Together the Ochsner Community can do anything.

Every day, you are helping patients face frightening medical conditions, creating opportunities to advance technology and expanding research that will change the future of healthcare. As Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system, the impact that our donors make cannot be understated. Below, you will find videos, photos and reports detailing the work made possible through your generosity.

In 2021, more than 9,100 donors found it in their hearts to offer support to patients and programs across Ochsner Health. Through your generosity, you have helped patients make it to critical appointments. You have ensured the most up-to-date technology is available. You have supported front line heroes during the hardest years of their careers. You have saved lives.

Click an area of care below to learn more about your impact.

Employee Assistance	Emergency Response	The Excellence Fund	Patient Assistance
Nursing	John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute	Ochsner Cancer Institute	Ochsner Hospital for Children
Ochsner Hospital for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine	Ochsner Transplant Institute	Ochsner Neuroscience Institute	Frank Riddick Diabetes Institute

Your Impact

For many funds, donors are the only source of support. 

One of the many ways donors like you provided support for patients across Ochsner Health is through support of the patient assistance funds. Gifts to patient assistance funds provide support by defraying the costs of treatment for critical or chronic illness. Your generosity helps provide transportation to get to and from critical appointments, co-pays for lifesaving medication and medical equipment so patients can return home safely after receiving care. From a hot meal to funeral costs, your gifts have truly made a difference for members of our community in need.

Donors to patient assistance are making a difference across Ochsner every day. Here are some examples of your impact. 

• At the neuro-critical care unit at Ochsner Medical Center - Jefferson Highway, patients’ conditions often onset suddenly, leaving their families little time to prepare for the long road ahead. Kelly Jerolleman, a social worker who manages cases at the unit, saw countless families in need of food, lodging and financial assistance when she started the job. “There were so many situations where we couldn’t meet the need,” Kelly said. “We felt we should have something for these people because they were already going through enough.” With help from the philanthropy department, Kelly and her colleague, Darlene, established a the Neuroscience Patient Assistance Fund. The funds cover a range of expenses—including meal cards and transportation—but most commonly go toward Brent House Hotel stays while patients undergo treatment. Adjacent to the hospital, Brent House Hotel is a convenient place for patients’ families to spend the night, especially those from outside New Orleans. “We concentrate so much on the patients sometimes, but their families are a big part of their lives,” Kelly said. “We heal families, too, because we help them understand what the patient is going through.”
• Since 1942, patients across the United States and the world have trusted Ochsner Health to deliver the highest quality care. As a result, over 4,000 international patients seek treatment at Ochsner each year. They also rely on wrap-around financial support that enables them to access vital treatments. For two patients recently, the Ochsner Israeli Patient and Caregiver Assistance Fund made the difference between life-saving care or unmet medical needs. With limited financial resources, both patients were unable to fully cover the cost of lodging after receiving liver transplants. The Patient Assistance Fund covered their stay in Louisiana, allowing them to recover fully and get back to leading healthy and meaningful lives in their communities.
• When a 59-year-old caregiver was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she had to press pause on work and focus on her own recovery. But while she had Medicaid, she didn’t have short-term disability coverage, and wouldn’t be able to make rent. The Pamela Posecai OCI Patient and Family Assistance Fund covered her rent and utilities for two months, alleviating the stress of paying for housing. The fund did the same for a cancer patient who was working, without benefits, as a tour guide in the French Quarter. Cancer diagnoses are often life altering. Many patients have to stop working when their treatment begins—or their insurance doesn’t offer adequate coverage. One patient discovered that her insurance only covered $500 worth of prescriptions per year, which she had already used. Thanks to the fund, she was able to fill much needed prescriptions and get $360 worth of medicine covered at discharge.
• Radiation treatments are an integral part of recovery for some cancer patients, and regular visits are mandatory. The Radiation Transportation Fund covers travel expenses for patients with limiting circumstances who are undergoing treatment. A 61-year-old oyster fisherman, for example, could no longer work after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. With no car and little family support, traveling 30 miles to the treatment facility was an impossibility without the help of donor support. A 55-year-old patient diagnosed with lung cancer shares a similar story. Her daughter had been serving as her caregiver, but could no longer drive to appointments due to a high-risk pregnancy. Thanks to the fund, the patient was able to attend her appointments and finish radiation treatment.
• The St. Charles Patient and Family Assistance Fund provided support for 11 patients so that they could get their medications when they were discharged. Many of the patients treated at St. Charles are Behavioral Health patients. Thank you for helping to reduce the hurdles for patients in need of care.
• The Zebra Fund provides temporary housing for Carcinoid patients being treated at Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner.

These are just some of the ways you have made a difference through patient assistance funds at Ochsner. Thank you!

Gifts to support the Employee Assistance Fund  provide crucial support and timely resources. The Employee Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for Ochsner employees directly impacted by major life events such as illness, storms or other tragedies and exists to provide financial grants to help alleviate stress from the employees who protect and care for our communities. The fund is used to support employees across our system during times of intense need. In 2021, donors made a significant impact on the lives of more than 5,000 employees across Ochsner Health. Thank you for your extraordinary support.

