The partnership between Ochsner and St. Charles Parish Hospital continues to pay big dividends, leading to the creation of a new health center, a blood bank and the addition of yet another Ochsner doctor and nurse practitioner.
Ochsner family practitioner Dr. Walter Birdsall and nurse practitioner Anne Ledet have already begun seeing patients at the newly-opened Ochsner Health Center, which is located within the hospital. The new blood bank donor center is directly across the hall.
“Louisiana is experiencing a critical shortage of primary care physicians who are the first line of defense in remaining healthy and diagnosing common illnesses,” Birdsall, who has been practicing family medicine care for over 25 years in south Louisiana, said. “By offering additional family medicine care at St. Charles Parish Hospital, local residents will have the option to see a physician in their neighborhood.”
Ledet, who will work side-by-side with Birdsall, is a registered nurse with 15 years of experience. She has advanced training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses. Being a nurse practitioner, Ledet is able to provide some of the same care as physicians, serve as a patient’s primary healthcare provider, and offer care covered by most insurance providers.
The Ochsner Blood Bank donor center hopes to encourage convenient access for those residents that want to give blood without waiting for a specific drive to come into the community. It will also allow the hospital to have an adequate and safe blood supply.
“In response to a growing demand for blood components, Ochsner will expand its blood services and donor programs, benefitting patients at St. Charles Parish Hospital,” Dr. Bobby Rodwin, the medical director of The Ochsner Blood Bank, said. “This growth will also provide blood donors convenient access and, we hope, encourage frequent donations from the community.”
With the addition of Birdsall and Ledet, Ochsner now offers family medicine, interventional cardiology, neurology and hematology/oncology at St. Charles Parish Hospital.
“We are pleased to be able to offer additional primary care services to our community with the help of Ochsner’s family practice team, who have a long standing reputation of excellence,” Hospital CEO Fred Martinez said. “We are also excited about the opening of the Ochsner Blood Bank donor center.”
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