Mobile Learning Lab Rolls onto Baton Rouge General Campus

Its only stop in Baton Rouge, lab trains on world’s smallest heart pump

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge General (BRG) clinicians will learn about new ways to fight complex heart disease, courtesy of an 18-wheeler turned mobile laboratory rolling onto the Bluebonnet campus Wednesday, Aug. 21.

Trainers from Abiomed will educate BRG’s heart care team on the Impella device and give a hands-on simulation of implanting the device from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Impella is the world’s smallest heart pump and the only minimally-invasive heart pump approved by the FDA. BRG started using the new device this spring. The mobile lab training is geared to the hospital’s cardiologists, nurses, and cath lab employees, but is open to anyone.

“This is really a great opportunity for our heart team and critical care units to get their hands on the device in an interactive setting,” said Dr. Nakia Newsome, chief of cardiology at BRG. “Continuously learning and training helps our teams provide a higher level of care for our patients.”

The catheter-like device is inserted into the heart from the femoral artery. It keeps blood pumping through the heart and reduces the workload on the heart during high-risk cardiac procedures.

“It may not be a device we use daily, plus it’s the newest technology, so simulation training is one of the best ways to keep skills sharp,” said Dr. Newsome.

Photos courtesy Abiomed Facebook

The Impella Mobile lab has made stops in 85 cities since 2015.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with 588 licensed beds between two campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General serves as an affiliate of Tulane University School of Medicine, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter at @BRGeneral.

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