RSS Feed

Ochsner St. Mary may face some push-back on its plans to end labor and delivery services as its parent company consolidates services.

At Tuesday’s St. Mary Parish Council meeting at the courthouse in Franklin, Councilman Dean Adams of Morgan City noted an upcoming meeting of Hospital Service
District No. 1, which owns the hospital operated under lease by Ochsner Health.

The upcoming meeting will bear on the decision to end labor and delivery services at the hospital next month, Adams said.

Councilman the Rev. Craig Mathews called the decision a huge concern for the community.

“It speaks volumes about how large corporations come into rural areas and promise us the moon and the stars,” Mathews said. “And we don’t even get a low-hanging cloud.”

Ochsner’s original involvement with the Morgan City hospital seemed more like a wish on a lucky star that came true.

In the months leading up to spring 2019, with rural hospitals closing all over the country, LifePoint Health of Tennessee announced plans to pull out of Morgan City after years of multimillion dollar losses from its operation of what was then Teche Regional. The hospital was on the brink of closing.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, eager to avoid losing a rural hospital on his watch, lobbied Ochsner. The health system, the state’s largest private employer, announced in March 2019 that it would assume the lease and operations at the hospital.

The former Teche Regional Medical Center became Ochsner St. Mary.

Then, last week, Ochsner St. Mary announced that it will end labor and delivery services April 1. Ochsner is consolidating those services in this region at Ochsner St. Anne in Raceland.

The hospital said it will continue to offer other women’s health services, including mammograms and bone density tests.

The hospital has delivered fewer than 200 babies each year recently, the hospital said, the fewest among the 66 hospitals that report to the Louisiana Hospital Association.

Meanwhile, the hospital said, population estimates predict a 6.2% decline in the number of St. Mary women of child-bearing age, while the number of people over 65 is expected to rise by 10.9%.

“While our decision to shift our labor and delivery program to our partner hospital, Ochsner St. Anne in Raceland was difficult, it is the best overall direction for our community,” said Fernis LeBlanc, CEO, Ochsner Bayou Region, in an email Wednesday.

“Among the five area hospitals that provide labor and delivery services, Ochsner St. Mary accounts for fewer than seven percent of the total births in the region, with less than 16 babies per month. The data shows residents are not utilizing Ochsner St. Mary to deliver their babies.

“Every decision we make is with the community in mind. We remain passionate about serving St. Mary Parish and the surrounding communities.”

Also Tuesday, the council approved a resolution authorizing Parish President David Hanagriff to apply for a grant for sidewalk work in Amelia.

The parish government is seeking a Department of Transportation and Development grant for sidewalks on Lake Palourde Road, Lake Road, South and North Verret, DeGravelle Road and Beadle Street. The work is expected to cost $937,000.

If the grant goes through, the parish government would have to pay a 20% match. The exact figures weren’t available to the council Tuesday, but Chief Administrative Officer Henry C. “Bo” LaGrange said the resolution doesn’t commit the parish to spending money. The resolution was introduced Tuesday to beat a grant application deadline.

Virgie Vivian Aucoin, 98, a resident of Amelia, died Friday, March 3, 2023, at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother and two sisters.

She is survived by a host of relatives.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Twin City Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.

Twin City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Happy birthday Sunday to Alisha Johnson and Tuesday to Glenda Gaudet, from family, friend and Ira.

The Louisiana Coastal Protection Restoration Authority understated unrecorded payables by nearly $12 million in the agency’s annual fiscal report, according to the Louisiana legislative auditor.

LLA Mike Waguespack published an audit report on LCPR’s finances and accountability over public funds on Monday that revealed inaccuracies in its 2022 annual fiscal report, though auditors found the agency is addressing prior-year findings.

“Audit procedures identified errors in the Accrued (Unrecorded) Payables note disclosure in CPRA’s AFR, resulting in a net understatement of $11,934,205,” the report read.
CPRA understated the unrecorded payables by about $15.3 million because officials excluded some invoices that had delivery dates prior to June 30, 2022 but payments in
fiscal year 2023.

“Two of the four highest-dollar expenditure transactions from the period subsequent to year-end were inaccurately reported by CPRA as unrecorded payables, resulting in an overstatement of $3,402,637,” auditors wrote.

“CPRA did not adequately review its AFR before submitting it to (the Office of Statewide Reporting and Accounting Policy),” the report read. “Internal controls over financial reporting should include adequate procedures to record, process, and compile financial data needed to prepare an accurate and complete AFR.”

CPRA corrected the understatement after confronted by auditors, who recommended management implement procedures to ensure an adequate review of the AFR.

The LLA also reviewed CPRA’s internal control over financial reporting and evidence in support of capital outlay escrow fund nonpayroll expenditures and payables and amounts due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and found no other issues.

Auditors confirmed CPRA has addressed a prior year finding related to noncompliance with certain subrecipient monitoring requirements, as well.

“CPRA management has actively pursued clarification with the federal government on this issue, which is currently under consideration by the U.S. Department of the Interior,” auditors wrote.

“As of February 28, 2023, the federal government has not provided clarification.”

CPRA Executive Director Lawrence Haase responded to the audit in a letter to Waguespack on Jan. 6 that concurred with the finding involving the inaccurate AFR, and explained what the agency is doing about it.

CPRA updated and documented written procedures for running the year-end report, as well as internal processes that require an accountant and supervisor to review outstanding invoices multiple times per year.

“Reducing the number of invoices that must be researched at year end will reduce the chance of errors occurring during the close-out processes for determining invoices that need to be included on the Accrued Accounts Payable note,” Haase wrote.

CPRA also added a more detailed second level review of financial reports used in the AFR to “provide more internal control to ensure the most accurate information is reported and that technical errors are avoided,” the letter read.