COVINGTON – St. Tammany Quality Network has named Dr. Ricardo Blanco the recipient of its Medical Director’s Award for the first quarter of 2025 in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the advancement of lung cancer diagnosis as well as to the field of continuing medical education on lung cancer.
Dr. Blanco has played a pivotal role in the development of a comprehensive continuing medical education program focusing on the changing prognosis and treatment of lung cancer. This program featured world-renowned speakers Dr. Sarah Goldberg and Dr. David Gandara and was highlighted by a daylong multidisciplinary conference sponsored by St. Tammany Health System and St. Tammany Cancer Center – A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center.
The conference, co-chaired by Dr. Blanco and Dr. Summa Satti, the section head of the St. Tammany Cancer Center, provided invaluable insights and updates to the medical community. Following the daytime program, a nighttime Continuing Medical Education session was organized for physicians and advanced practice providers that emphasized the evolving prognosis and treatment modalities for lung cancer.
“Dr. Blanco has been pivotal in advancing techniques for early detection of lung cancer,” said Dr. Mike Hill, STQN medical director. “He and his fellow pulmonologists at St. Tammany Health System now can perform biopsies on distal lung lesions that previously were not accessible.
“We commend Dr. Ricardo Blanco for his unwavering dedication to medical excellence and his significant contributions to improving lung cancer care. His leadership and innovative approach continue to inspire and advance the medical community.”
These advances, coupled with advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques and targeted therapies when needed provide patients with the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic care available.
Dr. Blanco has been an esteemed member of the medical staff at STHS for 26 years and is board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine. He is affiliated with Northlake Pulmonary Associates, which is part of St. Tammany Physicians Network.
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About St. Tammany Quality Network
St. Tammany Quality Network is a physician-led organization that demonstrates a commitment to quality and outcomes by creating a medical community aligned around quality initiatives and payer engagement; using a common information technology platform to capture disease-specific data to assist in proactive patient care; and collaborate on patient-centric initiatives that enhance the quality and improve efficiency of health care delivery.