Dr. Laborde
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professionalism and selflessness is truly inspiring,” said Dr. Laborde. The onsite pharmacy team also plays a crucial role. “The care and focus required to mix and draw the exact doses from the vials is admirable,” said Dr. Laborde. “Without the pharmacist, there is no vaccine to administer.” As for his role? “From a medical perspective, it is my role to ensure that the patients are safe,” explained Dr. Laborde, “and that we are all wellprepared to respond to an emergency and unexpected event.”
The end goal: passing the baton
With proper preparation and ongoing collaboration from Dr. Laborde and his staff, the sites appear to hum along almost effortlessly once everyone finds their rhythm. “I like to describe these events as a relay race with the vaccine being the baton, but the race is being run in both series and in parallel,” said Dr. Laborde. “Our structures and processes need to be perfectly aligned. From the time that the patient drives or walks up, is registered, and to the time that the shot
is administered, the patient is observed and leaves the site one step closer to being protected.” Dr. Laborde considers administering COVID-19 vaccines to the public one of the most fulfilling experiences of his career. “These events allow all of us to fulfill Ochsner’s mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate and to do so with compassion, teamwork, integrity and excellence,” he said. “It is truly a gift to have the opportunity to collaborate with such dedicated, talented and gifted colleagues with a singular focus.”
Eat Your Way to Well Summer Seasonal Eating Tips from Ochsner’s Molly Kimball By Kirby Kelly | Photos by Emily Eickhoff
Many of us equate eating healthy food with looking and feeling good. But eating a nutrient-rich diet goes beyond that: it can decrease your risk for certain types of cancer and other diseases. Foods like processed carbs and sugars may be linked to gastrointestinal cancers, colorectal cancers, and breast cancer in women. The good news is that food is one of our first lines of defense against these types of illnesses. “People like to believe in the idea of superfoods,” said Molly Kimball, R.D., C.S.S.D., Nutrition Manager at Ochsner Fitness Center and the Founder of Ochsner Eat Fit. “In reality, it’s everyday foods that add up. I like to recommend people eat a plant-forward diet to optimize their health.” What does this mean in practice? Molly suggests eating a well-rounded diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes (especially white and red beans), nuts and seeds. “Many of us eat the same foods over and over, but the key to increasing overall wellness is eating more variety,” she said. For example, if you usually stick to green vegetables
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like broccoli and kale, try adding in beets, carrots or eggplant (check out the recipe below to make use of this nightshade!). Molly recommends adding one new vegetable a day to your meals until the habit sticks. “We often think of what we can remove from our diet, but it’s important to switch to an abundance mindset and think of what we can add,” she said. Summer is a great time to increase variety by eating seasonal, locally-sourced produce that can be found in a community supported agriculture (CSA) group or food co-op, by visiting your local farmer’s market, or even growing your own vegetables. “Eating locally isn’t just good for the economy,” she explained. “It ups the chances that what you eat has more nutrition packed into each bite, because locallygrown produce is often picked when the plant has fully ripened and matured.” Try this recipe from Ochsner’s The Eat Fit Cookbook: Chef Inspired Recipes for the Home for an easy, healthy and delicious summer snack or side dish.
