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Ochsner Lafayette General’s Patrick Gandy and Marie Lukaszeski join Discover Lafayette to discuss the hospital system’s careful growth and planned design to meet the needs of the region today and into the future. The only Level II Trauma Center in Southwest Louisiana, its services extend to patients “from the bayou to the border,” stretching along I-10. Incredibly, the hospital system treats 255,000 unique patients per year.
Patrick Gandy, a licensed CPA who has been with the organization for 31 years, began serving as President and CEO of in March 2021. He previously served in several senior management positions at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, Ochsner Lafayette General Surgical Hospital and Ochsner Lafayette General Imaging. His tenure as CEO began right after Lafayette General Health merged with Ochsner Health of New Orleans in September 2020, and he successfully led the hospital system through the trying times of the pandemic. A native of Shreveport, Patrick loves the community and says he has been “happily married to a girl from Arnaudville since 1998.”
Marie Lukaszeski, Director of Planning and Design, is an Arnaudville native who graduated in Interior Design at UL-Lafayette (formerly USL) in 1995. She is certified by the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (“AAHID”), the highest standard for the knowledge needed and experience required to address acute, ambulatory and residential care environments. After working with other industry professionals and a local architectural firm, Marie opened Interior Design Solutions in 2009 and became a consultant to Lafayette General. They began a series of expansions to meet the growing demands of the healthcare landscape, including expansions to its surgical platform and Emergency Department. Her service as Facilitator and Project Manager overseeing the projects was so successful that Patrick jokes, “We wanted her all the time!” So Marie and her team joined the healthcare system in 2015.
Marie Lukaszeski is an artist at heart and in practice, and she brings that aesthetically pleasing touch to Ochsner Lafayette General’s design concepts! “There was a study done with prisoners that showed that blues and greens were more calming to your physiology than reds and yellows. We tend to go with a soothing, neutral palate for our interiors. But most of my time goes into ensuring that our spaces are safe, help the staff interact easily, and function successfully. I work with third party vendors and a whole team of Security, IT, and FF & E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) people to make sure that vital equipment, patient beds, etc. to make sure that the building is being designed to meet our standards. We have to meet licensing standards mandated by the State of Louisiana.”
Ochsner Lafayette General has a rich history of significant contributions to our community’s well-being. It began in 1911 as a 6-bed sanitarium and has grown into an 8-hospital health system, the regional hub for Ochsner, and a leader in healthcare. Patrick mentioned the health system’s three core principles that define its mission: “First, we are always focused on patients first and then create our organization around their needs. Second, Transparency in everything we do is incredibly important as a philosophy for our organization. Third, We have to constantly evolve and assess how we can best adapt our business model to take care of our patients. “
The first major milestone in Lafayette General’s growth was in 2009 when it acquired St. Martin Hospital in Breaux Bridge. Patrick says “It was the first hospital outside of Lafayette. That was the beginning of us becoming a regional healthcare system in South Central Louisiana. That was a defining moment for us as well as rural healthcare in Acadiana. We want to invest in whatever a local community can support because local healthcare is the best healthcare.”
U.S. News & World Report named Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center as the best hospital in Southwestern Louisiana for the second straight year in 2024. This recognition includes Ochsner Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopedic Hospital and Ochsner Cancer Center of Acadiana. It was also named the No. 4 hospital in Louisiana and the Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access. Patrick states, “This award starts with our talented medical staff, nurses, and clinical staff. For them to receive this recognition brings me great pride and joy.”
Ochsner Lafayette General delivers more babies than any other hospital in the community and surveys have consistently ranked it in the 99th percentile for patients’ likelihood of recommending our facility to other mothers-to-be. To meet its growing needs, a recent $30 million expansion of the mother-baby suites allowed the medical center’s obstetricians to treat more patients. . Before the expansion, the medical center already delivered more babies than any other hospital in the region, but it had maxed out its capacity. The medical center now has the ability to perform 5,400 deliveries each year, as well as more beds for its obstetrics emergency department, and beds for antenatal care. The neonatal intensive care unit will also has significantly more space, meeting a growing need in the region.
On April 16, 2024, Ochsner Lafayette General celebrated the launch of its new General Surgery Residency Program, which began July 1, 2024. The new residency program is both a strategic response to the escalating physician shortage and a model for innovative care solutions leading to increased patient access. In a 2024 report, the Association of American Medical Colleges projected that physician demand will grow faster than supply, leading to a projected total shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. Moreover, Louisiana is projected to rank third nationally for a shortage of physicians by 2030, according to a Human Resources for Health analysis. The accredited surgical residency program received nearly 600 applications for three coveted spots. The 5-year surgery program will train a new class of three residents per academic year. Ochsner is also pursuing accreditation of Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Transitional Year Programs. The hope is that these physicians will remain in Acadiana upon finishing their training, as residents typically stay within 50 to 55 miles of where they train.
