WEBVTT 00:01.301 --> 00:02.669 Support for Louisiana. 00:02.669 --> 00:06.139 The state we're in is provided by Entergy. 00:06.139 --> 00:09.142 Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state. 00:09.843 --> 00:13.646 We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, 00:14.114 --> 00:17.650 reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us. 00:17.751 --> 00:20.520 Because together we power lights. 00:20.520 --> 00:24.290 Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation 00:24.290 --> 00:27.427 and the Ziegler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall. 00:27.794 --> 00:31.865 The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical 00:31.865 --> 00:34.868 and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana. 00:35.702 --> 00:39.139 And the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting. 00:39.406 --> 00:42.409 With support from viewers like you. 00:42.776 --> 00:45.211 Meet the new Louisiana Surgeon General 00:45.211 --> 00:48.782 and hear how he plans to move the state's healthcare system forward. 00:49.482 --> 00:54.387 Former Saints player Steve Gleason is giving a voice to those battling ALS. 00:54.721 --> 00:59.392 And find out why Louisiana has some of the sweetest watermelons in the nation. 00:59.759 --> 01:00.794 Let's get started. 01:09.269 --> 01:11.337 Hello everyone, I'm Karen Lichtblau. 01:11.337 --> 01:14.107 Much more on those top stories in a moment on this 01:14.107 --> 01:17.110 week's edition of Louisiana, The State We're In. 01:17.310 --> 01:22.082 But first, Louisiana will pay up to $11 million 01:22.082 --> 01:26.519 to a contractor to manage the state's new education savings accounts. 01:26.853 --> 01:31.391 The law offers some parents grant money to send their children to private schools 01:31.658 --> 01:34.661 and to cover other education related expenses. 01:34.994 --> 01:38.531 New York based Odyssey will set up an application website, 01:38.798 --> 01:41.734 ensure families spend the money properly and provide 01:41.734 --> 01:44.838 other services related to the Essa program. 01:45.205 --> 01:49.876 The company oversees similar programs in other states, but has faced complaints 01:50.176 --> 01:55.014 about delayed payments and allegations it approved and eligible expenses. 01:55.348 --> 01:58.818 State officials say they're confident that the rollout of Louisiana's 01:58.818 --> 02:01.821 program will go smoothly. 02:02.922 --> 02:06.292 Many people in Louisiana have probably been shocked 02:06.292 --> 02:09.796 to see their power bills go up over the summer months. 02:10.163 --> 02:13.700 Public Service Commissioner Eric Cremata recently bragged 02:13.700 --> 02:16.803 at the Republican National Convention that Louisiana 02:16.803 --> 02:19.772 has some of the lowest energy rates in the country. 02:20.206 --> 02:24.210 Jessica Hendrix with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, says Cremata 02:24.210 --> 02:29.210 is technically correct, but that he didn't factor in all the added fees. 02:30.350 --> 02:33.353 People don't necessarily pay the rate they paid the bill. 02:33.419 --> 02:37.157 So even if you're only being charged $0.09 a kilowatt hour 02:37.157 --> 02:41.494 for energy, if you're forced to use 2000 kilowatt 02:42.662 --> 02:43.963 hours a month 02:43.963 --> 02:47.534 to keep your house relatively comfortable, 02:47.700 --> 02:52.405 and then you have all of the riders for resiliency, your bill adds up. 02:52.405 --> 02:54.440 So we've got some of the lowest rates. 02:54.440 --> 02:58.111 He is not incorrect, but we have some of the highest bills. 02:59.212 --> 03:01.414 Hendrix also said Louisiana residents 03:01.414 --> 03:04.484 have some of the highest energy burdens in the country, 03:04.784 --> 03:09.784 meaning they pay between 25 to 30% of their monthly income on utilities. 03:10.523 --> 03:14.194 The group did praise the Public Service Commission for recently 03:14.194 --> 03:18.464 reaching a deal to lower a proposed Entergy rate hike, 03:19.032 --> 03:22.035 and to reduce some of the fees for late payments. 