Ochsner St. Martin Hospital Completes Expansion

$18 million expansion of facility doubles current space

LAFAYETTE – Ochsner St. Martin Hospital (Ochsner SMH), located at 210 Champagne Blvd. in Breaux Bridge, recently completed a major expansion, offering the latest in patient-care technology and enabling more services than ever before. The $18 million, 30,000 square foot expansion of its facilities more than doubles the hospital’s existing size of 28,983 square feet. Due to COVID restrictions, we’ve created a walk-thru video for the community to virtually explore the new space.

Both local and state officials have been in support of Ochsner St. Martin Hospital and its expansion efforts since discussions began years ago, and the expansion was only made possible through the Ochsner St. Martin Parish Hospital Service District #2 fund with support from Ochsner Lafayette General.

Ochsner St. Martin Hospital, formerly known as Gary Memorial, celebrated its 50th birthday in 2019, and while it has undergone many renovations over the years, this is the largest.

“After years of study, planning and learning more about the unique needs of our community, we’re excited to be able to provide a state-of-the-art facility and updated services to our friends and neighbors in St. Martin Parish,” said Ochsner St. Martin Hospital Service District #2 Board President Burton Dupuis. “Because of the support of our community, voters, and elected officials, we can continue to meet the needs of today’s patients and continue serving our growing community for generations to come.”

The project also includes general site improvements, and adds modern components that deliver vital services to the campus:

• 25 new patient rooms – Each suite includes special display screens that sync with a patient’s records to show the most current vitals, medications and caretaker information, as well as educational videos specific to the patient’s diagnosis. Rooms include a variety of features, such as TVs with streaming video access and soft dimming lights, to make the patient’s stay more comfortable.
• The new nursing unit was designed with input from nursing staff and accommodates patients with varying levels of acuity. There is a caregiver station positioned outside of each patient room designed for charting, direct observation of the patient and individual supply storage for each patient.
• A new Open-Air MRI machine - Patients with disabilities, claustrophobia or who exceed the size limits of traditional MRI scanners can get the imaging they need without added stress.
• And the addition of a surgical suite means St. Martin Hospital will be able to offer surgical services for the first time as well as heart catheterization. and new surgical suite that will allow for surgery and heart catheterization.
• Accessibility was an important factor in the expansion; special equipment and updated designs were made to meet the unique needs of patients at all levels of mobility.

“We’re delivering major medical resources to this community. With all the modern amenities and equipment we have added, we can better diagnose and treat patients and we can provide them advanced care as they recover, right here in Breaux Bridge.” said Ochsner St. Martin Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Glenn Dailey. “Our family of caregivers are interested in the health and wellbeing of each patient, and we’ve established a comfortable environment that puts everyone’s needs and safety first.”

The patient rooms in the hospital’s original footprint will be renovated and repurposed to support the new surgery service line and be used for future expansion projects. Learn more about Ochsner St. Martin Hospital here.

###

About Ochsner St. Martin Hospital
Opened in 1969 as a focal point for healthcare in St. Martin Parish, Ochsner St. Martin Hospital is dedicated to taking care of the health needs of the people in the communities of St. Martin Parish and beyond. Formerly known as Gary Memorial Hospital, the name was changed to St. Martin Hospital as of September 18, 2000. The hospital began its affiliation with Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center (Ochsner LGMC) at that time.

Ochsner SMH is a 25-bed critical access hospital, which maintains a staffed 24-hour emergency department, including a staffed physician, as well as state-of-the-art imaging equipment, including a CT scanner, MRI and digital mammograms. Outpatient services include radiology, lab-testing, respiratory therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, infusion and Coumadin services as well as physical, occupational and speech therapy, including pediatric therapy.

On July 1, 2001, Ochsner St. Martin Hospital became a critical access facility and in 2009, it became fully managed by Ochsner LGMC. This affiliation not only brought stability to healthcare within the parish, but also allowed for an extension of medical services and an expansion of medical care to the people of St. Martin Parish.

About Ochsner Lafayette General

Ochsner Lafayette General has more than 5,500 employees and serves 220,000 patients per year. The organization includes Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopedic Hospital, Ochsner Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, Ochsner St. Martin Hospital, Ochsner University Hospital & Clinics, Ochsner Acadia General Hospital, Ochsner Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital, Ochsner American Legion Hospital and a number of clinics, urgent cares and professional centers. Ochsner LGMC is the only Level II Trauma Center in Southwest Louisiana. Both Ochsner LGMC and Ochsner UHC are major teaching hospitals, providing graduate medical education across many disciplines.