Opelousas General Hospital

Description

Welcome to Opelousas
OGH has grown to a 245bed full service medical center as complete and as inclusive as any referral hospital in the state

Opelousas General Health System is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of HealthCare Organizations the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation the American College of Pathologists Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations in Hospital Based Home Health Agencies American College of Radiology and the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer

Opelousas General Health System is particularly recognized for its fully comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center and outpatient oncology programs as well as its Womens Health Center and fullservice Pediatric Treatment Unit

Mission
Our Family Caring For Yours

Vision
Exceeding your Expectations

Values
Healing Service and technology second to none

Heart Live the Golden Rule in all that we do

Hands Dedicated skilled and caring individuals

Health Uniting financial strength with community wellness

Hospitality An innovate environment nurturing mind body and spirit

History

Since 1957 Opelousas General Health System has been dedicated to the provision of quality health care through its strong commitment and high standards Central to the success of OGHSs commitment for excellence is the presence of an outstanding and highly qualified staff of physicians nurses technologists and other personnel who provide professional treatment in a caring environment Serving as the regions referral medical center OGHS is the areas most comprehensive community health care facility offering a wide range of medical specialities and stateoftheart technology available today

OGHS is a 245bed full service medical center as complete and as inclusive as any referral hospital in the state We also have over 1000 employees The six story facility is located in St Landry Parish which boast a population of 91528 The primary service area draws From surrounding communities including Sunset Grand Coteau Port Barre Eunice Washington Arnaudville Leonville Krotz Springs Melville Eunice Lawtell Palmetto Ville Platte and Church Point OGHS is the second largest employer in Opelousas with over 900 employees

Opelousas General is under the leadership of a fivemember Service District Board and a ninemember Board of Trustees The Board has been dedicated to providing the patients of OGHS with the most advanced quality of medical care available today Achieving this requires constant improvement of medical services and a commitment to the acquisition and implementation of new technology and services This acquisition of technology combined with continuing education relative to advanced medical techniques provides a healing environment typically found in much larger metropolitan areas

OGHS has over 125 Active Physicians comprising the following medical specialities Anesthesiology Allergy amp Immunology Cardiology Dermatology Ear Nose amp Throat Emergency Medicine Family Medicine Gastroenterology General Practice Hospitalist Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology OBGYN Oncology Ophthalmology Otolaryngology Pathology Pediatrics Podiatry Pulmonology Radiology Radiation Oncology Sleep Medicine Surgery and Urology

Over 100 physicians are on the Courtesy Medical Staff and over 15 on the Consulting Medical Staff

In 1953 a group of interested citizens formed the InterClub Council The main purpose of the Council was to see about the possibilities of obtaining a community hospital for Opelousas Dan Outlaw was elected the Chairman After many meetings and much work it was determined that the Opelousas area had a real need for more generalhospital facilities Outlaw presented the information to the St Landry Parish Police Jury The Jury created the Hospital Service District No 2 and appointed a Board of five members on July 6 1953 Sidney Sandoz was named Board Chairman
On September 21 1954 the citizens of Opelousas voted to pass a one mill tax for 20 years to pay for part of the Hospital construction the remainder of the construction costs were supplied by the Federal Government HillBurton Funds

The year of 1955 saw the advertisement for bids and construction finally began A three story building was constructed with the third floor left as a shell for completion at a later date

In 1956 the board entered into a contract with the Sisters of the Marianites of the Holy Cross to manage the new hospital Sister Madeline Sophie was named the first Hospital Administrator

On May 27 1957 Opelousas General Hospital opened its doors and received its first patient At the end of the first month OGH could boast that it had treated 136 patients and that 27 babies had been born Succeeding months and years brought an everincreasing use of the Hospital facilities
In 1963 the third floor was completed and there was a much needed expansion of obstetrics surgery laundry dietary lab business office and storage

In July 1966 the OGH Administration deemed it necessary to participate in the Medicare Program sponsored by the Federal Government

By 1970 another expansion was critical A tax was proposed for funding but was turned down by the voters The Board then looked to other areas for funding

In 1972 the Marianite Sisters voluntarily ended their contract to manage OGH Daryl Wagley was named Administrator

In March 1973 after creation of the Opelousas General Hospital Authority A Public Trust revenue bonds in the amount of 32 million were sold to expand the facility

In 1976 with the expansion completed the hospital became the fourth largest hospital in Acadiana with 155 beds and a sevenbed intensive care unit

In 1977OGH celebrated its 20th Anniversary

The year 1979 saw the completion of a new Administrative Wing that offered more spacious accommodations for the business office administration personnel and conference rooms OGH signs an agreement to enter into a contract with Hospital Management Professionals HMP

In 1981 several projects were undertaken to improve services for the community A fifth and sixth floor were completed increasing the Hospitals capacity to 212 beds A new main entrance and visitor lobby was built a 250 car parking lot was opened and renovations of existing space allowed for the opening of an ICU family waiting room