03:22.936 --> 03:25.471 A Baton Rouge woman took to the stage this week 03:25.471 --> 03:28.474 at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 03:28.841 --> 03:31.711 Caitlin Joshua spoke about her experience 03:31.711 --> 03:35.648 of being denied care during a miscarriage in 2022. 03:36.149 --> 03:40.353 No woman should experience what I endured, but too many have. 03:41.054 --> 03:44.657 They write to me saying, what happened to you happened to me. 03:45.525 --> 03:47.460 Sometimes they're miscarrying. 03:47.460 --> 03:50.730 Scared to tell anyone? Even their doctors. 03:51.764 --> 03:54.133 Joshua was 11 weeks pregnant with her 03:54.133 --> 03:57.971 second child when she began to experience severe pain and bleeding. 03:58.204 --> 04:02.041 She says she was refused care at two emergency rooms 04:02.308 --> 04:06.713 because of Louisiana's abortion ban, which only allows abortions 04:06.713 --> 04:10.750 if the mother's life is at risk or if there's risk to vital organs. 04:11.184 --> 04:15.655 In response to her speech, Attorney General Liz Merrill released a statement 04:15.655 --> 04:18.725 claiming Louisiana law does not prohibit 04:18.725 --> 04:21.728 care for someone having a miscarriage. 04:21.928 --> 04:25.999 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has vowed to restore 04:26.032 --> 04:29.035 the right of abortion care if she's elected. 04:31.704 --> 04:34.140 Well, from hashtags to headlines. 04:34.140 --> 04:36.476 Here's what's trending this week. 04:36.476 --> 04:40.113 Sticking with the Democratic National Convention, Louisiana's 04:40.113 --> 04:45.113 Democratic Party pledged delegates to Vice President Harris and Louisiana. 04:46.452 --> 04:47.353 It's about family. 04:47.353 --> 04:51.057 And I'm surrounded by my family of the delegates of Louisiana. 04:51.457 --> 04:54.227 Actor and Louisiana legend Wendell Pierce 04:54.227 --> 04:57.230 announced the delegates votes with DJ College. 04:57.330 --> 05:00.033 All I do is win. Playing in the background. 05:00.033 --> 05:01.834 That's how it is for New Orleans. 05:01.834 --> 05:04.604 But a lot of people said that that wasn't good enough. 05:04.604 --> 05:08.274 They wanted a more iconic Louisiana song instead. 05:08.675 --> 05:11.377 Louisiana officials say they initially picked Professor 05:11.377 --> 05:14.881 Longhair as Song Big Chief, but they got overruled. 05:15.214 --> 05:19.652 Now, the Harris Walch campaign said, all I Do Is Win embodies 05:19.652 --> 05:23.723 the energy and enthusiasm of their campaign. 05:24.590 --> 05:26.793 Well, it may be scorching 05:26.793 --> 05:30.463 hot outside, but for all of you Starbucks fans, this week 05:30.463 --> 05:35.268 was the unofficial start of the fall coffee chain. 05:35.335 --> 05:39.138 Seasonal favorite pumpkin spice latte? 05:39.339 --> 05:40.573 Drumroll, please. 05:40.573 --> 05:42.308 It was launched on Thursday. 05:42.308 --> 05:47.308 People went wild when they saw the announcement on the Starbucks app. 05:47.413 --> 05:52.413 Now, incidentally, this is the earliest pumpkin spice latte launch ever. 05:52.952 --> 05:54.520 It's going to be interesting to see. 05:54.520 --> 05:55.555 This is one of Starbucks 05:55.555 --> 05:56.356 best sellers, 05:56.356 --> 06:00.026 and it seems like they're banking on a boost from the seasonal products. 06:00.026 --> 06:03.062 The company says about 10% of its overall 06:03.062 --> 06:07.066 sales come from seasonal favorites like the Pumpkin Spice Latte. 06:07.266 --> 06:09.135 So I am watching and waiting to see 06:09.135 --> 06:13.005 when they launch their holiday peppermint specialty drinks. 06:13.106 --> 06:14.807 I don't know if that's going to happen in a few weeks. 06:14.807 --> 06:19.807 Now moving on as Zachary Woman is getting big attention for her gardening 06:20.713 --> 06:25.713 skills, Jeannie Buell harvested acres colossal watermelon that way. 06:25.952 --> 06:28.955 Get this 111 pounds. 06:29.255 --> 06:31.224 It took about three months to grow. 06:31.224 --> 06:32.825 Now, she says she plans to share 06:32.825 --> 06:36.596 the watermelon with students at her granddaughter's school. 06:36.629 --> 06:39.565 I, for one, am curious about this secret sauce. 06:39.565 --> 06:41.501 She used to grow those watermelons. 06:42.735 --> 06:44.070 Well, speaking of watermelons, 06:44.070 --> 06:47.707 Louisiana is known to produce some of the sweetest in the nation. 