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Level-1 Trauma Care Returns to New Orleans; Ochsner Leases Space to LSU U.S. Newswire (press release) - Washington,DC,USA |
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Ochsner Clinic Foundation and LSU Health Care Services Division today announced plans to re-establish Level-1 Trauma Care in the New Orleans Area. The LSU/Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans (MCLNO), working in conjunction with the Ochsner Clinic Foundation, is leasing space at Ochsner's Elmwood Hospital, a private, not-for-profit facility in Jefferson Parish. This new location will house, until December 31, 2006, the Trauma facility that was destroyed at LSU's Charity Hospital by Hurricane Katrina. LSU, along with Tulane, will staff the Trauma Center and maintain 40 critical-care beds at the Clearview Parkway facility. "Charity's Trauma Center was world renowned for its care," commented LSU HCSD CEO Donald R. Smithburg, "residents rebuilding the Crescent City can expect the same level of trauma service at this temporary location." Dr. Cathi Fontenot, Medical Director of MCLNO adds, "This location will be for trauma cases only and will not provide a walk-in emergency room or clinic. It will be referred to as the LSU/Medical Center of Louisiana New Orleans, Level-1 Trauma Center." Currently, the only other Level-1 Trauma Center in Louisiana is in Shreveport, which LSU also operates. "Ochsner continues its leadership to rebuild our city. Ochsner itself is a large teaching hospital. We recognize the importance of the Trauma Center both in maintaining the health of our community as well as the education of physicians and other health professionals," says Dr. Patrick Quinlan, Ochsner's Chief Executive Officer, "We are pleased to play a role in facilitating this opening." Smithburg adds, "LSU wants to thank Dr. Quinlan for his leadership and cooperation in helping to return Level-1 Trauma services to our community." Dr. Quinlan initially contacted LSU in December 2005 regarding re-establishment of the Trauma Center at Ochsner's Elmwood facility. The Trauma Center will provide the highest level of specialty services and meet strict national standards for a Level-1 facility. Specialized physicians and nurses are available around the clock, 365 days a year, to treat life-threatening injuries (ranging from motor vehicle accidents to strokes). According to Ochsner's Chairman of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Joseph Guarisco, who has been treating a large number of trauma cases in the city, "Currently, the majority of trauma in New Orleans is centered on motor vehicle accidents and cleanup and rebuilding injuries involving relief workers, construction crews and residents." Post-Katrina, Ochsner's daily patient census includes over 425 occupied beds, 170 daily emergency room visits, and 2,500 clinic visits from the greater New Orleans community. Ochsner was one of just three hospitals in the New Orleans area to remain open throughout Hurricane Katrina. The Medical Center of Louisiana currently offers emergency medical services in the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, and an adult primary care clinic in the Hutchinson Building on Tulane Avenue across the street from the Charity Hospital Campus. MCLNO doctors and nurses are treating 300 patients a day; that's almost half of the emergency department visits seen at Charity before the storm. ------ Ochsner Clinic Foundation is a non-profit organization, and one of the nation's largest independent, academic, medical centers training annually over 325 medical residents, 450 medical students and 400 allied health students. Over a million patients annually receive care at Ochsner's 474-bed acute care hospital and 24 clinic locations in Southeast Louisiana. The LSU Health Care Services Division hospital and clinic system is the largest provider of health care in Louisiana, with more than 1.2 million patient visits annually to 350 outpatient clinics, and 46,000 admissions to nine hospitals. |
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