Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Partners with Oceans Healthcare on New Behavioral Health Facility

SHREVEPORT, La., July 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and Oceans Healthcare announced a new partnership, Louisiana Behavioral Health, to open a behavioral health facility. Expected to open next year, the new facility will be located in Shreveport at 9320 Linwood Avenue. Significantly expanding the services offered at the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport ? Academic Medical Center location on Kings Highway, the new location will increase capacity and provide a broader array of services. Plans include expanded access to inpatient and outpatient behavioral health and substance use disorder services for adults and seniors. 

"Creating a facility dedicated to behavioral health better serves the growing number of patients for these services and simultaneously allows for more capacity in our critical care and specialized services that are vital to a Level 1 Trauma Center and stroke center," says Chuck Daigle, CEO of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport. "Oceans Healthcare is a trusted provider and by leveraging their expertise we are better positioned to support the growing need in our community."

Following a rigorous review process, Oceans Healthcare was chosen as Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport's partner because of its performance on key national quality metrics, including lower-than-average readmission rates and overall positive patient sentiment. Oceans' strategic process closely aligns with that of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport with a dedication to community involvement, support for residency programs and continued evaluation of future health needs in the region.

"I am elated to have a new, state-of-the-art behavioral medicine training site for our medical and allied health students, and especially for our residents and fellows. The opportunity to enhance medical education while providing improved care for patients, especially during the COVID crisis, represents a huge win for our health sciences center and the community," stated LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor G. E. Ghali, DDS, MD, FACS, FRCS (Ed). 

Dr. James Patterson, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport noted that, "Right now in America, mental health challenges are at an all-time high due to a variety of reasons. As our own community struggles with a growing number of patients suffering from mental disorders including drug addiction, I am deeply grateful for this expansion and modernization of mental health services, which will enhance access and outcomes for these valued citizens."

"The behavioral health industry is shifting to meet an ever-growing need and we remain steadfast in our commitment to expand services," said Stuart Archer, CEO of Oceans Healthcare. "Access to care remains a scarcity for so many and we're proud to work with such highly-respected organizations in providing essential services to vulnerable members of our communities."

For more information about Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport go to www.ochsnerlsuhs.org.

Oceans Healthcare is a growing behavioral health provider focused on healing and long-term recovery. Founded in 2004, Oceans provides inpatient and outpatient treatment to individuals 18 and older, with a special focus on the unique physical and emotional needs of older adults. With 18 hospitals and 29 treatment locations across the Southeast, Oceans hospitals treated more than 17,000 individuals in 2018. The company consistently achieves industry-leading performance metrics on national quality and safety measurements, as determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission, and was recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America for the fourth consecutive year. For more information, visit www.oceanshealthcare.com.

On Oct. 1, 2018, Ochsner Health System (Ochsner) and LSU Health Shreveport jointly formed Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport to oversee and coordinate activities between the health sciences center and the healthcare delivery system in Shreveport and Monroe, La.  Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport is a public private partnership with a vision to improve health and well-being of its communities, access to care, quality, and facilities, expand patient-centered technology, grow the medical school, and enhance research in North Louisiana by building on the strengths of Ochsner and LSU Health Shreveport. Under the new structure, Ochsner brings their nationally-recognized expertise to the management of operations for partner hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe, clinics and the clinical activity of the LSUHSC-Faculty Group. LSU will continue to successfully oversee the LSUHSC-S School of Medicine, School of Allied Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, Graduate Medical Education, and research initiatives.

Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport is a three-hospital system that includes North Louisiana's only Level 1 Trauma Center at its 452-bed hospital and a hospital with women's and children's services in Shreveport, La. The organization also operates a 244-bed hospital in Monroe, La. With more than 4,000 employees and the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Physician Group of approximately 500 physicians, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport serves more than 140,000 patients with more than 625,000 visits annually.

SOURCE Oceans Healthcare