06:48.107 --> 06:49.742 You'll often see Stan 06:49.742 --> 06:52.745 selling them on the side of the road during the summer months. 06:52.812 --> 06:56.215 And this week's harvest of the month report, our digital team 06:56.215 --> 06:59.652 takes us to Washington Parish to see how Louisiana farmers 06:59.852 --> 07:02.955 grow and harvest the summertime sensation. 07:03.623 --> 07:04.357 Hi, friends. 07:04.357 --> 07:07.493 I'm Krystal Bessey with the Louisiana Farm to School program. 07:07.860 --> 07:09.095 This month's Louisiana 07:09.095 --> 07:12.932 Harvest of the month was so loved by American writer Mark Twain 07:13.166 --> 07:16.669 that he declared, when you taste it, you know what the angels eat. 07:17.370 --> 07:20.273 And it is a heavenly treat on a hot summer day. 07:20.273 --> 07:21.607 It's watermelon. 07:21.607 --> 07:25.945 Louisiana is known to grow some of the sweetest varieties of watermelon. 07:25.945 --> 07:29.782 So today we're in Washington Parish at Perry Talley's Farm. 07:30.049 --> 07:32.752 To learn a little bit more about this angelic fruit. 07:52.205 --> 07:55.808 Watermelons are members of the Q cabbage, a family of gourds 07:55.808 --> 08:00.179 that include other culinary vegetables like cucumbers, squash, and pumpkin. 08:00.613 --> 08:03.683 And they're even considered a fruit and a vegetable. 08:03.783 --> 08:07.787 There are more than 300 varieties of watermelon with certain favorites 08:07.787 --> 08:11.057 in Louisiana, such as Jubilee or Charleston Gray. 08:11.491 --> 08:16.195 But more than variety, the region where watermelon grow and soil quality 08:16.462 --> 08:20.666 play a huge role in creating the most perfect, sweetest watermelon. 08:21.133 --> 08:24.303 I'm here today with Perry Talley and his daughter Vivian, 08:24.770 --> 08:27.773 and he is a Washington Parish watermelon farmer. 08:27.807 --> 08:31.344 He's going to tell us about what makes watermelon so delicious. 08:31.410 --> 08:33.813 Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for having me. 08:33.813 --> 08:36.315 Glad you could come out today. Yeah. Can you tell me 08:36.315 --> 08:39.318 a little bit about your farm and how you got into farming? 08:39.352 --> 08:42.255 Well, we're a wholesale operation. 08:43.322 --> 08:46.893 we it has evolved over decades. 08:48.194 --> 08:51.464 I can remember, my grandfather 08:51.464 --> 08:54.967 going out with a hoe and a nail apron to plant seed by hand. 08:56.168 --> 08:58.538 thank goodness we've come a long way since then. 08:58.538 --> 09:02.241 For years, we have grown watermelons here in Washington Parish. 09:02.475 --> 09:04.377 we are Washington Parish natives. 09:04.377 --> 09:07.547 Part of what makes a Washington parish melon 09:07.547 --> 09:10.850 so great is the soil, the climate. 09:10.917 --> 09:12.718 The varieties have a lot to do with it. 09:12.718 --> 09:15.655 And I believe the people have a lot to do with it, too. So. 09:15.655 --> 09:16.322 That's right. 09:16.322 --> 09:18.891 Got to have that love for grown watermelons. 09:18.891 --> 09:21.894 yeah. 09:25.531 --> 09:28.668 Hi, I'm Julie, my hand from LSU, and I'm here 09:28.668 --> 09:31.704 soaking up the sun at the Talley farm with Vivian. Hi. 09:32.438 --> 09:34.440 Watermelons. A delicious, healthy fruit. 09:34.440 --> 09:36.108 It's soaked with nutrients. 09:36.108 --> 09:39.178 A watermelon is approximately 92% water, 09:39.178 --> 09:42.181 so it's great to eat on a summer day to stay hydrated. 09:42.448 --> 09:47.448 Each juicy bite has plenty of vitamins, but it also has a pigment called lycopene. 09:47.987 --> 09:49.622 It helps your heart stay healthy, 09:49.622 --> 09:52.959 so the more watermelon you eat, the healthier your heart will be. 09:53.693 --> 09:56.696 Did you know you can eat all the parts of the watermelon? 09:56.929 --> 09:58.598 No. You can eat the seeds. 09:58.598 --> 09:59.799 You can eat the rind. 09:59.799 --> 10:02.501 And we're going to talk a little bit more about that later. 10:02.501 --> 10:07.406 I like to combine that sweet flesh, especially when watermelons are in season 10:07.406 --> 10:07.907 like this. 10:07.907 --> 10:11.243 And I cut open a watermelon and have a lot of watermelon left over 10:11.611 --> 10:14.280 and make a salad, I add it to a salad. 