LSU Shreveport Hosts 7th Annual Mental Health Awareness and Substance Abuse Prevention Conference

LSUS Continuing Education hosts the seventh annual Mental Health Awareness and Substance Abuse Conference on December 3, 2021. This hybrid event, consisting of in-person and Zoom attendance options, will enable participants to earn two clinical and four general Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

“LSUS Continuing Education has a long history of supporting our Mental Healthcare workers in public and private industry by providing yearly conferences on Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Bullying, and Suicide Prevention,” said Leigh Anne Chambers, Executive Director of Events and Community Initiatives. “This continual training for the professionals in our community is integral to serving the needs of our residents.”

The 7th Annual Mental Health Conference is sponsored by the LSU Shreveport Department of Psychology, Caddo Parish School Board, and Brentwood Hospital. For details and to register for the conference, visit the LSUS Continuing Website at https://www.ce.lsus.edu/searchResults.cfm?conference=1

LSUHS Faculty member inducted as National President of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

On November 13th, Cherie-Ann Nathan, MD, FACS, Jack Pou Endowed Professor and Chairman for the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at LSU Health Shreveport, was inducted as the newly installed President of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. The mission of the Association of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery is to promote the common interests of academic faculty through publications, research, and discussions.

Temporary Closing of the Field of Dreams Park

The Field of Dreams Park at 4714 Hazel Jones will be closed on Tuesday, Dec. 14 and Wednesday, Dec.15, for a thorough equipment cleaning. The park will be reopened on Thursday, December 16th for the public’s enjoyment.

Christopher Stage, MD, Joins WK Advanced Urology

Christopher Stage, MD, has joined WK Advanced Urology and the Willis-Knighton Physician Network. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology.

Stage earned his medical degree at LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport and followed that with a residency in urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and graduated from Ouachita Christian School in Monroe.

As a urologist,Stage deals with diseases of the urinary tract and voiding dysfunction. He focuses on men’s health, including but not limited to enlarged prostates, testosterone replacement, kidney stones and erectile dysfunction. He is adept at the most current surgical techniques for these conditions and more, including laparoscopic surgery for kidney disorders as well as other endoscopic and laser procedures. “The technology has really advanced over the years,” he says. “It’s impressive that we very rarely need to do any open surgeries for kidney stones. I like to be on the forefront.”

WK Advanced Urology, which includes Gerard Henry, MD, has two locations, WK Pierremont Health Center, 8001 Youree Drive in Shreveport, and WK Bossier Health Center, 2300 Hospital Drive in Bossier City. Stage will practice primarily at WK Pierremont.

Henry and Stage welcome new patients and most insurance plans.

Southern University System Board elects new chairman, vice chairman at November meeting

The Southern University System Board of Supervisors on Friday unanimously elected current vice-chairman Edwin Shorty as the next chairman of the Board. He succeeds current Chairman Domoine Rutledge, who is finishing his last term. The Board also unanimously elected Dr. Rani Whitfield, current Board member, as its next vice-chairman. The elections were held during the Board’s November meeting.

Edwin Shorty is the managing partner in the Law Firm of Shorty, Dooley, and Hall. He is a 1998 Graduate of Southern University at New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, with a minor in economics. He obtained his juris doctorate from the Southern University Law Center in 2002. He is admitted to practice in all Louisiana State Courts and in the United States Federal Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana.

Dr. Rani Whitfield is a Board-certified family physician with a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in sports medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from Southern University and A&M College and completed medical school training at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. He is an impassioned advocate for increasing the awareness of health-related issues, such as HIV/AIDS, obesity, cardiovascular disease and substance abuse.

Shorty and Whitfield will assume their new roles with the Board in January 2022.

Dunn Child Development Center cuts ribbon on new trike track

Northwestern State University’s Marie Shaw Dunn Child Development Center hosted a ribbon-cutting for the school’s new trike track and track naming ceremony Nov. 19. Members of the CDC family, administrators and community officials were present for the event.

The Taylor Starnes family ticket was drawn from a hopper in the inaugural track naming ceremony. The track will be named Taylor’s Trike Track for the next year when another raffle will take place.

“This new tradition will continue every year. A new name will be chosen for the path at the Sip and See at the beginning of every school year in August,” said Faith Stanfield, CDC director.

When the CDC was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC team used the time to begin renovating the existing trike track as phase one to the playground project. The expansion went beyond an already existing fence and the circular road to encompass the entire playground with a painted road, directional arrows and road signs to promote literacy.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The Briefcase: Field of Dreams closes temporarily