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Ochsner St. Anne Hospital Returns To Full Operations Following Hurricane Ida

Ochsner St. Anne Hospital Returns To Full Operations Following Hurricane Ida

Approximately six weeks after Hurricane Ida made landfall, Ochsner St. Anne Hospital celebrated its return to full operations, resuming labor and delivery and surgical services on Friday, October 15. Today marked the final phase of the Raceland facility’s reopening, an important milestone for the Bayou community which was significantly damaged by the Category 4 storm.

Ochsner St. Anne’s Emergency Department remained open during and after the storm made landfall to continue serving the community in the Bayou Region and other healthcare services were reopened over the last few weeks, including the hospital’s Med Surg Unit and outpatient services, which resumed on September 8th and 10th, respectively.

Although the facility endured a considerable amount of damage from the storm many services returned immediately including the medical inpatient unit, behavioral health, outpatient services and COVID-19 vaccinations and testing to care for patients. Physicians, nurses, staff and community members gathered to celebrate the return of healthcare and to honor the frontline workers who worked through the storm and continued caring for patients at nearby facilities, in tents and mobile units.

Ida’s landfall coincided with Louisiana’s 4th COVID-19 surge, which shattered hospitalization and case records and made pre-storm patient evacuations prohibitive. In the immediate aftermath of Ida, patients were transferred to Ochsner facilities across the state, including Ochsner St. Mary in nearby Morgan City. Repairs to the facility began immediately to ensure that healthcare would return in Raceland as quickly as possible.

Many physicians, nurses, staff, and volunteers joined Tim Allen, CEO of Ochsner Health’s Bayou Region, and the Central Lafourche High School Band to celebrate resuming these services. The occasion was also commemorated with a ceremony, including a plaque dedication honoring St. Anne’s healthcare heroes and the raising of the United States flag to symbolize the hospital’s return to full operations.

“We understand and appreciate how unique and special our region is. I am so proud of our team who has worked hard to bring back all healthcare services for our patients in such a short time,” said Tim Allen. “This is an important reminder to our community that our staff is and always will be here for them to provide quality healthcare when they need us the most. Hurricane recovery does not end when power is restored, or debris is removed. Bringing healthcare services and resources back into this community is critically important as our neighbors and loved ones rebuild and work to return home.”

To learn more about Ochsner St. Anne and healthcare services in the Bayou, please visit www.ochsner.org/stanne. To see images of Ida’s impact on Ochsner St. Anne and today’s celebration please click here.

About Ochsner Health

Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Ochsner Health is a not-for-profit committed to giving back to the communities it serves through preventative screenings, health and wellness resources and partnerships with innovative organizations that share our vision. Ochsner Health healed more than 900,000 people from across the globe in 2020, providing the latest medical breakthroughs and therapies, including digital medicine for chronic conditions and telehealth specialty services. Ochsner Health is a national leader, named the top hospital in Louisiana and a top children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report. As Louisiana’s leading healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. Ochsner Health is innovating healthcare by investing in new technologies and research to make world-class care more accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner's team of more than 32,000 employees and 4,500 providers are working to reinvent the future of health and wellness in the region. To learn more about Ochsner Health, please visit www.ochsner.org.