10:14.280 --> 10:16.048 This salad has cucumber 10:16.048 --> 10:19.885 and watermelon and red bell peppers and a little fresh basil from my garden. 10:20.286 --> 10:25.257 You can also eat the rind and I like it pickled and it's easy to do 10:25.591 --> 10:28.394 so after you've eaten all the delicious flesh 10:28.394 --> 10:31.964 from the watermelon, you take some rind like this 10:32.732 --> 10:36.002 and get most of the red part of the rind off. 10:36.002 --> 10:40.306 Peel the green part of the rind, and we're going to use a vegetable peeler 10:40.306 --> 10:44.210 to do that, and then cut it into some small pickle shaped pieces. 10:46.612 --> 10:47.213 And pack 10:47.213 --> 10:50.883 them into this jar that has the pickling liquid in it. 10:50.983 --> 10:54.654 It's got some salt and some vinegar and sugar. 10:54.987 --> 10:59.987 Sometimes I put some spices like star anise or some cloves, black peppercorns. 11:01.727 --> 11:05.297 Sometimes people like to put a little hollow pino in it to make it hot. 11:05.331 --> 11:07.767 The reason you have to pack it is, as you notice, 11:07.767 --> 11:11.504 the watermelon is floating right now, and we want to get it down into that juice 11:11.737 --> 11:13.472 and then let it sit overnight. 11:13.472 --> 11:15.241 If you can wait. 11:15.241 --> 11:16.208 And it's delicious. 11:16.208 --> 11:19.211 When it's done. 11:25.851 --> 11:26.218 Today 11:26.218 --> 11:29.622 we're going to maximize our lycopene intake with a cool smoothie. 11:29.822 --> 11:31.624 So these are some frozen strawberries. 11:31.624 --> 11:34.627 We're just going to fill this about halfway full. 11:34.860 --> 11:37.763 We're going to top it with about the same amount. 11:39.031 --> 11:41.133 Pick out some that don't have a lot of seeds in them. 11:41.133 --> 11:44.336 I mean you can do it with the seeds, but they get in the way a little bit. 11:44.704 --> 11:48.074 I'm going to put just a little bit of water to get this watermelon water 11:48.074 --> 11:51.077 to get started. 11:57.216 --> 12:00.219 Let's cook. 12:00.653 --> 12:01.954 All right. 12:01.954 --> 12:04.457 So we've blended it together. It's smooth. 12:04.457 --> 12:05.958 And now we're going to enjoy it. 12:05.958 --> 12:10.396 The watermelon so sweet that you don't need to add any sugar to it. 12:10.396 --> 12:12.465 And it's really warm here this morning. 12:12.465 --> 12:13.599 Would you like to try this. 12:13.599 --> 12:16.602 Yeah. Okay. Great. 12:16.802 --> 12:19.805 If it tastes. 12:19.972 --> 12:21.073 Oh, this is really good. 12:21.073 --> 12:21.373 Is it? 12:21.373 --> 12:24.310 Oh, very good and cool and refreshing. 12:24.310 --> 12:27.646 Those frozen strawberries gave it another little tang. 12:27.880 --> 12:28.981 Gets it. Yeah. 12:28.981 --> 12:33.252 So now that I have all this watermelon, how should I store it in the. 12:33.452 --> 12:35.521 Should I store it in the refrigerator? 12:35.521 --> 12:38.691 Yes. Once it's cut from the run, you should start in the refrigerator. 12:38.691 --> 12:41.393 Okay, so how about before it's cut? 12:41.393 --> 12:44.630 Before it's cut, you should store it in a warm, 12:44.630 --> 12:47.066 dry place, but not too hot, or it will spoil. 12:47.066 --> 12:47.867 Oh, okay. 12:47.867 --> 12:48.901 That's good to know. 12:48.901 --> 12:53.873 All of the recipes that we've created today and that we've shown you on 12:53.873 --> 12:58.844 this table are going to be available on the Seeds to Success website. 12:59.512 --> 13:02.248 You can check out extended versions of harvest of the month 13:02.248 --> 13:04.550 at LPB, Morgan Harvest. 13:04.550 --> 13:06.452 And while you're there, 13:06.452 --> 13:10.623 take a look at our digital first programs like Ritual and Safe Haven. 13:10.990 --> 13:13.993 Again, that's all@lp.org. 13:14.093 --> 13:16.695 Louisiana has joined a growing number 13:16.695 --> 13:19.865 of states, creating the position of Surgeon General. 13:20.199 --> 13:24.069 Governor Jeff Landry appointed Doctor Ralph Abraham to the role 13:24.069 --> 13:25.304 earlier this year. 13:25.304 --> 13:29.341 Now, in this week's Louisiana speech, I sat down with Doctor Abraham 13:29.341 --> 13:31.177 to talk about his new title 13:31.177 --> 13:34.713 and how he hopes to improve Louisiana's poor health rankings. 