St. Bernard Parish Hospital Commemorates 5-Year Anniversary of Ochsner Health Partnership

Partnership continues to invest in the community, providing residents with high quality healthcare close to home

CHALMETTE, La. – This November marks the fifth anniversary of the partnership between St. Bernard Parish Hospital (SBPH) and Ochsner Health, which has invested $10 million in capital improvements and implemented advanced technology resulting in improved quality and expanded access to care for local residents.

“SBPH and Ochsner Health have much to be proud of when reflecting over the past five years. Our partnership allows us to meet patients where they are within their community and provide care during the most critical time in recent memory, including the COVID-19 global pandemic and natural disasters. SPBH has served more than 140,000 patients since 2017. Having the opportunity to care for and work with the people of St. Bernard Parish is a privilege,” said Lani Fast, chief executive officer, St. Bernard Parish Hospital. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Ochsner Health and providing high-quality care in hopes of making our community healthier and stronger.”

Investing in St. Bernard Parish

Ochsner has invested in the St. Bernard Parish community and is committed to continuing to bring exceptional healthcare services close to home. Access to high-quality healthcare has greatly expanded in St. Bernard Parish since the beginning of the partnership. In 2017 the Ochsner Health Center – St. Bernard opened bringing multi-specialty services, such as primary care, urology, pain management, pediatrics, podiatry, gastroenterology (GI), and women’s services.

Care has also been enhanced through new technology. During the first year of the partnership, St. Bernard Parish Hospital upgraded its electronic medical records to industry-leading Epic software, which ensures coordinated patient care across the Ochsner Health system. This system empowers patients to access personal health information and connect with healthcare providers through the MyOchsner online patient portal and app.

As a result of capital improvements, the hospital has purchased new equipment to ensure the best care for patients. New equipment updates have included a high-resolution CT scanner, mobile X-ray units, Respironics V60 hospital ventilators, portable ultrasound system, portable echocardiogram machine, hospital-wide cardiac monitoring system and the Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections.

Key improvements over the last five years include:

• Provided care to a growing number of patients served with a 35.8% increase year-over-year
• Enhanced and implemented additional telehealth and digital medicine technologies including Telestroke, TelePsych, Teleneruology, eICU (critical care) and hospital medicine
• Recruited providers to increase specialty services in endocrinology, psychology, cardiology, pulmonology, orthopedics, urology, podiatry, GI, pediatrics, women’s services, primary care, wound care, diabetes management, speech therapy and therapy & wellness.
• Increased capacity to treat COVID-19 and other patients in need of intensive care with the addition of 40 state-of-the-art medical-surgical (med-surg) and ICU beds
• Achieved a positive cash flow for the first time in the history of the hospital

“From inception, our partnership with Ochsner has positively impacted the community. In addition to expanding access to high-quality healthcare, SBPH has built a strong and engaged healthcare workforce in St. Bernard Parish. We look forward to seeing what we accomplish in the future as the Ochsner Health partnership continues,” said Ray Lauga, chair, St. Bernard Parish Hospital Service District.

Employees have access to a wide range of learning and professional development opportunities and are encouraged to pursue advanced certification. A dedicated clinical education team provides programs to review, update and offer new professional development opportunities. Workforce development programs have been instituted to ensure talent into the future.

The Time-Picayune and The Advocate awarded SBPH a Top Workplaces honor in June 2022. The Top Workplaces list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

Leading in Quality and Patient Safety

The hospital has received numerous accolades throughout the years in recognition of quality and patient safety. SBPH is the recipient of an ‘A’ Fall 2021 and ‘A’ Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group. This national distinction recognized SBPH for achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.

SBPH also received the 2020-2021 Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company (LAMMICO) Patient Safety Award and Grant and the CareChex award for top 10 percent in the state for Medical Excellence in General Surgery and Orthopedic Care. The St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce has honored SBPH as the Healthcare Hero of the Community.

Through the Ochsner partnership, SBPH is poised to continue providing high-quality care for years and generations to come, achieving operational excellence, financial stability, and continual growth.

SBPH is located at 8000 West Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. It includes 40 private rooms, a 10-bed emergency department and full diagnostic imaging capability SBPH is owned by the Hospital Service District of the Parish of St. Bernard, State of Louisiana, a political subdivision of the State, and managed by Ochsner Health. For more information about St. Bernard Hospital and Ochsner Health, visit Ochsner.org/sbph

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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 heart 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 over 700 clinical studies. It has more than 36,000 employees and over 4,600 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 47 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 2021, Ochsner Health treated more than 1 million people from every state and 75 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.