hospitals are joining in an intensive, coordinated effort to increase enrollment in clinical trials. For
more information on these clinical trials visit www.marybird.org/clinical-trials/ or
www.ololrmc.com/cancer.
LSU Health System Surgical Facility Opens
The LSU Health System Surgical Facility, 9032 Perkins Road, in Baton Rouge, has opened for
the provision of ambulatory surgeries and procedures in the areas of adult and pediatric
otorhinolaryngology, gynecology, orthopedics, endoscopy, diagnostic radiology,
and general surgery. The 49,641 square foot facility and accompanying 7,000
square foot office building will allow LSU's Earl K. Long Medical Center to
strengthen services it already offers. EKLMC will redirect less acute
patients to the ambulatory surgical facility, which will increase access and
reduce wait times for acute inpatients and emergency department
patients at the EKLMC main campus and for less acute patients at the
outpatient facility.
The ambulatory facility will have four surgical suites and two procedure
rooms. It will have a full radiology department with MRI and CT, which
will double current access for EKLMC outpatient populations. The facil-
ity will have a staff of 60 to 75 for full operation and is on a bus line. An
outpatient facility exclusively, it does not have an emergency room. In ful-
fillment of its mission of medical education, EKLMC will also provide med-
ical training at the ambulatory facility. The facility will be used for clinical edu-
cation of residents, nursing, and allied health students. It will have a fully
equipped endoscopic training lab with anatomic models for surgical resident train-
ing. The surgical residency chief will operate and oversee the lab.
LSU completed the purchase of the facility from Dynacq Healthcare Inc. on December 17, 2007,
for $17,600,000. The purchase included the two buildings, all furniture, beds, monitors, and ancil-
lary equipment. LSU purchased the radiology equipment separately. Structurally sound and in
good repair, the facility required little to resume service, but LSU needed to meet all Department
of Health and Hospitals licensure and regulatory requirements as well as state fire marshal
requirements. LSU also had to implement policy, procedure, and product standardization. The
outpatient surgical facility increases in the community the healthcare access of EKLMC, which
has the LSU Mid-City Clinic and primary care clinics in the Jewel Newman and Dr. Leo S. Butler
community centers. The North Baton Rouge Clinic is also under construction and will offer com-
prehensive primary care for adults.
Workout with the Wii at OLOL
Turn on the video game, grab the controller and start your workout! That's what many Our Lady
of the Lake Regional Medical Center Rehab patients are doing with the help of a Wii gaming sys-
tem donated by Best Buy on Millerville Road in Baton Rouge. “We started using the Wii for phys-
ical and occupational therapy about four months ago,” said Lisa Russell, Director of
Rehabilitation. “Our patients are really seeing the benefits of this type of therapy. It's hard work,
but a lot of fun.” The Wii is a video game and it helps patients rebuild balance, coordination,
endurance, and upper and lower body strength. In addition, patients can work on fine or gross
motor and visuoperceptual skills.
Not all patients are able to workout with the Wii. Each patient is evaluated by a therapist and if
the Wii will help that patient develop or improve a particular skill set, the therapist will incorporate
1980:
Number of hospitalized people
with mental illness drops to 130,000
due to medications that no longer
necessitate institutionalization. One
third of the homeless considered to be
mentally ill. DSM-III is published.
1987:
Serotonin-specific reuptake
inhibitors Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil
are developed to treat depression.
healthcarejournalbr.com | July / August 2008 Issue |
Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge
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