Business briefs

U.S. rig count falls by 61 to 1,750
HOUSTON — Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. plummeted by 61 this week to 1,750.
The Houston firm said Friday in its weekly report 1,421 rigs were exploring for oil and 329 for gas. A year ago 1,754 rigs were active.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Alaska and Arkansas each gained two rigs and Ohio gained one.
Texas plunged by 30, North Dakota dropped by seven, New Mexico fell six, Utah and Wyoming each dropped by five, Kansas and Oklahoma each fell by three, Pennsylvania dropped two and Colorado and Louisiana each fell by one.
California and West Virginia were unchanged.
The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.

UL Lafayette names interim business dean
Gwen Fontenot has been named interim dean of the B.I. Moody School of Business Administration at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
She was head of the University’s Marketing and Hospitality Department, and college internship director, from August 2006 until May 2013. She is also director of Study Abroad, a post that she has held since August 2014.
Joby John resigned as dean of the college in December. He has returned to the faculty and is on sabbatical until the Fall 2015 semester.
As department head, Fontenot was responsible for integrating the university’s hospitality management degree program and sales minor into the College of Business Administration curriculum. She also assisted with the development of concentrations in legal studies and international business, as well as minors in psychology, hospitality management, marketing, advertising, public relations, legal studies and behavioral sciences for business majors.
Fontenot led the Hospitality and Marketing Department in the development of an interactive sales and research lab and C’est Magnifique, an annual departmental fundraiser. She also helped attain accreditation for the university’s hospitality management program by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration.
Fontenot is an associate professor of marketing who has taught at Dallas Baptist University, LSU-Alexandria, the University of Northern Colorado, Texas Woman’s University and the University of North Texas.

Workshop explores generational differences
BATON ROUGE — LSU Executive Education will present a half-day workshop Wednesday, Jan. 21, on “The Four Generations in the Workplace.” The program will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. in room 1420 of the LSU Business Education Complex.
Led by Executive Education faculty member E.J. Smith, the workshop will help bridge the generation gap and improve relationships critical to business and personal growth, as well as workplace safety.
“With four generations in today’s workplace, differences in attitudes, values and communication can create misunderstandings and trigger conflicts that reduce morale, teamwork and productivity,” said LSU Executive Education Director Robin Kistler. “These differences, if not understood, can be barriers to a bigger bottom line and workplace satisfaction.”
Registration is $160 per person, with special discounts for nonprofits and groups from the same organization. For more information and to register, visit https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1644410.
For more than 50 years, LSU Executive Education, part of the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute at the E.J. Ourso College of Business, has prepared individuals and organizations to meet the challenges of a changing workplace and economy.

Franklin hospital wins award, grant
Franklin Foundation Hospital earned an award and grant for improvement in healthcare delivery identified by the “Pay for Value Fixed Award Program” through the Louisiana Hospital Association Research and Education Foundation.
This program recognizes hospitals that have a strong commitment to quality and patient safety. FFH ranked within the top five of 31 participating hospitals to receive an incentive bonus. Through hard work and positive outcomes, FFH was able to surpass the national goals of reducing patient harm by 40 percent in 10 different areas of care.
For the past two years the Louisiana Hospital Engagement network has been committed to working with all hospitals in reducing harm and improving care, and adding value for the hospitals and communities they serve.
“Our staff is devoted to the mission of our organization, which leads to successful outcomes,” said Lori Leonard, FFH Quality Services director. “This award is an indicator of the professionalism and dedication of each and every staff member at Franklin Foundation Hospital. We achieved great results because our patients are our number one priority.”
FFH is a 22-bed acute care facility featuring a 24-hour emergency room, inpatient/outpatient surgery, obstetrics with nursery, intensive care unit, skilled nursing services, laboratory, outpatient therapy services, radiology services and nutritional services. Physician services are provided in three separate locations: FFH Medical Office Building, Franklin Orthopedics and Baldwin Family Clinic.
FFH’s mission is “to promote and provide quality healthcare services which meet the needs and exceed expectations of our patients and customers in an environment of dignity and respect.”
From staff and Associated Press reports.