13:36.482 --> 13:37.683 I am joined by 13:37.683 --> 13:42.154 Louisiana's newly appointed surgeon general, Doctor Ralph Abraham. 13:42.154 --> 13:45.090 Thank you so much for joining us here in sad to be Here. 13:45.090 --> 13:48.861 So, viewers here, this is a new role that it was created. 13:48.861 --> 13:52.531 And I think the first question that viewers want to know is what exactly 13:52.531 --> 13:56.101 does, Louisiana Surgeon General do? 13:56.302 --> 14:01.140 When Governor Landry got elected, he envisioned this role, teamed up 14:01.140 --> 14:06.140 with the legislature to create the role of Surgeon General LDH. 14:07.012 --> 14:10.683 The Louisiana Department of Health is a large organization. 14:11.684 --> 14:14.620 Medicaid, water, 14:14.620 --> 14:16.121 public health. 14:16.121 --> 14:19.491 We encompass many entities. 14:20.492 --> 14:23.462 The governor's vision, along with mine, 14:23.462 --> 14:26.532 was that we needed a surgeon general 14:27.032 --> 14:31.637 to bring all agencies together across the state, 14:32.137 --> 14:37.137 whether that be hospitals, boards, physicians, communities, 14:38.010 --> 14:42.147 to pool resources for all of Louisiana 14:42.481 --> 14:47.481 to make their health better, to improve our health outcomes. 14:48.921 --> 14:53.225 Unfortunately, right now, Louisiana is not doing well 14:53.225 --> 14:57.229 in national rankings, and we intend to improve that. 14:57.863 --> 15:01.367 So let's talk about some tangible ways that you're going to come in 15:01.367 --> 15:02.868 and do that right. 15:02.868 --> 15:05.304 We need our people healthier. 15:05.304 --> 15:10.304 My job as surgeon General is to find the means to make that happen. 15:10.442 --> 15:14.847 We just came from a huge meeting of Louisiana 15:14.847 --> 15:18.150 doctors, met with them, got their input. 15:18.150 --> 15:21.420 We've had many meetings with our hospital systems. 15:22.588 --> 15:24.857 What are their best practices now? 15:24.857 --> 15:27.993 They all have areas that they are expert in, 15:28.527 --> 15:31.964 and we want to pull those, connect those dots and 15:32.998 --> 15:35.935 move in the direction that we know we need to move it. 15:35.935 --> 15:40.935 So what can Louisiana do at the policy level to improve health outcomes? 15:41.407 --> 15:44.777 Policy is where the rubber meets the road. 15:44.777 --> 15:45.911 Literally. 15:45.911 --> 15:49.882 We can blame a lot of things as to why we're not doing well, 15:49.882 --> 15:53.452 but health policy to your point, is the key. 15:54.186 --> 15:57.723 We've got to have put policy where we are 15:57.723 --> 16:02.294 looking at the causes of why are chronic diseases, about 16:02.294 --> 16:06.832 why are maternal mortality and morbidity is not well, 16:07.266 --> 16:11.370 why our infant mortality and morbidity is not well. 16:12.171 --> 16:15.541 We have had conversations from the national level 16:15.941 --> 16:20.279 to the state level to the local level as to what we need to do, 16:20.312 --> 16:23.916 what exactly it is that can move that needle. 16:24.483 --> 16:28.620 And we're learning very quickly that it's going to take resources, 16:29.121 --> 16:32.257 it's going to take commitment, and it's 16:32.257 --> 16:35.861 going to take community by in which we've got. 16:36.495 --> 16:38.430 So in order for 16:39.498 --> 16:40.666 Louisiana to improve 16:40.666 --> 16:43.736 its health outcomes, clearly at the policy level, 16:43.736 --> 16:48.173 and there needs to be, a component of social services 16:48.440 --> 16:52.711 support for people that are economically challenged, 16:52.878 --> 16:56.315 that don't have the resources to good food, good health care. 16:57.816 --> 17:00.586 do you see that as a challenge 17:00.586 --> 17:03.856 in your position to push for social policy to improve outcomes? 17:03.856 --> 17:06.692 Well, it's a challenge, but we're meeting the challenge at LDH. 17:06.692 --> 17:09.028 We've got those people in place. 17:09.028 --> 17:12.097 We've got those experts, that know 17:12.464 --> 17:15.234 how to address those issues. 