Medical experts available: Brain injuries, the 3rd anniversary of COVID, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Newswise — Ochsner Health has experts on standby for an interview, either on background or on the record, for the following topics:

• Spotlight on Brain Injuries – One in every 60 people in the United States are living with disabilities related to a permanent brain injury. Brain injuries are the result of some type of outside force to the head, which can be traumatic or non-traumatic. But did you know, that even the simplest concussion is considered a traumatic brain injury? Dr. Andrew Guidry, former collegiate athlete and current neurologist at Ochsner Health, can discuss how these injuries impact millions of individuals. As we highlight Brain Injury Awareness Month, Dr. Guidry can combine his advanced neurology training and his innate understanding of the psyche of the athlete to help bring awareness to this important topic. 

• COVID – Three Years Later – Are we still in the pandemic, and will it ever go away? The answer is yes, and no. Three years later, most people have moved on and now choose to live life without thought of the virus that once shut down the world. While the risk is certainly much less than it was in 2020, there are still things the public should know about contagious viruses like COVID-19, the flu and others. Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, System Medical Director for Hospital Quality, and Infectious Diseases Physician at Ochsner Health, can discuss where things stand with the COVID pandemic and why we should still take the virus seriously. 

• What is Multiple Sclerosis? - Most people have heard of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but don’t fully understand what it is and how it affects the nearly 1 million people living with MS in the United States. During National Multiple Sclerosis Month, Dr. Bridget Bagert, Director, Ochsner Multiple Sclerosis Center, can explain how this unpredictable disease can impact the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Dr. Bagert is active in clinical research for MS at Ochsner Health and was recently featured in an article on a promising new therapy currently in clinical trial. 

Ochsner Health is the largest not-for-profit academic health system in Louisiana, and one of the largest in the Gulf South, delivering patient-centered care through a nationally recognized network of 48 hospitals, 370 health centers and urgent care clinics, 4,600 physicians, and 38,000 employees. Ochsner Health has been listed as one of the best hospitals in the country 23 times, and ranked the #1 hospital in the state for the past 10 years by U.S. News & World Report.  

We can provided media experts on the topics suggested above and most any other healthcare /medical topic.