The Gulf South has experienced numerous challenges over the past year. Multiple COVID-19 surges have strained hospitals, and in August 2021, Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on Southeast Louisiana. So far, 2022 has already seen a tornado tear through the West Bank and St. Bernard Parish-causing many Ochsner employees and their families to experience damage and destruction of their homes and their communities. Thanks to generous donations to the Emergency Response Fund, Ochsner healthcare heroes have remained steadfast through it all.

The Excellence Fund at Ochsner is an unrestricted fund that is supported entirely by the generosity of our donors. Annually, teams throughout Ochsner submit applications and a committee selects projects to receive support from the fund. These projects create opportunities for improvements and innovations in patient care that are changing and saving lives every day. In 2021, your generosity provided support for 59 new Excellence Fund projects.

Nursing

It is no secret that nurses are amazing. Please enjoy this story from Ochsner Magazine about two amazing nurses with over 50 years of service to the Ochsner community. 

Patty Hanson Nursing Excellence Fund

The Patty Hanson Nursing Excellence Fund, created in loving memory of lifelong nurse Patty Hanson by her husband John, provides scholarship to Chamberlain University so that aspiring nurses might continue their education.

• Spring 2022 Samantha Oestriecher
• Fall 2021 Christian Wilson
• Spring 2021 Tegan Moersfelder
• Fall 2020 Ovena Darius
• Summer 2020 Sonja Schuster
• Spring 2020 Kaitlynn Moran
• Fall 2019 Michelle Theriot
• Summer 2019 Jada Davis and Princess Jones

Baptist Nursing Education and Innovation Funds

The Baptist Nursing Education Fund supports nurses who attend educational conferences and seminars or are working toward receiving specialty certifications or recertifications. In 2021, the Nursing Innovation Fund supported a refurbishing of the "serenity room" for staff, which encourages one moment of mindfulness when team members find themselves in need. 

Bayou Nursing Education and Innovation Funds

Bayou nursing funds were used recently to inspire and acknowledge nursing employees during nurses week and healthcare assistants week. Additionally, the director of education was able to attend the 2022 Association for Nursing Professional Development Conference and returned with excellent ideas that are already being implemented and having a positive impact.

OMC Jefferson Highway Nursing Education and Innovation Funds

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has awarded Ochsner Medical Center with Magnet Designation status for the fourth time in Ochsner’s history! The ANCC awards the Magnet status as the highest credential for nursing practices across the world. It is awarded to healthcare organizations based on their work environment, nursing excellence, innovations in nursing practice and quality patient outcomes. This recognition is a true testament to the quality of our nursing practice and the caliber of nurses we have right here in New Orleans. This designation is not possible without the tireless dedication of Louise Saladino, Ecoee Rooney, our nursing leadership team, educators and so many of you who showcased what OMC has to offer. This process was both rigorous and thorough for all involved—from the bedside nurse clinicians to the department heads, executive team, and members of our Board of Directors. Magnet recognition is an impressive and important distinction for our organization and staff, as well as the communities we serve. We are among less than 1 percent of hospitals in the U.S. to receive Magnet designation four consecutive times!

The Nursing Education Grant Fund supported the travel of staff nurses to attend the American Nurses Credentialing Center's conference to be recognized.

Lee Jones Endowed Fund in Baton Rouge for Nursing Education

The Lee Jones Endowed Fund for Nursing Education helped Annie Smith, an ICU nurse, attend the American Association of Critical Care National Teaching Institute Conference.

Northshore Nursing Education and Innovation Funds

In 2021, your support provided resources for Northshore nurses to attend the NIH online course for the Primary Stroke Center Survey by the Joint Commission. 

St. Charles Nursing Education and Innovation Funds

The St. Charles Nursing Education Fund was allowed to accumulate to provide greater resources for educating nurses in the future.

Nursing Education Grant Fund

The Nursing Education Grant Fund provided support for projects that allow front line nurses, who are uniquely positioned to identify and operationalize change at the bedside, to do research into such improvements. One project, Investing in Nurse Creativity, addresses this directly. The purpose of this study was to create a nurse leadership program to address frontline clinical problems. They used a structured curriculum to train nurses in leadership topics, communication, change concepts, quality improvement methods, project management, and data management and analysis. Each nurse was supported to commit to 96 hours of non-clinical time to identify a specific clinical problem and solve the issue with a team.

Ten teams participated in the program from nine ICUs and one medical/surgical unit. Four of the ICUs chose to look at emergency response, four teams at implemented interdisciplinary rounds, one chose to tackle burnout and one looked at noise reduction. Each team was able to demonstrate positive patient, nurse, and fiscal outcomes at the end of the one-year program. The total fiscal impact is estimated to be more than $1 million.

This program demonstrates that staff nurses can make substantial contributions to their organizations in clinical and fiscal outcomes when provided with non-clinical time.

