BATON ROUGE – Ochsner Health System announced a more than $100 million expansion to the Baton Rouge region. Local and state government officials including Mayor-President Sharon Broome; East Baton Rouge Parish Councilman District 9, Dwight Hudson; East Baton Rouge Parish Councilman District 11, Matt Watson; and Vice President of Development for Stirling Properties, Michael Bucher celebrated the significant investments to meet the growing need for healthcare across the Greater Baton Rouge region. Ochsner Baton Rouge provides nearly 400,000 patient visits.
“In keeping with national trends, we’ve seen an increasing shift from inpatient to outpatient care which is why we are making an investment to provide more comprehensive outpatient facilities,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO, Ochsner Health System. “This underlines the demand to support this growth and deliver the right care – convenient and accessible – to patients where they need it.”
This project includes the newly completed comprehensive Cancer Center, development of a new Medical Office Building, Micro-Hospital and Surgical Center along the I-10 Bluebonnet/Siegen Corridor, and the expansion of several new clinics across multiple parishes, reps said. Anticipated completion date for the new Medical Office Building, Micro-Hospital and Surgical Center is scheduled for 2019.
The Ochsner Baton Rouge Cancer Center, that opened Friday, June 9, will increase capacity to offer convenient access to fully-integrated cancer care to the people of East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding areas, reps said.
They said:
• The Ochsner Baton Rouge Cancer Center will offer a hematology/oncology outpatient clinic with both chemotherapy infusion and radiation oncology.
• With 30 care providers, this new facility will double the space to include more than 20,000 square feet – including 15 personalized and semi-private patient chemo infusion stations – to serve more patients in a relaxing and compassionate atmosphere.
• The hematology/oncology clinic will consist of eight exam rooms, including radiation oncology with two exam rooms and a radiation vault with a state-of-the-art linear accelerator.
• The new space will include access to a robust clinical cancer research program with a comprehensive range of clinical studies for all cancer types; including cutting-edge drugs and anti-cancer agents and early-phase clinical trials previously unavailable in the state.
• This is the only cancer program in Baton Rouge utilizing a fully-integrated electronic medical record – allowing all physicians to have access to patients’ health information so they can truly deliver individualized, patient-centered care.
• The Ochsner Cancer Network has a five-year survival rate for cancer above the national average in specialties such as lung, colon, prostate and breast cancers.
Ochsner will expand its presence along the I-10 Bluebonnet/Siegen Corridor and will begin with a new clinic on approximately 25 acres of property as part of the High Grove development planned between the Mall of Louisiana and I-10.
Reps said:
• This will include a five-story, 155,000 square foot Medical Office Building (MOB), which will offer Imaging such as X-ray, MRI, and CT scan capabilities as well as Lab, Pharmacy and retail food services on site. More than 85 providers will work at this facility to support primary care, urgent care and multi-specialty clinics.
• Attached to the MOB will be a 30,000 square foot, 10-bed Micro-Hospital – a smaller inpatient unit offering robust services as a more intimate healthcare option – and Surgical Center that will include:
Four state-of-the art operating rooms
Two gastrointestinal procedure suites
Two pain management procedure rooms
Ability to perform general, ENT, orthopedic, gynecology and urology surgeries
• Increase of specialty care at this location will include Thoracic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Pediatric subspecialties and other surgical specialties.
“In a rapidly-changing world of healthcare, it is essential to offer new models of care, like the Micro-hospitals concept,” explains Thomas. “This allows us to offer a more personalized, patient-centered environment for patients who need it. This is about demonstrating our long-term commitment to Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Zachary, Iberville and the patients and our teams who are proud to call every parish across the Baton Rouge area home.”
Ochsner currently has 13 health centers and clinics across the Baton Rouge region in East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Hammond, Central, Zachary, Prairieville and Denham Springs. It plans to expand at least two current clinic locations to add physicians and providers and increase access to care; open additional new clinics, including the new location along the I-10 Bluebonnet/Siegen Corridor, and identify additional parishes that will benefit from clinic access, high-end imaging and lab services.
“This comprehensive Cancer Center, staffed by a remarkable team of specialty-trained physicians and nurses, is a vital resource for this community as we continue to fight against this deadly disease and is one example of what we have to offer,” said Dr. Edward Martin, chief medical officer, Ochsner West Region. “Ochsner continues to put patients first by offering high quality healthcare not only for the citizens of Baton Rouge, but for the entire region. Today’s announcement is just the beginning of our future vision for this area.”
Additionally, Ochsner is a member organization of the Baton Rouge Health District, working together with other healthcare providers to leverage unique capabilities, deliver healthcare in a more collaborative way and create a more connected community that supports healthy behaviors, reps said.
Reps said Ochsner is leading the way, in collaboration with the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC), to support this vision. Together, Ochsner and BREC will extend the existing walking and biking path from the eastern side of their new High Grove site, along Ward’s Creek and across a new bridge.
“Our nine-parish region is one of the fastest developing in the nation for business and in terms of population growth, and Ochsner has made a tremendous difference to support this growth for decades,” said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. “We greatly appreciate their efforts with the Baton Rouge Health District and BREC to improve health and wellness, support healthy lifestyle initiatives and expand access to care so that our communities can continue to benefit.”
During the construction phase, these new projects will bring nearly 1,630 new jobs and will add over 450 permanent jobs by 2021.
Over the last five years, Ochsner has invested more than $40 million in construction in Baton Rouge and these investments have contributed to more than $45 million in new sales for local businesses. This along with Ochsner’s commitment to job growth across the greater Baton Rouge region has represented more than $250 million dollars in household earnings, reps said.
"Ochsner’s longstanding commitment to providing quality healthcare to thousands of patients every year is commendable,” said Councilman Matthew “Matt” Watson. “It has had a significant economic impact that will continue to grow for decades to come. I am proud that District 11 is the epicenter of healthcare in Baton Rouge and Ochsner’s investment, which includes $15 million in drainage improvements, will enhance our community while providing for nearly 400,000 patient visits and providing 450 jobs at this location. It is truly great news that we can not only attract, but keep quality providers like Ochsner to serve the Baton Rouge Parish area.”