Overview
In 1939, Dr. Alton Ochsner discovered the link between tobacco and lung cancer. He continued his legacy in 1942 when he, along with four physicians - Guy Caldwell, Edgar Burns, Francis LeJeune and Curtis Tyrone, established Ochsner, the first multi-specialty group practice in the South. Today, Ochsner has grown to be the largest private healthcare system in the region, with 7 hospitals and more than 35 neighborhood health centers throughout southeast Louisiana.
With medical centers in Kenner, the West Bank, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Raceland along with 4 Elmwood Fitness Centers - our state-of-the-art gyms and wellness facilities - Ochsner is dedicated to serving its community.
Detailed History
The following information was provided by Ochsner Archives. For more details and pictures please visit the Education portion of the site.
Pre-1940s
Dr. Alton Ochsner's famous research linking tobacco with lung cancer was originally published in the article "Primary Pulmonary Malignancy," in Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Volume 68, pages 435-451, February 15, 1939.
1941
March 27, 1941 At a medical meeting in Ogden, Utah, Dr. Alton Ochsner received the telegram from his partners that established the name of the clinic. May 2, 1941 Local medical school professors Drs. Alton Ochsner, Edgar Burns, Guy A. Caldwell, Francis E. LeJeune, and Curtis Tyrone each contributed $4,300 of their own money to open the first private group practice clinic in New Orleans, similar to the models of the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. The Coins The physicians, surgeons, and dentists of New Orleans expressed opposition to the new Ochsner clinic. Physicians preferred their independent practices and felt a clinic setting was unfair competition. On Holy Thursday night, each founder received a small leather bag with 30 silver dimes and a note that read, "To help pay for your clinic. From the Physicians, Surgeons, and Dentists of New Orleans." The inference was from the Bible, referring to the Ochsner founders as Judases who betrayed their colleagues in the New Orleans medical community.
1942
January 2, 1942 The first Ochsner Clinic opened at the corner of Aline and Prytania Streets in uptown New Orleans. First publication of Selected Writings from Ochsner Clinic
.
1944
In keeping with the five founders' mission to emphasize physician education at Ochsner, Dr. Dean Echols accepted the challenge of the first class of graduates in 1944.
1945
Nell Taylor, longtime dedicated research assistant, worked for hours in Basic Science Research on the top floor of the first Ochsner Clinic building on Prytania Street. The Old Briede Home fronting on St. Charles Avenue, near Audubon Park, was purchased to house patients while they underwent diagnostic studies at the Ochsner Clinic. Recognizing the need for patients and families to have comfortable accommodations while undergoing treatment at Ochsner, the founders planned for a hotel to be built close to the future new hospital.
1946
As a teaching hospital, Ochsner provided noon conferences for staff physicians and fellows in training to review cases. Camp Plauché was nicknamed Splinter Village by the nurses because during the hot, humid summers in New Orleans, the nurses would take off their shoes. As a result, they would often find foot splinters from the wood floors. November 5, 1946 The first Ochsner Hospital was housed at Camp Plauché, affectionately known as "Splinter Village." Nestled close to the Huey P. Long Bridge, the base hospital included 53 frame buildings and only two private rooms. Ochsner's founders realized that patient families needed a comfortable waiting space: Ochsner Foundation Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the Gulf South to offer a family lounge, complete with complimentary coffee and gracious hostess. Provisions were also made for families to stay near the hospital in the Jefferson House, a modest hostelry next to Splinter Village.
1947
A typical Splinter Village ward.
1951
The Riding Academy on Jefferson Highway was on the land where Ochsner Hospital was built. The 21 acres was purchased from the Illinois Central Railroad for $126,000. Dr. Alton Ochsner, accompanied by Dunbar N. Chambers of Farnsworth and Chambers, contractors, and Edwin Larson of Ellerbe and Co., architects, examined the original model of Ochsner Foundation Hospital.
1952
Dr. Alton Ochsner surveyed the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Ochsner Foundation Hospital on Jefferson Highway.
1953
September 17, 1953 Dr. Alton Ochsner led the team that performed a successful separation of conjoined twins at Splinter Village. This was the first such operation in the nation.
1954
The Brent House Hotel offered accommodation for long-term patients and their families, many of whom were from Latin America. Additionally, the hotel housed the first physician offices at the new campus on Jefferson Highway. The Libby Dufour Residence opened on the Jefferson Highway campus. This residence housed nurses and physicians in training, allowing them to be close to the hospital. June 12, 1954 Ochsner Foundation Hospital moved from Splinter Village to its current location on Jefferson Highway.
1955
Ochsner Foundation Hospital lobby. First publication of Ochsner Clinic Reports. Ochsner was the first in the region to introduce the medical heliport.
1959
The first research building opened at Ochsner's Jefferson Highway campus. In 1974, the building was renamed the Richard W. Freeman Research Building as a tribute to Mr. Freeman's devotion to Ochsner.