In 1982 a total renovation of the hospitals obstetrical delivery rooms and new expanded nursery and postpartum area was completed

In 1983 the hospital converted the sixth floor to a 24 bed chemical dependency unit and completed construction on its new Ancillary Wing The three story wing housed outpatient services and included a 10 room emergency trauma center home health care services admit pharmacy physical therapy respiratory cardiopulmonary services cardiopulmonary rehabilitation conference room classrooms and a 250seat auditorium

The hospital completed renovations to the old admit offices and expanded the DRG department and data processing in 1984 Gary Keller is named Administrator

In 1985 the hospital began remodeling the administrative wing expanding several departments and began construction of a new medical office complex Completed in 1986 the new office complex housed the offices of seven physicians a lab radiology department and a pharmacy Board Chairman Sidney Sandoz retired and Wayne Gilmore is named OGH Board Chairman

In 1986 construction was completed on the heliport which is located on the third floor roof of the Ancillary Wing The heliport was built to accommodate large twin engine helicopters

Remodeling began in 1987 on the Obstetrics and Gynecology wing expanding the radiology department and construction began on the Community Cancer Center OGH celebrated its 30th Anniversary Michael Douthitt is named OGHCEO Douthitt resigns and Thomas Honaker III is named CEO OGH purchases the Fitness Plus Health Club and renames it the OGH Health amp Wellness Center

The new elderly program Lifes Champions was introduced in 1988 and OGH began offering MRI scans OGH also premiers its own medical talk show on OWL TV In 1989 OGH opened its skilled nursing unit installed Doppler Imaging and a Stateoftheart Mammography System

1990 OGH opened its new pediatrics unit with a Ronald McDonald Room and celebrated the opening of it 35 Medical Office Complex OGH also expanded its health club located on the south side of Opelousas

A new 10bed intensive care unit was opened in 1991 and OGH initiated its Heart Smart menus in area restaurants

In 1992 the Industrial Medicine program began

1993 saw the opening of OGHs first heart catherization lab with Med Cath Inc and the board approved construction of a new Womens Health Center and surgery suites The hospital also started its hyperbaric medicine department and cut the ribbon opening the expansion of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation unit Pat Carrier is Named PresidentCEO

In 1994 OGH opened its rural health clinics in Melville and Palmetto
OGH began renovation to the exterior of the hospital in 1995 and the Health amp Wellness Center celebrated the groundbreaking for its expansion
In 1996 the Womens Health Center opened and the hospital acquired a new Echocardiography System

OGH celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 1997 and OGH entered into a contract with Cardiovascular Institute of the South

In 1999 OGH offers Lithotripsy the Business Office moves to its present location the After Hours Clinic Opens and OGHs Healthtalk premiers on KATC TV 3 The hospital also installed a new MRI system Darryl Doise is named PresidentCEO

The new inpatient Rehabilitation Center opens in 2000 OGH also installs Digital Mammography making it one of only 62 worldwide to have this stateoftheart equipment

In 2001 OGH introduces FastHealth on its website

2002 saw the hospitals first water birth delivery and the opening of the Vein Clinic William Bud Barrow is named PresidentCEO

Gastric Bypass Surgery is offered in 2003 as well as a new procedure using stateoftheart technology to prevent amputations and bypass surgery called Peripheral Excimer Laser Angioplasty OGH announces its name change to Opelousas General Health System and announces its 68 million expansion and renovation plans

In 2004 OGHS and CIS announce plans to open the Heart amp Vascular Institute and breaks ground on 6story medical complex and parking garage

A ribbon cutting was held in 2005 for the newly renovated Wound Treatment Center and OGHS wins Most Wired Award OGHS installs new bar coding system for dispensing medication to patients and announces renovation of the Cancer Center and the addition of Louisiana Oncology Associates
The OGH Imaging Center in Sunset opens

In 2006 OGHS held a ribbon cutting for the facilitys new 6story medical complex and parking garage The medical complex is home to a new Emergency Center admit department gift shop cafeteria and cafe chapel Heart amp Vascular Institute and physician medical offices Gerald Fornoff is named PresidentCEO The OGHS Foundation was formed and the expansion for Cardiopulmonary Rehab completed

OGHS celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007 Cut the ribbon opening the new Sleep Disorders Center and held a dedication service in the new Healing Garden

In 2008 OGHS was the site of three major film productions highlighting Orthopedic amp Spine Surgeon Dr George Ray Williams Hitachis documentary on the OGHS Emergency Center and Schumacher Group and a comedyhorror movie The hospital also entered into an 8 million contract with McKesson to upgrade software the wound treatment center doubled its size Susan G Komen awarded OGHS a 50000 grant and the hospital announced an letter of intent to purchase Doctors Hospital of Opelousas from Lifepoint

In 2009 the campus of OGHS and its affiliates went tobacco free