Ochsner, St. Tammany Health Celebrate Cancer Center Grand Opening

COVINGTON (press release) – Today, Ochsner Health and St. Tammany Health System celebrated the grand opening of the new cancer center following the completion of the $50 million facility. At 75,000 square feet, it is double in size of the previous cancer center, increasing capacity to offer more high-quality cancer services and advanced clinical research than have ever been available on the Northshore.

This special occasion was commemorated at 11 a.m. with remarks by leadership from local officials, Ochsner Health (Ochsner) and St. Tammany Health System (STHS), and facility tours were offered to those in attendance. The new, enhanced cancer care facility opens to patients on Monday, June 14.

The new cancer center will bring innovations to the fight against cancer close to home. Located on the campus of Ochsner Health Center – Covington and near St. Tammany Parish Hospital, the new center provides patients with convenient access to world-class cancer care. The partnership will continue to ensure that patients have specialized care and expertise through the advanced care options Ochsner offers, coupled with the trusted, local integrative health solutions that STHS provides. Thousands of patients will be cared for annually by a multidisciplinary team of specialists and sub-specialists to meet the challenges presented by more than 20 different types of cancer.

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Key Features:

  • 75,000 square feet over three floors
  • 30 physicians and more than 80 other healthcare professionals dedicated to cancer care
  • Integrative Oncology Services and comprehensive symptom management which includes physical therapy, yoga, acupuncture, rehabilitation area, survivorship services and meditation space
  • 47 private and semi-private infusion bays overlooking a tranquil pine forest surrounding Flowers Bayou, in a space filled with natural light
  • Clinic space with a multidisciplinary design where patients benefit from a collaborative approach to cancer care by a highly skilled team of medical, radiation and surgical oncologists, oncology nurses and navigators dedicated to supporting our cancer patients and their loved ones
  • An Ochsner Health O Bar, a retail experience offering the latest in cutting edge, interactive health technology to help patients seamlessly manage health and wellness with specialized digital medicine programs designed specifically for cancer patients
  • Access to Ochsner’s robust clinical trials, including Ochsner’s early phase Precision Cancer Therapies Program and more than 160 total cancer trials.

“Since our partnership began in 2014, Ochsner Health and St. Tammany Health System have been committed to growing services and enhancing access to care on the Northshore, and today is an exciting step forward as we celebrate the opening of the cancer center,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO, Ochsner Health. “This new center will give patients access to the latest in cancer treatments and therapies as well as advanced clinical trials in their local community, so they can receive the best cancer care close to home with friends and family by their side.”

“The opening of this facility really does mark a new day for cancer care in St. Tammany Parish,” STHS President and CEO Joan Coffman said. “First and foremost, it enables St. Tammany Health System, working with our partners at Ochsner, to further raise the bar on the quality cancer services we’ve been providing our Northshore neighbors for years. What I’m most grateful for, however – and what I think many in the community will be most grateful for – is that it will mean so many will be able to find the world-class cancer care they need right here, close home and in their own backyard. That truly is a blessing.”

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The new center also includes an increased offering of supportive services such as nutrition, yoga and tai chi, acupuncture and psychology provided by a team that specializes in caring for oncology patients.

These offerings underscore an important focus of the Ochsner multidisciplinary team approach: the social, physical and emotional impacts of cancer treatment. Furthermore, they will complement existing programming, including chemotherapy classes designed for patients and families embarking on chemotherapy treatment and support groups available to all members of the community. Educational resources and regular support groups will continue to be offered to patients and any member of the community seeking support as they or a loved one battles cancer.

“The new cancer center offers more than just much needed extra space and a new building,” said Brian Moore, MD, FACS, medical director, Ochsner Cancer Institute. “It reinforces our commitment to collaborative, patient-centered care using the latest technology, innovative treatments and a holistic approach. Our team of experts are among the best trained and renowned clinicians in the nation and with our multi-specialty care team are able to treat common and rare forms of cancer.”

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“The new cancer center represents years of collaboration between St. Tammany Health System and Ochsner,” said Jack Khashou, administrator of the new facility. “But it’s by no means the culmination of that work. It’s just another beginning. With this ribbon-cutting, we now embark on the next chapter in what is a shared commitment to evolve and innovate, all in the name of bringing the best available cancer care to the Northshore. So stay tuned. The best is yet to come.”

Ochsner Health and St. Tammany Health System have partnered to build this new cancer center facility in Covington. The cancer center, which will operate as a campus of Ochsner Medical Center, will be staffed by both Ochsner and St. Tammany providers, as well as community physicians in a seamless and coordinated care program that puts the patient at the center of all their treatment decisions. This long-standing partnership provides high quality healthcare to families across the region and capitalizes on the advanced practices and specialties of Ochsner and the over 60-years of trusted care that St. Tammany Health System has provided to the community.

Additionally, Ochsner will continue to grow its robust clinical cancer research program, which offers patients access to early-phase clinical trials, cutting-edge drugs and anti-cancer agents through its Precision Cancer Therapies Program. Patients will have access to the largest clinical trials network in Louisiana, including a broad portfolio of Phase 1 and 2 trials, allowing patients to stay closer to home for these groundbreaking, novel therapies. Ochsner’s commitment to research and innovation is one of many reasons the new cancer center will be a regional destination for cancer care. 

The new facility is connected to the entire Ochsner Health network of facilities and physicians through Epic – Ochsner’s integrated electronic health record system, which enables Ochsner and STHS physicians to securely share patient information, resulting in a higher level of coordinated care across the system. Patients can also use personalized MyOchsner or MyChart (STHS) accounts to access tests results and schedule appointments online.

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