Hospital tax comes off Oct. 14 ballot

Discussions aimed at bringing labor and delivery services back to Ochsner St. Mary continue. But a proposed property tax for that purpose has been removed from the Oct. 14 ballot.
The St. Mary Hospital Service District No. 2 board voted Wednesday to cancel the election that members called for in May. The call involved two propositions: one to impose a new 5.5-mill tax in the district, which covers the area from Calumet to Amelia, and one to rededicate more than $700,000 raised by a tax no longer collected.
The tax election cancellation is a sign that women in the Morgan City area — up to 200 a year, based on the hospital’s count for previous years — will continue to travel out of east St. Mary for nonemergency obstetrical care for the foreseeable future.
Labor and delivery services were discontinued April 1 at Ochsner St. Mary. Ochsner Health, which operates the hospital under lease with the district, agreed to discuss resumption of obstetrics with the district.
The next month, the board called for the tax elections. On July 11, the board decided that if an agreement had not been reached in 14 days, members would take the propositions off the ballot. The 14 days ended last week.
The property tax would have raised $2 million a year and allowed the rededicated funds to be used to bring obstetrics and other hospital services back to Ochsner St. Mary.
The board members — Dr. William Cefalu, Jackie Cheramie, Kendra Thomas, Gary Stansbury, Angeleena Brocato, Bill McCarty and Donald Stephens — passed the resolution canceling the election without objection.
Discussions continue, said Cefalu, who chairs the district board and practices at Ochsner St. Mary.
“All the services we feel like we need are on the table, including obstetrics and women’s health,” Cefalu said after Wednesday’s meeting.
At the meeting, he said the district is “stepping back with a long-term goal in mind. …
“Our goal as a board remains the same. We’ll be working more closely with Ochsner to achieve those goals. I think they’re sincere in their desire to fulfill those needs.”
Ochsner said its decision to end labor and delivery services was based on demographic trends toward an older population and fewer women of child-bearing age. The 200 babies the hospital delivered each year was the lowest among institutions reporting to the Louisiana Hospital Association.
Ochsner is consolidating its Bayou Regional obstetrics services at Ochsner St. Anne in Raceland.
Local criticism centered on the long travel times to hospitals with labor and delivery services in the region and concern that Ochsner St. Mary would no longer be equipped to deal with emergency deliveries.
Hospital officials said Ochsner St. Mary will be able to deal with emergency births.
Also Wednesday, Cefalu praised Ochsner St. Mary’s community outreach efforts.
The hospital ran two Safe Sitter sessions for young people recently, and had a table at the Back to School Bash in Berwick. Plans are underway for the hospital’s annual wellness event.