17:15.234 --> 17:20.234 We are asking that if they need help, call us, call me. 17:20.639 --> 17:22.141 And the resources are there. 17:22.141 --> 17:24.376 They are there. Yes. And they have been there. 17:24.376 --> 17:28.313 unfortunately, I think we've been lack in history 17:28.313 --> 17:32.251 of the LDH to advertise all that we have available. 17:32.584 --> 17:36.588 And we are making light speed changes to ensure 17:36.989 --> 17:39.625 that people know how to reach us and how to reach out. 17:39.625 --> 17:42.061 What is your personal priority? 17:42.061 --> 17:42.761 What is 17:42.761 --> 17:46.331 what is the most important thing that you would like to tackle in this position? 17:46.532 --> 17:50.335 There there's not just one, but you know, the thing that comes to the top, 17:50.335 --> 17:51.437 I think, is mental health. 17:52.905 --> 17:55.407 We struggle every day in 17:55.407 --> 17:59.011 America, not just in Louisiana with this mental health crisis. 17:59.611 --> 18:03.982 The governor in the legislature just came off a very successful crime session. 18:04.917 --> 18:08.554 I know as a physician they knew legislatures and certainly the governor. 18:08.554 --> 18:11.557 And I've had this discussion more than once that 18:12.524 --> 18:16.395 many people that are arrested have a mental issue. 18:16.628 --> 18:19.965 And if we can intervene before they commit that crime, 18:20.365 --> 18:24.870 we've not only help that person, but we save the state a lot of money, too. 18:24.870 --> 18:27.039 So it's a win win. 18:27.039 --> 18:30.042 So mental health for sure. 18:30.309 --> 18:34.613 Children, of course, are near and dear to all of us, and I see them 18:34.613 --> 18:37.749 and families that are struggling just to meet educational needs. 18:38.851 --> 18:40.752 A child cannot learn 18:40.752 --> 18:43.755 if they're hungry or if they're unhealthy. 18:43.789 --> 18:48.093 And again, that's my job as surgeon general to find those agencies. 18:48.093 --> 18:48.827 If we don't do it, 18:48.827 --> 18:53.432 they don't need to provide those resources for those children, for those families. 18:54.233 --> 18:56.835 So the requirement for this position 18:56.835 --> 19:00.739 is that the individual is a medical doctor or a physician. 19:00.739 --> 19:01.807 Right. 19:01.807 --> 19:03.575 Tell us a little bit about your background. 19:03.575 --> 19:06.178 Well, I grew up in rural Louisiana. 19:06.178 --> 19:07.412 It's still where I live. 19:07.412 --> 19:10.415 I grew up as a boy there where I practice medicine. 19:11.150 --> 19:13.785 First, I went to veterinary 19:13.785 --> 19:16.922 medical school in Baton Rouge, right here, practice 19:16.922 --> 19:20.726 veterinary medicine for ten years, saw that there was a huge need 19:21.693 --> 19:22.694 for access 19:22.694 --> 19:25.697 in the rural community just to see a doctor. 19:26.465 --> 19:27.766 I said, well, maybe I can do that. 19:27.766 --> 19:30.502 So as a mid 30s, 19:30.502 --> 19:33.672 gentleman, I went back to medical school, was fortunate enough to get in. 19:34.339 --> 19:38.677 I came back to the community that I live in, and that's where I practice medicine. 19:38.977 --> 19:39.211 All right. 19:39.211 --> 19:42.848 Well, thank you so much for joining us and introducing yourself to our viewers. 19:42.848 --> 19:44.349 And welcome to your new position. 19:44.349 --> 19:47.352 I'm going to look forward to it. 19:48.520 --> 19:51.523 Groundbreaking new technology is giving hope 19:51.623 --> 19:55.827 to people facing the struggle of neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. 19:56.261 --> 19:59.998 The mission is personal to former New Orleans Saints Steve Gleason 20:00.265 --> 20:03.035 and members of his nonprofit foundation. 20:03.035 --> 20:08.035 I sat down with the experts to learn about the speech Accessibility Project, aimed 20:08.106 --> 20:12.945 at training voice recognition software to better understand all speech patterns. 20:14.780 --> 20:16.815 You're a great guy. 20:16.815 --> 20:21.687 Joe Redman is capturing his donors, his way of speaking, his signature 20:21.687 --> 20:22.688 sayings. 20:22.688 --> 20:26.925 The recordings will speak for Joe after he can no longer speak. 