Our Objective is Bold

By nearly every measure 2019 was another remarkable year for Ochsner Health, a year of growth and innovation — one when we deepened our commitment to patients and the broader community.

Reflecting on Ochsner’s work to advance progress and possibility for all our stakeholders, perhaps most important were the strides we took in our continuing transformation from a healthcare system to a system that delivers health. It’s an approach that carries us beyond treating disease to an active participation in the health and wellness of the whole person — preventing disease before it starts and improving the lives of those we serve.

This commitment starts with the nearly 900,000 patients we cared for in 2019, but it goes much further to include every member of our communities. Ochsner’s long-term vision is to be a catalyst for lasting change, working together with state government, our healthcare partners, insurers, employers, schools and others to lead a powerful new statewide health strategy. Our objective is bold: to radically improve our state’s health and wellness position, and, in so doing, strengthen the lives and futures of our neighbors.

Several advantages position Ochsner for this role: our size and geographic reach, our reputation for clinical excellence, our diverse and impactful community initiatives, our growing participation in research and clinical trials and our leadership in digital medicine and telemedicine. In 2019 we fortified these strengths across the board, while at the same time committing to do more. As we served more patients, stood up new facilities, expanded partnerships, educated more medical professionals and strengthened our ability to reach more communities — we earned continuous recognition for quality, safety and patient satisfaction. Among the many highlights of the year:

• Along with our partners, Ochsner served nearly 900,000 unique patients from every Louisiana parish, every state and more than 70 countries, including 2.5 million individual patient visits.
• Ochsner’s world-renowned Centers of Excellence, which encompass nine medical specialties, continued their growth and served 6% more patients in 2019.
• Our teams at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute and the Multi-Organ Transplant Institute reached a remarkable milestone when they successfully performed our 1,000th heart transplant, joining only 13 other systems to have achieved this milestone.
• Ochsner’s Digital Medicine team cared for more than 10,000 patients in hypertension and diabetes programs, while Ochsner Anywhere Care completed more than 3,300 virtual visits and cared for more than 17,000 patients.
• Underscoring our commitment to cancer prevention and early detection, Ochsner screened more than 181,300 people for breast, cervical, lung and colorectal cancer.
• We raised our game in support for STEM education through a commitment to establish the John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy which will enroll 700 K-8 students.

• Lafayette General Health signed a letter of intent to merge with Ochsner, which will create the largest healthcare provider in the Gulf South. Our agreement includes a $465 million commitment to expand access and enhance clinical services across the Acadiana region.
• We established a new partnership with Teche Regional Medical Center, creating Ochsner St. Mary, and expanded our partnership with Rush Health Systems in Mississippi.
• We celebrated 10 years of the University of Queensland Ochsner Clinical School partnership and graduated 113 new physicians in the 2019 class.
• After only one year into our landmark collaboration with LSU Health Shreveport, we achieved marked improvements in quality and safety, faster access to care, and earned recognition as a pediatric level II trauma program, the first in the state.
• Opened Ochsner Medical Complex — The Grove, in Baton Rouge, marking the largest capital investment in Ochsner’s history.

None of this progress would be possible without the commitment and tireless devotion of the Ochsner family, now more than 26,000 strong. We’re investing in initiatives around their health and wellness, in education, workforce development, mental health and initiatives to care for our caregivers. We’re proud that Ochsner has achieved top quartile employee engagement, breaking our own records for seven straight years. In fact, our level of employee engagement has doubled in the last decade — a testament to the excellent work being done by leaders and teams throughout the organization. And we remain committed to fostering a workplace that is diverse, inclusive and welcoming to all, one where every employee can reach their full potential.

Ochsner’s generous donors — who have been at our side every step of the way — continue to be vital contributors to this work, enabling us to invest in new facilities and capabilities to expand access and save and change more lives. We are grateful to each of them for their steadfast support.

Every day our system’s more than 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians and advanced practice providers, along with thousands of nurses and support staff, demonstrate the energy, the momentum, the compassion and the innovation to make a difference. We recognize that with our significant size and strong reputation comes greater responsibility. Ochsner is leading the conversation on health and inspiring a future of wellness in our region. As Louisiana’s largest healthcare provider, employer and educator of healthcare professionals, we are committed to being a force for good — investing in and improving the lives of those we serve.

While we can’t solve all our region’s problems alone, we will help lead the change.

It’s exciting work, and it will demand the very best of each of us. Fueled by the passion of our people and the steadfast support of donors and other stakeholders, we remain confident that we can achieve those ambitious goals — and more.