In 1942, Alton Ochsner led a group of five New Orleans physicians in forming Ochsner Clinic. More than 80 years later, Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South with more than 4,900 employed and affiliated physicians at 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers.

AT A GLANCE

Top executives: Chuck Daigle, CEO; Tim Riddell, MD, Chief Medical Officer; Scott Mabry, COO; Stephen Pepitone, COO

Phone: 225.752.2470

Address: 17000 Medical Center Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70816

Website: ochsner.org

Its Baton Rouge-area footprint covers 30 locations, anchored by Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge on O’Neal Lane near Interstate 12. In addition to urgent care and health clinics throughout East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston and Iberville parishes, Ochsner Medical Complex – The Grove near the Mall of Louisiana is also home to the Shaquille O’Neal Pediatric Super Clinic—a partnership finalized with the basketball legend in late 2023.

After a robust expansion in the Baton Rouge area over the past 15 years, Regional CEO Chuck Daigle is leading his team on the next round of growth. He describes it as a strategic plan crafted specifically to meet the population’s needs in the coming years.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH

“Baton Rouge hospitals are being affected by the growing demand for accessible, high-quality healthcare and the need to balance that with expanding infrastructure, adopting innovative technology and addressing workforce shortages,” Daigle said. “Ochsner is addressing these challenges with a strategic approach focused on expanding our facilities and offerings and increasing community impact.”

In January, Ochsner began an 18-month, $50 million investment in the region, which includes expansions of its hospital on O’Neal Lane and The Grove near the Mall of Louisiana. The health system will add more specialized care options and increase the number of patients it serves.

“At The Grove alone, the number of our operating rooms will double to eight,” Daigle said. “We’re also adding a cardiac catheterization lab, advanced imaging space, a primary care expansion and services specific to OB-GYN, pediatric and musculoskeletal care.”

The fifth floor of The Grove will be a dedicated OB-GYN and pediatrics space, adding 30 new exam and treatment rooms. The emergency room and interventional radiology services at O’Neal will expand to reduce patient wait times and improve the overall care experience. The O’Neal campus will also be upgraded to Level II NICU nursery services, ensuring high-risk births can be managed locally without requiring families to seek care outside the region.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

While the investment is focused on Baton Rouge’s health and wellness, Daigle says his team’s goal is creating jobs, attracting top medical talent and strengthening the area’s healthcare infrastructure.

In the meantime, Ochsner is still buzzing with the January opening of Ochsner Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute at Elite Training Complex–Burbank. The facility combines some of the latest technologies in sports medicine, rehab and injury prevention with Elite Training’s renowned coaching and development program.

This spring, Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center began offering Pluvicto, a breakthrough drug for treating men with metastatic prostate cancer.

“Our ongoing expansion is about more than just buildings and equipment—it’s about delivering compassionate, world-class healthcare to the people of Baton Rouge, now and into the future” 

Chuck Daigle, CEO, Baton Rouge & Lake Charles Region

“We know patients may not always see the behind-the-scenes efforts … the technology, the strategic planning … but they will always remember how we made them feel,” Daigle says. “At Ochsner Baton Rouge, every relationship matters, whether it is with a patient, a team member or a partner in the community. Our ongoing expansion is about more than just buildings and equipment—it’s about delivering compassionate, world-class healthcare to the people of Baton Rouge, now and into the future.”