20:27.526 --> 20:30.696 The former disc jockey and record promoter began 20:30.696 --> 20:34.299 losing his speech after he was diagnosed with ALS, 20:34.600 --> 20:39.037 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. 20:39.905 --> 20:42.908 I have a very slow progressing, 20:43.041 --> 20:47.379 but they sound like those in 2012 20:48.180 --> 20:51.817 and you get the lowest rate now. 20:51.817 --> 20:55.520 But I was in the red light waiting years 20:55.921 --> 21:00.425 and the promotion that national for up to and five. 21:00.626 --> 21:03.629 So it during my whole world 21:03.629 --> 21:08.133 with my speaking with Joe is banking his voice 21:08.133 --> 21:11.970 and recording phrases for the Speech Accessibility Project. 21:12.204 --> 21:14.873 Working with the Team Gleason Foundation. 21:14.873 --> 21:18.410 It's a nonprofit organization founded by former New Orleans 21:18.410 --> 21:21.613 Saint Steve Gleason, who is battling ALS. 21:23.148 --> 21:26.151 You're very tight. 21:28.987 --> 21:32.391 The Speech Accessibility Project trains voice 21:32.391 --> 21:36.528 assisted technology to better understand nontraditional speech. 21:36.928 --> 21:41.166 Team Gleason is recruiting individuals diagnosed with ALS 21:41.333 --> 21:45.337 to read and record sets of phrases to feed into the database. 21:46.405 --> 21:48.540 The goal of this project is to improve 21:48.540 --> 21:51.343 voice recognition software, 21:51.343 --> 21:54.346 so that individuals, as their voice may change over time, 21:54.513 --> 21:58.150 are still able to have access to your voice assistance, your your, 21:59.484 --> 22:02.421 voice command features and other things of that nature. 22:02.421 --> 22:04.256 So the way this project works. 22:04.256 --> 22:09.256 So Team Gleason is partnered with, the Beckman Institute of Advanced Sciences 22:09.661 --> 22:13.932 and Technology, with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 22:14.132 --> 22:16.835 We're working with individuals living with ALS. 22:16.835 --> 22:21.835 So I tropic lateral sclerosis and as well as plus so primarily lateral sclerosis. 22:23.342 --> 22:26.845 The voice samples help train voice recognition tools 22:26.845 --> 22:29.848 such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. 22:29.948 --> 22:32.617 Participants make 600 voice recordings, 22:32.617 --> 22:35.654 which takes anywhere from 3 to 5 hours to complete. 22:36.054 --> 22:39.691 The goal is to evolve voice command technology 22:39.991 --> 22:43.462 so that it is equal opportunity for all speech patterns. 22:43.829 --> 22:46.832 Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft 22:46.832 --> 22:50.736 are all helping fund the Speech Accessibility Project. 22:51.670 --> 22:56.308 As of June 2024, we've collected over 235,000 voice samples. 22:56.742 --> 22:59.344 And, the tool that they're developing 22:59.344 --> 23:03.815 for this project initially was, able to recognize 23:03.815 --> 23:07.786 about 80% of the speech, but 20% of that was not being processed. 23:07.786 --> 23:11.823 So, as your voice may change, it might be frustrating, 23:12.157 --> 23:17.157 to, to not have access to those alexas and your series that you've grown to love. 23:18.363 --> 23:23.363 And so since we've started, we've got that number down from 20%, down to 12%. 23:23.635 --> 23:27.172 So now essentially 88% is being able to be recognized. 23:29.674 --> 23:31.443 Whenever you hear the like. 23:31.443 --> 23:34.279 That means that you selected a letter. 23:34.279 --> 23:37.449 Emily Kaufmann is a speech pathologist with Team Gleason. 23:37.783 --> 23:41.853 She's been working with Joe to bank his voice and to learn skills 23:41.853 --> 23:44.856 such as eye tracking, to operate smart devices. 23:45.590 --> 23:48.860 Voice preservation is the best place to start working with someone, 23:48.860 --> 23:51.863 because you have the opportunity to develop that relationship 23:52.130 --> 23:56.268 and get to know them and, save their voice for those who can hear it later on. 23:56.368 --> 24:00.338 We see local patients from the very beginning of their diagnosis throughout. 24:00.605 --> 24:04.409 So such as Joe was talking about, they'll come in and do voice banking, 24:04.443 --> 24:05.544 message banking. 