1960s
Ochsner cardiovascular surgeons, one of the leading teams in the country, performed the first heart valve replacement, coronary artery bypass, pacemaker implant, heart transplant, and lung transplant. Steroids: An International Journal Dr. Albert Segaloff "played a dynamic role in creating this journal and who served as its Editor for more than twenty years." Steroids, Volume 45, March-April 1985, Number 3 & 4, page 202.
1961
A spacious suite at Ochsner Hospital was featured on the cover of the January issue of The Modern Hospital.
1962
The Ochsner Founders take part in the Clinic Cornerstone ceremony.
1963
Ochsner Clinic moved from Prytania Street to the Hospital's Jefferson Highway campus. Ochsner expanded its Internal Medicine Department by welcoming Dr. George A. Pankey to the Staff. 1964
The Ochsner Medical Center Pharmacy recorded its 2,000,000th prescription.
1966
Groundbreaking for the Rawley M. Penick Memorial. The individuals present for the occasion were: Dr. Merrill O. Hines, Medical Director of Ochsner Clinic; Garner H. Tullis, Vice-chairman of the Board of Governors of Ochsner Foundation Hospital; William B. Wisdom, Chairman of the Penick Memorial Committee; and Mrs. Rawely M. Penick, widow of the distinguished surgeon after whom the building was named. This is located on the Jefferson Highway campus, facing River Road. November 7, 1966 First successful adult kidney transplant in the Gulf South region was performed by Dr. Paul DeCamp, Dr. William Brannan, and Dr. Mims Gage. The patient was referred from Florida to Ochsner Clinic. His kidney worked for almost 30 years. January 4, 1967 First successful pediatric kidney transplant in the Gulf South region was performed by Dr. Paul DeCamp, Dr. William Brannan, and Dr. Mims Gage. In 2005, this patient is now a grandfather and doing very well. The Rawley M. Penick Memorial Pavilion officially opened. The two-story building housed research and clinical laboratories for the nuclear medicine and biophysics divisions as well as elaborate nuclear and electronic equipment. Ochsner introduced the new rotational cobalt therapy unit.
1970
The artificial tendon was developed by Dr. Gordon B. McFarland. January 9, 1970 Dr. John Ochsner performed the first heart transplant in the Gulf South.
1971
Dr. Merrill O. Hines, president of the Foundation; Dr. Alton Ochsner; and Richard W. Freeman, chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, oversaw the pile driving for the hospital expansion. The hospital expansion included the new 21-bed intensive care unit, new Monroe Hall, new boardroom, administrative offices, and enlarged business office. In addition, a 12-bed coronary care unit was built.
1972
An infant cubicle was part of Ochsner Foundation Hospital's new intensive care unit. The new unit opened in April 1972 and was the largest in the south. Dr. Charles B. Moore, Ochsner Clinic cardiologist, and his technician, Mrs. Cheryl Lawrence, demonstrated the new echocardiogram machine. This machine was part of the equipment in the new non-invasive diagnostic cardiology section of Ochsner Clinic.
1973
The King-Mills Umbrella Catheter was devised at Ochsner. Dr. Mills described the device as two tiny umbrellas interlocked to close the hole in the heart. In 1975, for the first time in history, Dr. Terry D. King and Dr. Noel L. Mills introduced this device on a human patient, closing a hole in a 17-year-old patient's heart without surgery. The physicians won the Young Inventors Award for the Cardiology Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
1974
Dr. John Ochsner implanted a heart pacemaker in the youngest patient ever. The nine-pound, two-ounce recipient was only 18 hours old. Ochsner's first liver transplant was conducted by Dr. William M. P. McKinnon. Ochsner purchased the first computed tomography (CT) scanner (EMI scanner) in the Gulf South. Ochsner was the sixth hospital in the country to have this sophisticated technology. Patients would travel to Ochsner from across the Gulf South for CT scans.
1975
Dr. Albert Segaloff was awarded a $476,404 research contract by the National Cancer Institute to study breast cancer. For 37 years, he studied breast cancer and various treatments with laboratory animals at Ochsner.
1976
Ochsner's first neonatal intensive care unit opened. Because of the need for highly skilled nursing in the neonatal intensive care unit, Dr. Jay Goldsmith was instrumental in establishing the Nurse Practice Act in Louisiana. Dr. Jay Goldsmith was the first in the Gulf South region to coordinate the utilization of a two-way transport system in pediatrics at Ochsner. Dr. Edward Frohlich joined Ochsner in 1976. A nationally and internationally recognized expert in the study of hypertension, he was one of the first in the United States to advocate use of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs in the treatment of hypertension. Dr. Frohlich continues his activities as the Alton Ochsner Distinguished Scientist.
