This September marks the fifth anniversary of the partnership between St. Charles Parish Hospital and Ochsner Health System, which established the sharing of best medical practices and the implementation of advanced technology, resulting in improved quality, expanded access to care, and reduction in medical costs.
“Over the past five years, St. Charles Parish has benefited greatly from the hospital’s partnership with Ochsner,” said Terrell Neal, interim CEO, St. Charles Parish Hospital. “We are committed to providing exceptional care where our patients live. The progress made since 2014 has not only made our community healthier, but also provided a great place to work for our employees, with improved culture and engagement.”
Access to high quality healthcare has expanded in St. Charles Parish since the beginning of the partnership, including the opening of the Plantation View Medical Offices – a 52,000-square-foot medical office building located at 13100 River Road.
Care has also been improved through new technology. St. Charles Parish Hospital upgraded its electronic medical records to industry-leading Epic software, which ensures coordinated patient care across the Ochsner Health System. Through this system, patients are empowered to access personal health information and connect with healthcare providers through MyOchsner online patient portal. Other technological updates include implementing the following telemedicine programs--eICU, TelePsych, TeleStroke and TeleNeuro.
Key Improvements over the last five years include:
-Emergency department visits up 9%
-Outpatient surgeries up 67%
-Cath lab procedures up 879%
-Clinic patients up more than 300%
-Expansion of services, including new chemotherapy and infusion services
In 2018, St. Charles Parish Hospital was recognized as a Top General Hospital by The Leapfrog Group. The honor is designated based on data gathered through its annual hospital survey, which compares hospital performance on national patient safety, quality, efficiency, and management standards. St. Charles Parish Hospital, a 59-bed facility created as a service district hospital in 1959, was the only hospital in Louisiana and one of only 35 in the country to receive this prestigious honor.