24:05.544 --> 24:09.314 But if things change and you know, he loses the ability to use his hands, 24:09.314 --> 24:13.051 we'll find a way for him to continue texting, making phone calls, 24:13.051 --> 24:14.820 using his computer. 24:14.820 --> 24:16.822 or if things change and he loses his voice, 24:16.822 --> 24:19.825 we'll find a way for him to continue communicating. 24:20.292 --> 24:24.296 Team Gleason provides local clinical services, a nationwide. 24:24.563 --> 24:28.066 The organization loans equipment such as communication devices, 24:28.300 --> 24:32.270 and it repairs and loans portable powered wheelchairs to individuals 24:32.270 --> 24:36.675 with ALS, ALS, or persons living with ALS. 24:36.975 --> 24:40.111 So when a spouse comes into our clinic at Team Gleason, 24:40.345 --> 24:42.280 we're able to help them from the start. 24:42.280 --> 24:45.650 Without insurance, without any of these other stipulations. 24:45.650 --> 24:48.386 So we're able to really give them what they need. 24:48.386 --> 24:51.990 We believe here technology is secure until they find a cure. 24:52.224 --> 24:56.294 So we're able to give them back what this disease has taken away 24:56.328 --> 24:57.429 through technology. 24:58.396 --> 25:01.132 Gleason's inspiration is palpable 25:01.132 --> 25:04.769 at Team Gleason's New Orleans headquarters in the Vincent Tower. 25:05.103 --> 25:08.974 His strength and struggle, expressed in a recent autobiography. 25:08.974 --> 25:13.974 And at the 2024 SBA Awards, where he received the 2024 25:14.079 --> 25:16.081 Arthur Ashe Courage Award. 25:16.081 --> 25:18.850 Moving many to tears. 25:18.850 --> 25:23.488 If we can listen, understand and help alleviate each other's suffering, 25:23.822 --> 25:26.791 then truly all things are possible. 25:28.293 --> 25:31.263 Thank you again for this incredible honor. 25:31.296 --> 25:33.532 I love you all. 25:33.532 --> 25:36.902 Gleason continues to motivate on and off the field. 25:37.235 --> 25:40.105 New Orleans Saint Thomas Morstead is pledging 25:40.105 --> 25:43.608 to donate $1,000 to Team Gleason for every punt. 25:43.608 --> 25:46.611 He lands inside the 20 yard line this season. 25:47.412 --> 25:50.715 It seems like the diagnosis of ALS is on the rise. 25:50.982 --> 25:54.619 It definitely is on the rise as more neurologists 25:54.619 --> 25:57.622 know how to diagnose it and diagnose it earlier. 25:57.689 --> 25:58.523 It's on the rise, 25:58.523 --> 26:03.428 and that's also why we see a rise in our services at Team Gleason. 26:03.695 --> 26:07.232 When I first started, we were getting maybe 30 requests per month, and now we're 26:07.232 --> 26:08.266 getting 700. 26:09.601 --> 26:10.702 Steve Gleason was 26:10.702 --> 26:13.705 diagnosed with ALS in 2011. 26:13.772 --> 26:17.475 A year later, Joe received the same diagnosis, 26:17.776 --> 26:21.880 uniting the two in a common fight to make life better 26:21.880 --> 26:25.150 for those struggling with neurodegenerative diseases. 26:26.284 --> 26:28.620 Sharing model. 26:28.620 --> 26:31.690 And to be able to get back 26:31.690 --> 26:35.827 and people with their nontraditional 26:35.827 --> 26:38.830 speaking is very for them 26:38.930 --> 26:41.633 and voice breaking because 26:41.633 --> 26:45.604 by voice in church in lent or go or the my I, 26:46.171 --> 26:49.374 I know I definitely it can be. 26:49.608 --> 26:54.608 So I want to encourage others to make their voices heard 26:55.413 --> 26:58.617 that they, you know, they feel that they they give me 26:58.617 --> 27:01.620 they gave. 27:06.791 --> 27:08.193 That's our show for this week. 27:08.193 --> 27:12.497 Remember, you can watch anything LPB anytime, wherever you are 27:12.497 --> 27:14.265 with our LPB app. 27:14.265 --> 27:17.268 You can catch LPB news and public affairs shows, 27:17.268 --> 27:21.272 as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years. 27:21.439 --> 27:24.376 And please like us on Facebook 27:24.376 --> 27:28.546 and Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting. 27:28.647 --> 27:30.048 I'm Karen LeBlanc. 27:30.048 --> 27:33.118 Until next time. 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