On September 22, 2024, Ochsner Lafayette General broke ground on the $24 million expansion and renovation of the Ochsner American Legion Hospital in Jennings, the last American Legion hospital in the U. S. This rural hospital has been a cornerstone of healthcare in Jennings for more than 70 years. It merged with Ochsner in 2022. The renovation will expand the Emergency Department, create a drive-through pharmacy, and relocate the OB/GYN Rural Health Clinic to the hospital with expanded space. Ochsner American Legion Hospital cares for approximately 31,338 patients annually, with a staff of over 445 employees, greatly increasing access to care for this rural population.
In August 2024, Ochsner Lafayette General broke ground in a project that aims to bring the most comprehensive orthopedic care to Acadiana. Two years ago, the medical center partnered with world-renowned orthopedic surgeon James Andrews to create The Ochsner Andrews Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute. Located at 4212 W. Congress Street (at Ambassador Caffery intersection), the expansion adds 17,000 square feet to the property, and a 14,000 square-foot facility dedicated to physical therapy and sports medicine services. Patrick said the medical center is “transforming sports, medicine and orthopedic care for the for the community” by bringing together a multidisciplinary team under one roof. The new facility is expected to open in the Fall of 2025.
Patrick Gandy speaking of Ochsner Lafayette General being a Level II Trauma Center: “We are the only one from the Bayou to the Border (of Louisiana and Texas) and one of the busiest trauma programs across the state of Louisiana. We are consistently ranked one of the best in Louisiana. The other nearest trauma center would be the Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge.”
The physical safety and aesthetics of a hospital interior and exterior are important components of any project. Marie Lukaszeski has dedicated her professional life to ensuring that patients and visitors alike are comfortable in Ochsner Lafayette General’s facilities. Good lighting, clean air filtration, and art work that is pleasing to the eye all provide calm settings. “Any images on the wall should be one the brain can easily recognize. Abstract art is kept out. “That is why there is a lot of Time photography in healthcare facilities. You know if you are looking at a meadow or a beach. It doesn’t require your mind to make a translation.”
Marie Lukaszeski, Director of Planning and Design, oversees all of the major expansions conducted by Ochsner Lafayette General. “If I’m confortable in a space and my family is comfortable, I feel that will translate into a space that others would feel good in. It’s a personal connection for me, ensuring that our spaces are safe and our clinical folks can handle their jobs efficiently. We want healing, confortable, calming spaces where people feel at home.”
Ochsner Lafayette General has committed to expanding its footprint next to University Hospital & Clinics in the space that was formerly the Daily Advertiser building. Patrick stated the health system is adding 100 exam rooms and moving UHC Internal Medicine into the building to expand the care as part of its commitment to grow its Graduate Medical Education program to train physicians. In August 2024, Kent Design Build pulled a commercial alteration permit for $17.8 million for the space at 1100 Bertrand Drive to renovate the existing office building and warehouse.
Ochsner Lafayette General and Oceans Healthcare have formed a partnership to increase access to behavioral health services in Southwest Louisiana. Oceans Healthcare is leading the development of an approximately 120-bed hospital that will operate under the name Ochsner Behavioral Health Acadiana and is expected to open in the first half of 2026. This partnership is a result of the Community Health Needs Assessment Ochsner conducts every two years. Behavioral and mental health are one of the top problems in Acadiana, which has secondary factors negatively affecting overall health. Located on Verot School Road, plans include inpatient services for adolescents, adults and geriatric patients, as well as outpatient treatment options. The new facility will greatly increase access to services, create the largest behavioral health center in the region and fill a critical need for compassionate, comprehensive care for those experiencing mental health issues and co-occurring substance use disorders. Together, the partners will invest approximately $30 million in the expansion.
Shortages in the clinical workforce were exacerbated by the pandemic, in particular in the nursing profession. Ochsner Lafayette General is investing in training programs to bridge the gap and as part of that focus, Ochsner Lafayette General has partnered with UL – Lafayette to create an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Students with a completed bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing discipline will complete 70 hours of nursing course work and earn their BSN through a combination of teaching methodologies including didactic courses, clinical and lab experiences, and hybrid interactive learning courses, in just 15 months. There are scholarship opportunities for students who commit to work for Ochsner Lafayette General for three years after graduation. Learn more here.
LSU Eunice, Ochsner Lafayette Genera,l and Acadiana Workforce Solutions have partnered to create a Respiratory Therapy Apprenticeship Customized Training Program on the campus of LSUE which offers students the unique chance to “earn while they learn” through a paid apprenticeship while pursuing an Associate of Science in Respiratory Care at LSU Eunice. Specifically designed to provide opportunities in the thriving Respiratory Therapy field for financially challenged families. students benefit from paid positions at an Ochsner Lafayette General facility in Acadiana as they work towards their degree. Other initiatives to educate medical professionals exist at South Louisiana Community College (practical nursing) and the funding of faculty spots at UL Lafayette.
We thank Ochsner Lafayette General for its commitment to providing the best health care in our region. For more information on the general surgery teaching initiative, please listen to our previous podcast with Ochsner Lafayette General Chief Medical Officer Dr. Amanda Logue here.
