This past Monday, three hospitals within Baton Rouge-based Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division officially left LSU for private partners, and LSU also shuttered all inpatient services at its hospital in Lake Charles.
Louisiana Children's Medical Center in New Orleans has taken over Interim LSU Public Hospital, also known as Medical Center of Louisiana, in New Orleans. LCMC will also manage the new hospital in New Orleans when construction is complete.
Lafayette General Medical Center now manages University Medical Center, also in Lafayette. Ochsner Health System in New Orleans and Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma have taken over Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center, also in Houma.
LSU officially closed W.O. Moss Regional Medical Center in Lake Charles as an inpatient facility and transferred all outpatient and emergency services to Lake Charles Memorial Health System.
Three other LSU hospitals — E.A. Conway Medical Center in Monroe, LSU Medical Center in Shreveport and Bogalusa Medical Center in Bogalusa — will begin their private partnerships later this year. In April, LSU closed Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge, the first LSU facility to be swept up in the privatization plan.
LSU is still working to find a private hospital partner for Huey P. Long Medical Center in Pineville. Lallie Kemp Medical Center in Independence will be the lone public hospital within LSU Health Care Services Division once the plan is complete.
The Louisiana legislature has said the privatization plan of nine LSU hospitals will save the state $100 million annually, but a state audit said the resulting layoffs associated with the plan could cost more than $40 million.
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Audit: LSU Hospital Layoffs Would Cost State $42M