Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South. Ochsner inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through our mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate.
SLIDELL, La. – Ochsner Health today announced an extension of its partnership with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to Slidell Memorial Hospital (SMH), creating an Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center location in Slidell, La. This transformative collaboration brings access to cancer treatments that are among the most advanced in the nation to the Slidell Regional Cancer Center, A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center.
This partnership brings together longstanding commitment to community healthcare, an extensive regional network and world-renowned cancer expertise to provide patients in Slidell and surrounding areas with access to advanced oncology treatments, innovative select clinical trials and the compassionate care that patients of the Slidell Regional Cancer Center know and trust.
“As a trusted healthcare provider in our region, Slidell Memorial Hospital is proud to expand our cancer services through Ochsner Health’s partnership with MD Anderson,” said SMH Chief Executive Officer Sandy Badinger. “We made a promise to our community to continue to advance care for our loved ones who are diagnosed with cancer, and we are keeping that promise. This collaboration underscores our commitment to delivering a high standard of care, ensuring our patients have access to renowned cancer expertise here in Slidell.”
In June 2023, Ochsner Health announced a partnership with MD Anderson to create Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in southeastern Louisiana. Through this collaboration, Ochsner is the first and only provider in Louisiana, and one of just seven partners in MD Anderson’s national collaborative network of hospitals and healthcare systems, with a fully integrated cancer program based on MD Anderson’s standards and treatment plans.
“Our partnership strengthens a shared commitment to lessen the burden of cancer through leading-edge care, innovative research and strong community partnerships,” said Pete November, CEO, Ochsner Health. “As Louisiana’s leader in cancer care, we are proud to work alongside Slidell Memorial and MD Anderson, a global leader whose experts are advancing cancer treatment with breakthrough therapies and clinical trials. Together, we’re expanding access to this level of expertise and innovation for patients across Louisiana.”
Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at Slidell Regional Cancer Center, A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center, is now the eighth Ochsner MD Anderson location, ensuring that patients receive the same high-quality clinical care and treatment plans based on the same protocols and practice standards provided at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, and benefit from integration with its clinicians and researchers. This affiliation offers access to evidence-based guidelines, groundbreaking research and leading-edge therapies, all delivered by a multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists committed to excellence in patient care.
Other Ochsner MD Anderson locations are:
"By integrating Ochsner MD Anderson's expertise into our local comprehensive care approach, we are transforming the cancer care landscape in Slidell," said Slidell Regional Cancer Center Medical Director Dr. Matthew McElveen. "Patients here and in the surrounding regions will now have greater access to advanced therapies and a larger multidisciplinary team of specialists dedicated to supporting them throughout their cancer journey."
Ochsner MD Anderson’s expert team provides holistic care to patients with services to treat the entire person. In addition to supportive services that include nutrition and nurse navigation, Ochsner MD Anderson offers groundbreaking research and innovative therapies, including access to select clinical trials available to eligible patients as the only Phase I clinical trial program in Louisiana. These early-stage cancer research trials that test new therapies brings a higher level of treatment options to patients in Slidell.
MD Anderson is one of the world’s largest and most respected cancer centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. Based in Houston,
MD Anderson has been working to eliminate cancer for more than 80 year and has been ranked number one in the nation for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” survey for the past 11 years. The institution conducts one of the world’s largest clinical trials programs, offering more than 1,600 clinical trials for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.
For more than 80 years, Ochsner has been dedicated to cancer research and new cancer therapy development, bringing innovations to treatment with more clinical trials than anywhere else in Louisiana. It is accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American College of Radiology, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (Bone Marrow Transplant) and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. Cancer care at Ochsner is recognized by U.S. News & World Report, ranking as high performing in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma treatment and colon, lung and prostate cancer surgeries. The Ochsner Cancer Institute treats more than 40,000 patients each year and has cared for patients from all 50 states and 28 countries. Each patient’s care team can include as many as 20 multidisciplinary cancer specialists working together to provide high-quality treatment.
To learn more about Ochsner MD Anderson, please visit www.ochsner.org/cancerservices.
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ABOUT OCHSNER HEALTH
Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South, delivering expert care at its 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers. For 14 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Ochsner as the No. 1 hospital in Louisiana. Additionally, Ochsner Children’s has been recognized as the No. 1 hospital for kids in Louisiana for four consecutive years. Ochsner inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through a combination of standard-setting expertise, quality and connection not found anywhere else in the region. In 2024, Ochsner Health cared for more than 1.6 million people from every state in the nation and 63 countries. Ochsner’s workforce includes more than 40,000 dedicated team members and over 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians. To learn more about how Ochsner empowers people to get well and stay well, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.
ABOUT SMH
Slidell Memorial Hospital is a full-service acute care not-for-profit community hospital located in the heart of Slidell. SMH offers two campuses with 261 beds at our Main campus and 70 beds at our East campus, formerly Ochsner Medical Center – Northshore. Founded in 1959, SMH serves as a primary healthcare resource for families in St. Tammany Parish, La., and Pearl River County, Miss. In 2016, SMH and Ochsner Health entered into a joint operating agreement to offer area residents access to expanded local care. SMH works in an integrated environment with Ochsner, collaborating with leadership, physicians and team members to share best practices, grow services and implement advanced, patient-centered technology.
For more information, visit http://www.slidellmemorial.org/. The hospital’s main phone number is (985) 280-2200.