On Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced an agreement with Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL) to build a new emergency room at the LSU Health Baton Rouge North Clinic on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge.
“As the son of a retired emergency room nurse, I know how critical it is for a community to have access to immediate care,” said Gov. Edwards. “While this mission has been a priority for me and many other local officials, it’s the voices of the people in this community that should be credited the most for making this day happen. I am grateful to everyone involved in making this new emergency room possible, especially Our Lady of the Lake and the community leaders who have carried this fight for nearly a year and a half.”
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, LSU President King Alexander, Our Lady of the Lake CEO K. Scott Wester, and Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Secretary, Dr. Rebekah Gee makes official a mutually agreed upon plan for OLOL to extend their main campus ER to the LSU Health Baton Rouge North Clinic in North Baton Rouge. The facility will be staffed by emergency physicians 24/7 with a full service lab to help meet local health needs.
“We appreciate Governor Edwards' partnership and his transparency in discussions that bring our community this opportunity," said K. Scott Wester, president and CEO of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. "Our elected officials, physicians and community leaders have all contributed to the plan that takes advantage of assets like our trauma center, urgent care centers, and clinics. Working together we maximize access to care for the families that count on us.”
Since the closure of the Baton Rouge General Mid City ER, LSU Health Baton Rouge North Clinic has worked to deliver urgent care to the surrounding area making this location a natural fit for the new facility.
Housing both urgent and emergent care in the same location will allow ongoing community education, reduced follow up visits and will provide more comprehensive healthcare to the people of North Baton Rouge.
To house the new ER, OLOL will make an 8,000 square-foot addition to the current urgent care center. It will include 8 treatment rooms capable of flexing up to 11 treatment spaces and will be staffed by emergency physicians 24/7. The new ER will be able to provide CTs and X-Rays, and will have a full-service lab and a pharmacy.
The goal is to have the new facility open within 12 months.