1977
Ochsner was the first hospital in the Gulf South region to host a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) Christmas Party in which families returned with the "graduates" of the NICU program. This event was particularly dear to Dr. Alton Ochsner. In fact, in 1977, he planned to briefly visit the NICU party, but was moved by the patients and families. He then canceled his patients for the rest of the afternoon to spend time with these special families. This party has been held every year since its inception.
1978
Ochsner's Plaza of the Americas was constructed. This fountain area was built as a tribute to Ochsner Clinic's close relationship with its international neighbors. This is located at the front entrance of Ochsner's Jefferson Highway Campus. Nineteen flags representing these international neighbors fly over the Plaza and the Clinic Entrance. The Plaza was a gift of Alma and Russell Clark.
1980
The first angioplasty procedure was performed at Ochsner by cardiologist Charles Lynn Skelton, M.D.
1981
Dr. Jefferson Kaye, orthopedic surgeon, spent ten hours reconnecting arteries, veins, nerves, tendons, bone and skin to reattach a local ironworker's severed hand. September 24, 1981 Dr. Alton Ochsner died at age 85.
1983
The first infant was placed on extra corporeal membrane oxygenation, ECMO, at Ochsner. Ochsner's ECMO program was the fourth initiated in the country. Since 1983, the Ochsner CCOP has provided access to clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. The CCOP Program, which is funded by the largest grant awarded to our Institution, is designed to speed newer cancer treatments to patients in the community.
1984
Ochsner participated in the World’s Fair in New Orleans showcasing a 40-foot-high model of the human heart pulsing with light to the accompaniment of a deep, slow heartbeat sound.
1985
The Ochsner Magnetic Resonance Imaging Building opened. The first Ochsner neighborhood clinic opened in Kenner, Louisiana. The Division of Philanthropy staged the first ECMO Run to support the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation process. This Run continues to support Ochsner for Children and other endeavors such as the Nursing Education Grant Program. The first Ochsner Clinic in Baton Rouge opened at 2345 O’Neal Lane. Ochsner Clinic Lapalco opened on the Westbank of New Orleans at 3909 Lapalco Boulevard. Under the Leadership of Dr. Richard Ré, the Division of Research had a major expansion that was driven by the necessity to support training, patient care and scholarship in a variety of medical disciplines. The laboratories of Cellular Immunology, Hepatology, Hypertension, Molecular Immunogenetics, Molecular Oncology and Molecular Genetics continue to provide intellectual insights to scientists and physicians; contribute important scientific breakthroughs; and directly and indirectly improve the quality of care provided to patients at Ochsner and elsewhere.
1986
Artist Marc Mellon was commissioned to create the famous bronze statue of Dr. Alton Ochsner. This statue is located in front of the Institution. Three of Dr. Ochsner’s children unveiled the statue: Sis Mann Ochsner, Dr. Alton Ochsner, Jr., and Dr. John Ochsner. January 3, 1986 The Ochsner Clinic Metairie opened at 2005 Veterans Memorial Boulevard. The Ochsner Clinic New Orleans East opened at 5701 Deer Park Boulevard. Ochsner saw its first quadruplet birth: two boys and two girls. They were the first set of surviving quadruplets on record ever to be born in the state of Louisiana, according to the LA Public Health Statistics Department; it is believed that the quads are the fifth set born in the world as a result of in vitro fertilization. All of the Ochsner facilities, the Jefferson Highway campus as well as neighborhood clinics, officially became smoke free. Dr. Alton Ochsner stated in 1954, "Every type of smoking carries a deadly risk. Tobacco is a loaded weapon. Time pulls the trigger." The Ochsner Clinic Mandeville opened on the North Shore at 2801 East Causeway Approach. The Ochsner Clinic Algiers opened on the Westbank of New Orleans at 3401 Behrman Place. Dr. John Ochsner completed the first pediatric heart transplant in the Gulf South.
1987
Louisiana’s first pediatric patient to receive a liver transplant at Ochsner was operated on by Dr. Dan Hayes. Ochsner was cited as one of the best hospitals in America. Ochsner has been ranked in subsequent publications for its top quality health care. August 29, 1987 The world’s smallest baby was delivered at Ochsner by cesarean section. Her birth weight was 13 ounces. Doctors immediately rushed her to Ochsner's neonatal intensive care unit, where she was stabilized using assisted ventilation. The Ochsner Clinic Slidell opened at 2750 Gause Boulevard.
1990
The Total Health 65 Program was introduced by the Ochsner Health Plan to provide members who were 65 and older with coverage for prepaid health care services and benefits. The first patient in Louisiana received a heart-lung transplant at Ochsner.
1991
Ochsner purchased Elmwood Fitness Center.
1992
Dr. Edward D. Frohlich was chosen by the American Heart Association to produce the journal Hypertension at Ochsner Clinic. Ochsner Clinic Metairie at 2005 Veterans Memorial Boulevard expanded. Ochsner replaced the original Ochsner Clinic Kenner with a new facility.
