Workers replace signs at Teche Regional Medical Center, which will be called Ochsner St. Mary as Ochsner Health System assumes management of the hospital.
The Daily Review/Bill Decker
Teche Regional becomes Ochsner St. Mary
Goodbye, Teche Regional Medical Center. Hello, Ochsner St. Mary.
State and local officials, St. Mary Chamber members and Ochsner Health System executives held a ribbon-cutting Tuesday to mark Ocshner’s new role as the operator of Morgan City’s 165-bed hospital. The name change is part of the deal, but far from the biggest part.
The Louisiana-based Ochsner will succeed LifePoint Health, which last year announced it wanted to give up management of the hospital.
St. Mary Parish Hospital Service District No. 2, which owns the hospital, negotiated the new lease agreement with Ocshner. The agreement was approved by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office last week.
“I pledge that the city government will be a partner and do what it takes to make this a success,” Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi told a gathering in the hospital’s meditation garden.
“Not having a hospital here in Morgan City and St. Mary Parish was never an option ...,” Parish President David Hanagriff said. “If we want our economy to grow, we have to have this hospital.”
The hospital’s new Ochsner CEO, Fernis LeBlanc, said Ocshner will put an effort into recruiting new physicians and will implement the EPIC electronic medical records system.
“It’s going to provide unprecedented access to patient information,” LeBlanc said.
He also promised that employees will have the chance to talk about their concerns and ask questions at upcoming town hall meetings.