National Event to Address Food Insecurity, Obesity and Chronic Conditions in Louisiana

This free in-person event will be held in partnership with Ochsner Health and Healthy State

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), the leading multimedia peer-reviewed journal dedicated to issues in managed care, is proud to announce an exciting and insightful event, “Advancing Innovations in Wellness and Food Security to Address Obesity and Chronic Conditions in Louisiana.” The dinner conference will take place in partnership with Ochsner Health and Healthy State on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Westin New Orleans.

The Institute for Value-Based Medicine^® (IVBM) is renowned for promoting value-based care and advancing healthcare practices. This upcoming event brings together panels of distinguished healthcare and community experts who will delve into the latest innovations of value-based care. Together, they will discuss ways to address food insecurity, obesity and chronic conditions, which are major challenges in Louisiana.

“Value-based care is crucial to the future of healthcare, and AJMC®’s IVBM events allow experts to highlight best practices for each region,” said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences®, parent company of AJMC®. “Ochsner Health and partners are perfect for this event, as their shared Healthy State initiative shares the common goal of advancing communities through population health.”

Nearly one in five people in Louisiana live in poverty, and one out of every seven families do not have enough to eat every day. Lacking access to nutritional food can lead to or worsen chronic conditions, or those that require ongoing medical attention. The number of people living with two or more chronic conditions has increased over the last two decades and become a leading cause of premature death in Louisiana.

Food access and prevention of chronic disease are priorities for Healthy State, a unified collaboration of 35 organizations coming together to address pressing problems impacting community wellbeing in Louisiana. A key member is Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a campus of Louisiana State University and leader at the forefront of medical discoveries related to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia.

"Primary care is a cornerstone of medical care in the U.S., and through a lens of health equity, Healthy State partners are collaborating to bring more preventative coverage for chronic conditions like obesity and diabetes,” said Peter Katzmarzyk, associate executive director of Population and Public Health Sciences at Pennington. “Attendees can expect to hear healthcare experts discuss cutting-edge innovations in wellness and food security, as well as approaches to care that make substantial impact for communities in Louisiana.”

Highlights include:

• Introduction: Louisiana's State of the State on Wellness, Obesity and Food Security
  • Eboni Price-Haywood, M.D., MPH, MMM, FACP, system medical director of Healthy State and Ochsner Xavier Institute for Health Equity and Research
• Innovations in Obesity Medicine, Treatment of Chronic Disease and Prevention Strategy
  • Moderator:
    • Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Ph.D., FACSM, FAHA, FTOS, associate executive director of Population and Public Health Sciences at Pennington Biomedical Research Center
• Panelists:
  • Denise Holston, Ph.D., M.Sc., RDN, LDN; assistant professor, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, LSU AgCenter
  • Franck LaBiche, J.D.; human resources director at Laitram
  • Candice Myers, Ph.D., MS; assistant professor of Research, Population and Public Health, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
• Katie Queen, M.D., pediatrician, Our Lady of the Lake
• The Eat Fit Example: How to Improve Without Sacrificing Culture
  • Molly Kimball, R.D., CSSD
• Using Innovation in Value-Based Initiatives to Tackle Diabetes and Save Costs
  • Beau Raymond, M.D., MMM, FACP; chief medical officer for Ochsner Health Network
  • Julie Henry, MBA, chief operating officer of Ochsner Digital Medicine
• How to Work Across Sectors to Scale Food Access Initiatives, Improve Nutrition and Achieve Wellness Education in Local Communities
  • Moderator:
    • Christy Reeves, MBA, MLIS, vice president, Community Engagement & Impact at Ochsner Health
• Panelists:
  • Pat Van Burkleo; executive director, Feeding Louisiana
  • Pavan Chava, D.O., FACE; endocrinologist, Ochsner Health
  • Susannah Craig, Ph.D.; deputy commissioner for Strategic Planning and Student Success, Board of Regents
  • John Spain, senior advisor, Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Partnering with Ochsner Health, an integrated healthcare system with a mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate, this event promises to be a landmark occasion in the ongoing efforts to improve healthcare in Louisiana.

“Healthy State and Ochsner are committed to improving the overall health of Louisiana by focusing on key priority areas, including food access, obesity rates and physical activity. By focusing on health equity and population health, we have created an ambitious plan to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve,” said event co-chair Eboni Price-Haywood, MD, MPH, MMM, FACP, system medical director of Healthy State and OXIHER. “We’re excited to partner with AJMC® to bring the IVBM series to New Orleans as we work to create better lives for individuals and families throughout the state.”

To learn more about the event and register, visit the registration page.