1993
A "Doonesbury" comic strip highlighted Dr. Alton Ochsner's findings that smoking caused lung cancer. Ochsner Clinic Lapalco moved into its new 54,000 square foot facility at 4225 Lapalco Boulevard. Ochsner Clinic Covington Internal Medicine opened at 606 West 12th Avenue. The Atrium Tower opened on Ochsner's Jefferson Highway campus, connecting the Garage with the Clinic. This area continues to include the Tivoli Gardens Restaurant, Gift Shop, Optical Shop, Blood Bank, and Pharmacy. Rothschild/Ochsner Pediatric Clinic opened on Veterans Boulevard. Ochsner Biomedical Research Building opened to house laboratories on the Jefferson Highway campus.
1995
Ochsner Clinic Tangipahoa opened at 41676 Veterans Avenue, Hammond.
1996
Ochsner Hospital was rated as one of the “Best Hospitals” by US News and World Report. Ochsner physicians continue to be noted in this annual report. Ochsner Clinic Baton Rouge - Mid City opened at 3401 North Boulevard. Ochsner Foundation Hospital went “live” with DataMedic’s EMStation Electronic Charting. Ochsner Clinic Covington Pediatrics opened at 3916 Highway 22.
1999
The first issue of The Ochsner Journal was published.
2000
The Emergency Department moved from its original River Road entrance to Jefferson Highway. The Critical Care Tower expansion housed the Urgent Care department and ten new operating rooms. Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute introduced the use of the first Class 2 FDA-approved device that allowed patients an affordable daily doctor visit without leaving their homes. Out of the 282 U.S. transplant centers, Ochsner was one of only six to have achieved its 500th heart transplant.
2001
Of the 110 U.S. liver transplant programs, Ochsner was one of 35 to have completed over 500 liver transplants. Later in 2003, Ochsner was recognized for having the tenth largest liver transplant program in the United States. Named after benefactor Mrs. Lieselotte Tansey of Selle, Germany, the Breast Center opened to support outpatient breast diagnostic services with consultation services for breast problems. Throughout history, Ochsner physicians have reach out to help other countries. Ochsner pediatric cardiovascular surgeon Dr. James E. Davis traveled to Latin America to assist underprivileged children. August 31, 2001 All Ochsner institutions merged to form one single nonprofit company, Ochsner Clinic Foundation. Dr. John Ochsner, Dr. Frank Riddick, and Dr. Patrick Quinlan presided over the historical event.
2002
Ochsner created the Endovascular Operating Suite, a futuristic operating room combining a fully equipped surgical suite and an X-ray lab, to produce shorter, more precise operations. Ochsner expanded its Institutional Review Board (IRB) to remain at the forefront of human subject research protections in its more than 600 research studies. Ochsner began implementation of a new pediatric emergency care section within the Emergency Department.
2003
Ochsner Clinic Foundation Elmwood Medical Center opened in Metairie at 1211 South Clearview Parkway. Ochsner Clinic Foundation North Shore Medical Center opened at the corner of Interstate 12 and Highway 21. For the ninth consecutive year, the National Research Corporation Consumer Survey ranked Ochsner #1 for quality of care. Ochsner ranked as one of the best places to work in New Orleans. Ochsner had the first program in Louisiana to perform over 100 transplants in a single year. Ochsner has the only Medicare-approved heart and lung transplant program in the Gulf South. The Ochsner Nursing Division achieved Magnet status. The Magnet Nursing Services Recognition Program is the highest level of recognition given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing services in the national and international health care community.
2004
The Merrill Hines Surgery Center opened on the Jefferson Highway campus to provide improved outpatient surgery. Ochsner Clinic Covington Internal Medicine moved to its new facility at 2810 East Causeway Boulevard. The Ochsner Health Plan (OHP) was sold to Humana, Inc. Ochsner for Children Ambulatory Care Center opened on Jefferson Highway across from Ochsner Clinic Foundation.
2005
August 28, 2005 Hurricane Katrina strikes. During Hurricane Katrina Ochsner was one of the only hospitals open in the area.
2006
St. Anne Ochsner in Raceland opens. March 15, 2006 Summit Hospital of Baton Rouge renamed Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge. April 3, 2006 Ochsner unveils its new brand and name: Ochsner Health System. April 13, 2006 Mayoral candidates forum held at Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans. October 2, 2006 Ochsner purchased three Tenet hospitals in an effort to provide comprehensive healthcare to the surrounding communities: Meadowcrest Hospital (Westbank), Kenner Regional (Kenner), Baptist Memorial Hospital (Uptown).
2007
Ochsner Health Center - Kenner opens at Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner, located at 200 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 210.
2008
January 2, 2008 Ochsner Health System assumes full ownership of Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge.
