St. Bernard Parish Hospital Employee Named Nurse of the Year by Ochsner Health

NEW ORLEANS, La. – St. Bernard Parish Hospital (SBPH) employee Jennifer Reichert, RN was named the 2021 Nurse of the Year during Ochsner Health’s annual Spirit of Leadership Awards ceremony. For 18 years, Ochsner Health has celebrated its employees, leaders, physicians, and teams for going above and beyond by exhibiting the spirit of leadership through the health system’s mission, vision, and core values.

"We at SBPH are so proud of Jennifer. Ochsner employs more than 5,000 nurses, so this is a prestigious honor. She is an exemplary nurse living our mission and values while providing quality compassionate care to our patients," said Lani Fast, chief executive officer, St. Bernard Parish Hospital.

A 30-year veteran of the medical field, Reichert has worked at SBPH since the hospital opened in 2012 and has worked in the emergency department for the last 10 years.

“Being a nurse and caring for others is both rewarding and fulfilling. I love my coworkers. We are like family, which makes the workday go smoothly knowing we can depend on each other,” said Reichert. “I am a lifelong resident of St. Bernard Parish and grateful I am able to serve and care for the great parish and people of St. Bernard.”

St. Bernard Parish Hospital 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. Since November 2017 when the partnership with Ochsner Health was finalized, SBPH has increased specialty care offerings, significantly improved quality, implemented telehealth platforms and acted as a health and wellness community leader through numerous outreach programs.

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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 300 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/.