about the new cancer center? You should be, too. This three-story, 75,000-square-foot facility is being characterized as a game-changer for cancer treatment on the Northshore.

Built around an integrated, multi-disciplinary philosophy that focuses on treating the whole patient – mind, body and spirit – the new $50 million center was designed to deliver the most comprehensive cancer treatment in a single place in the region.

In addition, it will provide patients access to the largest clinical trials network in Louisiana, allowing them to take advantage of groundbreaking new cancer therapies without ever leaving the parish.

Read the full story

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Need a good reason to get your COVID vaccine? How about a couple million of them? Registration opened recently for the state’s $2.3 million COVID incentive lottery, which is open to all Louisiana residents who have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine by July 31.

The future of COVID

We’re not under lockdown anymore, but 16 months after COVID-19 showed up in our community, it’s still making headlines – and it’s still making people sick. So what does the future hold? We sat down with St. Tammany Health System infectious disease guru Dr. Mike Hill to find out.

How to break tough news

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that bad things can happen. And while talking to children about such things can be difficult for you, not talking about them can be even more difficult for them. Fortunately, there are strategies for making it easier, as Juli Chastaine of the STHS Parenting Center writes in her latest column.

Chest Pain Center lauded nationally

You already know that the heart care experts at St. Tammany Health System are among the region’s best. Now, they’ve got more hardware to prove it, earning the American College of Cardiology’s Silver Performance Award for 2021, recognizing the health system’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients.

St. Tammany Health System