HJBR Jul/Aug 2019

Q&A 28 JUL / AUG 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of BATON ROUGE   Why is Ochsner expanding so much in Baton Rouge? Was there a shortage of medical services and capacity? Louisiana ranks near the bottom in many health-based statistics, and the traditional model of care brought us to where we are. We must do better, and Ochsner is chang- ing the healthcare landscape with newways of delivering care that are improving our health outcomes. We strive every day to help our patients lead healthier lives with our commitment to innovation and patient- centered care. Since opening in January, our medical office building at The Grove sees significantly more patients each day com- pared to our Summa location, and the wait times are lower, meaning patients spend their time in the exam roomwith their pro- vider, not in the waiting room. Building such a big facility at the I-10 Bluebonnet/Siegen corridor is not only expanding the medical corridor but establishing Ochsner in Baton Rouge. Is your goal to be known as a leading pro- vider, along with FMOL and Baton Rouge General? Ochsner is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic healthcare system. As a system, we care for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 people and has over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties, and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. We believe that care should be delivered close to home, and with multiple locations throughout the capital region, we’ll ensure medical services are near your home or work. How has occupancy and operations at the O’Neal hospital changed since the expansion? Are you seeing more or fewer patients at O’Neal? Or, is it a different type of patient at O’Neal? As we begin utilizing our surgical hos- pital at The Grove, it will work in rhythm with Ochsner Medical Center Baton Rouge Eric McMillen is the chief executive officer for Ochsner Baton Rouge. He began his career at Och- sner in 2000 as an administrative fellow and has extensive experience in both clinic and hospital operations. McMillen has held various leadership positions within Ochsner Health System in both the NewOrleans and Baton Rouge regions, includ- ing director of radiation oncology, interim direc- tor of cancer services, director of clinical services, assistant administrator, and chief operating officer. He is a fellow of the American College of Health- care Executives and a member of several com- munity boards, including the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the Livingston Economic Development Council, the Mayor’s Healthy Initiative, and the Baton Rouge Health District. He holds a master’s in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a bachelor’s from LSU Medical Center in rehabilitation services. McMil- len completed Harvard Business School’s Manag- ing Healthcare Delivery course in 2014.