Those drums you hear in the distance? That, cher, is the sound of Mardi Gras drawing near, as marching bands throughout South Louisiana tune up for another season of marching – and as the local population gears up for another season of partying.

Coming on the heels of a string of COVID-dampened Carnival seasons, there’s good reason to believe this one might be the most normal we’ve seen since the pandemic began – if Mardi Gras is ever really “normal.”

Of course, veteran revelers know the enjoyment of any given parade is often proportional to the amount of planning done before heading out to the parade route. That’s especially true of diabetic parade-goers, who can count on finding themselves awash in the wrong kind of temptation without proper preparation.

That’s why our Diabetes Education Department recently published its list of 9 tips for managing diabetes during Mardi Gras. Despite the headline, we would argue they’re pretty good tips for anyone to consider, diabetic or not.

However you choose to celebrate, we urge you to enjoy the season responsibly and safely (although you know where to find us should an unexpected emergency arise).

We also hope you enjoy the following collection of recent headlines from St. Tammany Health System. 

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

What a difference a year makes.

St. Tammany Health System’s cardiovascular practice – one of the oldest and most respected heart and vascular clinics in western St. Tammany Parish – is starting 2023 with a new name, a number of new faces and the addition of a new clinic for the convenience of Mandeville patients.

Meet our newest STHS cardiologists, Dr. Hafiz Ghafoor and Dr. Stefan Sicinschi, by clicking their names, and read about all the other changes at our cardiovascular clinic by hitting the button below.

Movin’ on up

As part of the longest sustained string of expansions in St. Tammany Health System’s nearly 70-year history, the health system’s Sterile Processing Department, tasked with sterilizing and preparing instruments for surgery, has moved into state-of-the-art new digs. 

Women’s Pavilion in top 5%   

The St. Tammany Health System Women’s Pavilion, the premiere Northshore destination for breast health, has earned Press Ganey’s 2022 Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award, putting it in the top 5% of healthcare providers for patient experience. 

Living with COVID 

Two years and 10 months after the pandemic started, this is what “living with COVID” looks like: the steady drumbeat of new variants and the ever-present specter of another surge. To catch up on the latest COVID news, we visited recently with STHS infectious disease expert Dr. Mike Hill. 

Community focus

St. Tammany Health System’s latest class of nurse residents just graduated earlier this month, but they’re already making a difference. As part of the 16-member class’ professional development project, they held a clothing drive that raised 1,400 pounds of clothing for the local NAMI’s Closet.