Partnership helps revive health services in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana community (Chalmette, La.)
CHALMETTE, La. — In an area of the Gulf Coast still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and still in need of basic services like health care, an important step toward stability occurred here last month when Auxiliary Bishop Roger P. Morin of New Orleans presided over the blessing and dedication of St. Bernard Health Center. This much-needed care site was in danger of closure until Baton Rouge, La.-based Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOL) and St. Louis-based Ascension Health joined together to develop a solution.
"The St. Bernard Health Center not only provides the continuation of health care services, but it also serves as a sign of hope for the people of St. Bernard Parish," said John Finan, Jr., FMOL Health System president/CEO. He also is vice chairperson/chair-elect of the CHA Board of Trustees.
St. Bernard Parish, just east of New Orleans, was set to lose all of its health care services — which were provided by the center — when an agreement with the U.S. Public Health Service ended in early April. With a daytime population of 25,000, the parish would have been devastated by this health care void. In anticipation of the looming crisis, FMOL and Ascension Health partnered to provide services to the area.
Finan said, "The needs remain great, and we know that stable and sustained health care services are critical for rebuilding this area. Our partnership with Ascension Health extends the mission of Catholic health care, which is dedicated to the healing ministry of Jesus Christ reaching out especially to those most in need."
FMOL and Ascension Health are jointly funding and operating the St. Bernard Health Center, which now is equally owned by the two organizations. Redfield Bryan, MD, a special projects consultant with FMOL, explained, "FMOL did most of the preliminary work to open the clinic and turned management over to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. Ascension Health will support the Health Center with national advocacy and government affairs." Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge, is a member of FMOL.
The St. Bernard Health Center now is open seven days a week from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm and is staffed by three physicians, five registered nurses, a nurse practitioner, and three licensed practical nurses. An average of 80 patients is seen daily. The facility is a fee-for-service clinic that accepts most health insurance coverage and allows uninsured patients to arrange payment on a sliding scale. The current focus is on providing primary care and prescriptions, which can be obtained by a nearby commercial pharmacy, but plans for expansion are already well under way.
"Shortly, the St. Bernard Health Center will move to a larger 22,000-square-foot facility. When the larger facility is open, physicians will be able to provide urgent care and will have lab and radiology capability," said Bryan.
FMOL and Ascension Health are not the only organizations committed to ensuring the availability of health care services in St. Bernard Parish. System administrators emphasize that the effort is a success because of the involvement of a collaboration of organizations and people. "Our partnership with FMOL is just one piece of a collaborative effort that has involved the local business community, St. Bernard Parish officials, the federal government, and many others," explained Sr. Bernice Coreil, DC, Ascension Health senior executive advisor to the president and a native of New Orleans. One contributing business partner is ExxonMobil, which is donating $500,000 to the St. Bernard Heath Center. The money will be used to support the center's operation.
The partners in the collaboration believe that this support will help the region with its recovery efforts. "As the people of St. Bernard Parish rebuild their lives one day at a time, I believe this facility will provide not only health services, but also a sense of hope for the future," remarked Sr. Bernice.
Anthony R. Tersigni, president/CEO of Ascension Health, summed up the arrangement in basic terms. "This effort is consistent with both our mission and, in a particular way, our 'Call to Action' promise of health care that leaves no one behind. Our mission is at the heart of all we do."
Copyright © 2006 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States.
Reprinted from Catholic Health World, May 15, 2006, Volume 22, Number 9.