Emergency services return to Ochsner Baptist
by CityBusiness staff reportsNEW ORLEANS – New Orleans added another emergency room today when Ochsner Baptist Medical Center celebrated the opening of its full-service ER and a 43-, all-private-room hospital wing at 2700 Napoleon Ave. in Uptown.
Emergency services have not been available at the Ochsner Baptist campus since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“With local ERs still plagued with frequent overcrowding and diversion problems, Ochsner Baptist’s services will fill a significant need and provide residents with a new, full-service ER closer to home,” said Baptist CEO Robert Wolterman.
The 6,000-square-foot ER, at a cost of $12 million, includes two trauma rooms, nine exam rooms, one triage room, an electronic medical records system and computerized patient tracking for fast door-to-doctor care and quicker treatment. The facility is expected to average 40 to 45 visits per day in its first months of operation.
Residents of Uptown, Downtown, New Orleans East, Gentilly, Chalmette, Mid-City and Lakeview/Lakefront are expected to use the ER.
Ochsner purchased the Baptist campus in October 2006 from Tenet Healthcare.
“In such a short time, we’ve gone from a small surgical institution to a full-service facility capable of handling critical cases,” Wolterman said.
Ochsner will hire more than 100 new employees to staff the additional beds and the ER, funneling an additional $5 million into the local economy through employee salaries.
To date, Ochsner has invested more than $30 million to revitalize the Baptist campus.
“This facility has deep roots in the New Orleans community and we’re committed to making it a thriving resource for the city’s future,” Wolterman said.
The facility is still in negotiations to develop a senior living center anticipated for opening in 2013.•
