One-stop pediatric healthcare hub unveiled at Ochsner Baton Rouge: ‘Everything a child needs’ | News

Ochsner Baton Rouge opens a new pediatric ward, calling it a “one-stop health center” for children across the region.

After 10 months of construction, the clinic will open to patients on November 11.

Ochsner spokeswoman Shelly Worthington said the unit is unusual because, unlike many other rural childcare centers, families can get all of their care on one floor.

“Everything a child needs, from birth to adult, is all in one place,” Worthington said Thursday as a team of hospital officials guided reporters on a tour of the new facility.

The center will offer services such as general pediatrics, gastroenterology, neurology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, orthopedics, urology, cancer care, hepatology, ENT (ear, nose and throat), lung disease, general surgery, child and adolescent psychiatry, allergy and dermatology .

The New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System is the first hospital system in Louisiana to establish its own health insurance arm called Medicare Adva…

Ochsner spokesman Chris Gautreau said the proximity of the wards is an important feature and should allow for more collaboration between doctors.

With so many areas of expertise in one place, patients can be seen by multiple specialists without leaving their first exam room.

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“It’s important because our children often have needs beyond the scope of a general pediatrician,” said Dr. Dionna Mathews.

For example, a patient who comes in for a pediatric appointment may have a check-up from a GI specialist and a neurologist on the same day, she added.

“You don’t have to drive around town and get stuck in traffic,” she said.

The new unit represents a $6.8 million investment, including approximately $700,000 in pediatric medical equipment.

The facility includes a total of 48 patient rooms, including a 3,318-square-foot pediatric development center with space for physical, occupational, speech and nutritional therapy.

Additional services include electrical brain scans, blood infusion, lung testing and breastfeeding support.

“I’ve been working in pediatrics for 21 years,” said department head Dr. James Wayne, “(and) this is by far the most elaborate building I’ve ever worked in.”