Baton Rouge, La. — Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center recently announced Tara Jarreau, M.D., F.A.C.C. as the new lead of its specialized cardio-oncology clinic. The clinic, which works in coordination with Our Lady of the Lake’s Heart & Vascular Institute, helps assess any heart issues a patient may have prior to cancer diagnosis, as well as any side effects that can occur during and following chemotherapy and radiation. Through screening and monitoring, patients’ cardiac needs are addressed, allowing the clinic team, in coordination with the patient’s oncologist, to prevent and proactively manage any heart conditions that may arise.
Jarreau received her Bachelor of Science Degree in 2002 from Louisiana State University and earned her Medical Degree in 2006. She completed her internship at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans. Following her residency, she completed a fellowship program in Cardiovascular Disease at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.
Jarreau joined Louisiana Cardiology Associates in 2012 and is currently on the teaching faculty of LSU Internal Medicine Residency Program. She has also served as the director of the cardiac MRI program at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center since 2013. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease and Internal Medicine and also holds board certification in Echocardiography and is a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation. She is a Diplomat of the National Board of Echocardiographers and is a member of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, the American Society of Echocardiographers, the Society of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Women in cardiology.
“We are excited for Dr. Jarreau to lead and further our specialized cardio-oncology clinic that will ultimately enhance survivorship,” said Linda Lee, vice president, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. “Our comprehensive approach of oncologists and cardiologists, all under the leadership of Dr. Jarreau, underscores the Cancer Center’s commitment to providing a multidisciplinary team approach to cancer care. Having this team of experts working together to develop and manage a patient’s treatment plan gives our patients the best chance for beating cancer and reduces the opportunity for heart-related challenges in the future.”
The cardio-oncology clinic is designed for patients with a history of cardiotoxicity due to chemotherapy or certain targeted therapies, history of pre-existing heart disease, history of cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity or tobacco use or a history of radiation therapy to the chest.
For more information on the cardio-oncology clinic, click here.
About Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center
As a premier destination for cancer care, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center offers the most advance technology and services provided by a dedicated team of nationally-recognized oncology experts. MBP-OLOL provides best-practice, comprehensive care at every stage of the cancer journey, including disease site-specific multidisciplinary care teams, a robust clinical research program, extensive supportive care services and is the first facility in the Gulf South to offer the revolutionary Leksell Gamma Knife®Icon™. The American College of Surgeons has named MBP-OLOL a recipient of its prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award for three consecutive survey cycles. As a nonprofit organization, donor generosity is essential to sustaining the mission of improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer for so many throughout Southeast Louisiana and beyond. For more information on MBP-OLOL, and how you can become involved, please visit http://www.marybirdlake.org/.