Jindal: New clinic La.’s future

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 5, 2009 - Page: 1B

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An $18 million state-of-the-art LSU-operated medical clinic officially opened Thursday in north Baton Rouge.

In the next few weeks, primary care, women’s health and cancer services will move from the campus of LSU’s Earl K. Long Medical Center north on Airline Highway to the new clinic.

In Thursday’s ceremonies marking its opening, state Sen. Sharon Broome, D-Baton Rouge, was already promoting “a vision” for future expansion of the facility, which is in her legislative district.

“We need an urgent-care center attached right over there,” Broome told Gov. Bobby Jindal, one of the speakers. “I wanted to say it in front of all these witnesses.”

Jindal called the clinic the  way of Louisiana’s health-care future. It will emphasize preventive and primary care. He praised LSU officials for their leadership role in establishing “medical homes,” which provides patients with medical care in their communities.

Jindal said Louisiana is one of leading states in the nation for use of emergency rooms for nonemergency medical problems. He said facilities like the north Baton Rouge clinic would provide early diagnosis and care that would reduce expensive emergency room visits and hospital stays.

“This is exactly our vision for reform,” said state Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine. “We are going to give you the tools and infrastructure where it can be done properly.”

The 44,000-square-feet, two-story building has 30 exam rooms, a community meeting room, a diagnostic laboratory, a pharmacy and radiology services.

Broome said it took a lot of different people to make the clinic reality from the Florida businessman, who donated the land, to Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s administration, which committed the funds and many others in-between. Blanco’s commissioner of administration, Jerry Luke LeBlanc, attended.

Earl K. Long Medical Center Administrator Kathy Viator said physicians started seeking obstetrics and gynecology patients at the clinic on Monday. Cancer services will be moved from the EKL campus next, then internal medicine services after July 1, Viator said.

Patient care will continue to be at the same high level just in different and better surroundings for patients, physicians, nurses and others, Viator said.

“You have a modern state-of-the-art facility that will effectively serve patients’ needs. Our building down the street is antiquated,” said Viator.

Herbert Brown, who donated the clinic land to LSU, and his family participated in the ceremony officially opening the facility.