Ochsner Lafayette (La.) General Medical Center is expected to wrap most of its $100 million expansion by the end of the year, Lafayette Daily Advertiser reported Nov. 9.
The 150,000-square-foot expansion includes a new six-floor patient tower, a parking tower, and a larger mother-baby suite and neonatal intensive care unit. It will also grow the number of patient beds from 436 to 530 with room for 600 beds.
Three floors of the new patient tower will be used right away, with the remaining three serving as shells for future expansion. The expanded mother-baby suite will now allow the medical center to perform 5,400 deliveries per year.
The 18-month project is part of New Orleans-based Ochsner Health's commitment when it purchased Lafayette General Health System to invest $465 million systemwide, including $100 million to the medical center.
The medical center is facing hiring challenges, as each new floor will require 20 to 30 additional employees, according to the publication. It plans to work with local colleges to create a pipeline for future employees.