Ochsner Opens Nursing Center at Delgado Community College

The New State-of-the-Art Building Brings Nursing and Allied Health Divisions Together for the First Time in Delgado History; New Academic Partnership Will Build Regional Healthcare Workforce

NEW ORLEANS – Since 1921, Delgado Community College has served the greater New Orleans region by providing higher education and career opportunities aligned with the regional economy. Now, in partnership with Ochsner Health, Delgado students will get more opportunities to pursue meaningful careers in healthcare in the state-of-the-art Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health, opening on Delgado’s historic City Park campus.

Together, Delgado and Ochsner will leverage the new nursing and allied health center to meet critical workforce demands, provide more opportunities for local graduates in high-wage careers, and proactively pursue the career development of minority and disadvantaged students.

The Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health brings the Delgado Charity School of Nursing and most Division of Allied Health programs under one roof for the first time. In addition to RN and LPN programs, the building will host Radiologic Technologist, Respiratory Therapy, Physical Therapy Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Surgical Technologist, Medical Laboratory Technologist, and Pharmacy Technologist programs.

Such investments are critical, as healthcare workforce challenges have grown in recent years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor projects more than 1.1 million new nurses alone will be needed by 2030. Another analysis by workforce strategy researchers estimated the country would need 2.1 million nurses by 2025.

“Ochsner is thrilled that the healthcare system’s investment in Delgado will come to fruition with the opening of this incredible building and the deepening partnership it anchors,” said Tracey Schiro, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Chief Administrative Officer, Ochsner Health. “Together with Delgado, we remain committed to workforce development for our Ochsner employees and other community members wanting to join the healthcare industry. We’re excited to offer this high-caliber education and training and know that through this partnership we will offer life-changing opportunities for students choosing to attend community college and enter careers with Ochsner in nursing and allied health.”

The partnership between Ochsner and Delgado is also critical to achieving a Healthy State by 2030, a collaborative plan to eliminate barriers to healthcare, invest in the next generation of healthcare providers and frontline staff, and realize a healthier Louisiana. The new center marks the expansion of Ochsner Scholars, a tuition assistance program for students who choose to become employed in Louisiana with Ochsner. In partnership with Delgado, Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges (LCTCS), and other education partners, Ochsner Scholars is one of many pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, internship, and scholars’ programs Ochsner offers. Together, these workforce development initiatives are set to positively impact more than 3,000 students by 2025.

Ochsner Health’s Career Outreach supports student development for nearly every clinical program available at Delgado. In the new building, Ochsner career specialists will have dedicated office space for outreach, including Ochsner recruitment events, career coaching, and mock interview sessions. Ochsner provides adjunct faculty members from its nursing corps, as well as clinical rotations in the system’s hospitals and other onsite benefits like facility tours and networking opportunities.

“Delgado Community College welcomes this monumental new opportunity to prepare a new generation of healthcare workers for our region, state and nation.” said Larissa Littleton-Steib, Chancellor, Delgado Community College. “Delgado and the Charity School of Nursing are household names in our part of Louisiana, and this new state-of-the-art educational facility bearing the Ochsner name as well as ours positions us to enhance our leadership in healthcare education tremendously. Nurses and allied health professionals educated at Delgado now and in years to come will enjoy the many benefits of meaningful careers that improve their own lives and the lives of their families while serving others in a variety of healthcare settings.”

Designed by Manning Architects of New Orleans and built by general contractors The Lemoine Company, also of New Orleans, the new building features 120,000 square feet of labs and modern classrooms. It includes plans for a simulated hospital and will have capacity for 1,500 students.

The new building is about the same height as the iconic Isaac Delgado Hall next door, opened in 1921. Its contemporary glass-walled design includes traditional elements that echo the century-old building beside it, while projecting an image of progress and innovation consistent with Delgado’s growing reputation for excellence. It is the first new classroom facility built at the Delgado City Park Campus since the opening of 60,000-sq-ft Thames Hall (library) and 15,000-sq-ft Martin Hall (Building 6) in 2015.

Delgado Community College is the largest educator of nurses and allied health professionals in Louisiana. The college produces 1,200 nursing and allied health professionals each year who remain in the New Orleans metropolitan area and enhance the healthcare workforce. Delgado’s Pre-Nursing and Allied Health Track, to be held in the new building, prepares students to apply for the Registered Nursing Program and any of Delgado’s 29 Allied Health associate degree and certificate programs. It is one of three options in the Delgado Evening & Weekend Track (EWT), which offers courses outside of regular business hours for adults who need flexibility. Students can choose night and weekend, online and hybrid courses.

The cost of the new facility is $44 million. Ochsner committed $20 million to expand Delgado’s nursing and allied health education programs, including $10 million to cover full-time tuition for Ochsner employees to pursue degrees and credentials in nursing and allied health programs at Delgado through select Ochsner-sponsored apprenticeship and workforce development programs.

Click here for images of the new building

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About Delgado Community College, Delgado Charity School of Nursing and Delgado Allied Health

Delgado Community College The oldest and largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction at seven locations and online. Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education and training services available in the New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs. As well as offering degrees and transferable college credits, Delgado provides diplomas and certificates in many professional and technical areas. Workforce development is a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!” www.dcc.edu

Delgado Charity School of Nursing, established in 1894, has been a Delgado division since 1990. The school offers an associate degree for Registered Nurses as well as a Practical Nursing certificate program and Certified Nursing Assistant training. Delgado Charity School of Nursing is the #1 Best Value among all nursing schools in Louisiana, according to a 2022 study by Nursing Explorer. The online resource College Factual ranks the Delgado Charity School of Nursing as the #1 Associate Degree in Nursing program in Louisiana.

Delgado Allied Health Division was established in 1973. Radiologic Technology and Respiratory Care were the first healthcare programs offered at Delgado Community College, which now offers those programs and 29 different Allied Health associate degree and certificate programs. Approximately 70 percent of workers in regional medical jobs are Delgado healthcare program graduates.

About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating 80 years in 2022, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 38,000 employees and over 4,600 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 48 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.