Ochsner LSU Health Will Move Patients to St. Mary’s Today

Ochsner LSU Health has been working to get it's St. Mary Med Center on Margaret Place ready for patients and now is the time.

Women and Children’s inpatient services is moving beginning today. This will free up space at Ochsner for expansion of its ICU operations, adding 100 new beds.

Starting early Monday, Balentine Ambulance along with the Shreveport Fire Department will be moving close to 45 patients to the new hospital. Shreveport Police and Louisiana State Troopers will assist with the operation. The moves are expected to be complete sometime in the afternoon.

Ochsner LSU Health added this information:

"The ICU expansion project follows guidance of state public officials to improve surge capacity for COVID-19 patients. By modifying its St. Mary Medical Center to accommodate inpatient pediatric, labor and delivery, Neonatal ICU and Pediatric ICU patients, space was created to expand the adult intensive care capacity at its hospital on Kings Highway, where the health system has a comprehensive team of intensive care and critical care specialists. It is also a critical step in re-opening Northwest Louisiana, as the White House Guidelines for Re-opening the Economy specify the “ability to surge ICU capacity.”

Ochsner LSU Health is North Louisiana's only Level 1 Trauma Center.