To read more about Nursing at Ochsner and the exceptional difference donors make, please view the 2021 Donor Impact Report.

Support Nursing at Ochsner

John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute

Named after nationally renowned heart surgeon Dr. John Ochsner, the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute (JOHVI) is a comprehensive cardiac and vascular tertiary care center with multiple locations, making it convenient to connect the communities we serve to the excellent quality care they need.

JOHVI is home to more than 50 cardiologists representing a continuum of care unmatched in the Gulf Coast region. Ochsner has completed more than 1,000 heart transplants and over 830 non-surgical aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. We are the largest comprehensive center for management of arrhythmias in the Gulf South with more than 2,600 procedures performed a year.

Through ongoing research initiatives, physician training programs and clinical trials, JOHVI continues to set the standard for diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. We serve as a destination center for patients across the Gulf South with complex cardiac diseases and as a resource for patients who have been told there are no other options available to treat their heart and vascular condition.

Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr. Chip Lavie authored and published 45 COVID-related papers. His first two papers – published within the first month of COVID cases in the United States – were referenced more than 750 times in various publications, news outlets and by other healthcare providers.

His largest paper on the topic, Obesity and Outcomes in COVID-19: When an Epidemic and Pandemic Collide, received national and international recognition when published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. This paper provided the evidence for clinicians to more aggressively treat and monitor obese, especially severely obese, patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Your support for the Cardiac Rehab CCU Education Fund enables Dr. Lavie to continue his academic and research efforts, as well as publish and promote his findings on a national level.

To read more about the amazing work being done at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute and how your generosity has made an impact, please view the 2021 Donor Impact Report. 

Donor support has provided the resources needed to advance patient care through research and innovation of the Endowed John Ochsner Distinguished Scholar in Cardiovascular Innovation. Please click here to read more about our first awardee of this newly established position and the research that donors will help make possible. 

Support Cardiac Care at Ochsner

Ochsner Cancer Institute

Survival is the most important barometer of a cancer program, and survival rates at the Ochsner Cancer Institute exceed those presented by national organizations for every disease site. However, survival is not the sole outcome that we are fighting to improve – with the general improvements in survival seen nationally over the past few years, patients increasingly expect to survive, and then thrive, returning to their normal activities after cancer treatment. Ochsner is committed to improving not only survival through our comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to cancer care, but also quality of life through psychosocial support, nutrition, physical therapy, speech and swallowing rehabilitation, financial counseling, and even an integrative approach to symptom management that merges complementary and traditional oncologic support.

Ms. T was coping well after her new cancer diagnosis, only to have the rug pulled out from under her when within a week she had her caretaker steal from her and then the hurricane struck and left her home with roof damage and electrical failure in half of her trailer. OCI Patient Assistance Fund covered her repairs and helped her keep her phone functional and charged while she coordinated with contractors and volunteers bringing her to appointments. She is now thrilled to be functioning independently without a caretaker and awaiting one final scan before she will officially be declared in complete remission. She is grateful for the help she has received here and is convinced that God has guided the hands of all involved to help her through this experience. It is only with donor support that Ochsner Cancer Institute is able to provide support through patient assistance funds. On behalf of Ms. T and all of the patients you have helped, thank you.

There are many stories like that of Ms. T. To read more about the collaborative approach to care between Ochsner's cancer services and cardiology, please click here. To read about Joan and how minimally invasive surgery put her cancer into remission and inspired her to save lives too, please click here. To read about Kim and how her breast cancer journey is reshaping aftercare for survivors, please click here. Thank you to these amazing donors and to all of the donors that are making an impact every day for patients and their families at the Ochsner Cancer Institute.

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Ochsner Hospital for Children

For the fifth year in a row, Ochsner Hospital for Children has been named among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the country for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery specialties by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice. Ochsner Hospital for Children is Louisiana's only ranked children's hospital.

From rare brain tumors and leukemia to heart conditions and organ transplants, we offer a level of pediatric care unmatched in Louisiana and more advanced capabilities than any other children’s hospital in New Orleans. Plus, our children’s-only ER is equipped to handle any pediatric emergency.

Ochsner Hospital for Children would not be the nurturing place it is without Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS), professionals who are trained to help the littlest patients cope in aiding the healing process and elevating the quality of care for children.

In 2021, our donors funded support for additional CCLS at Ochsner Medical Complex - The Grove in Baton Rouge, along with resources like specialized medical teaching dolls, distraction and normalization items and patient support initiatives. “New programming requires many resources, and we are so thankful to have your generosity provide new CCLSs with the tools they need to support the emotional health and educational needs of children throughout Ochsner Health,” said Whitney Cole, Child Life Department Supervisor at Ochsner Hospital for Children.

Support Pediatric Care at Ochsner

Ochsner Hospital for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

In 2019, we opened a state-of-the-art facility specifically designed for orthopedic and sports medicine surgery and offering the most advanced anesthesia and pain techniques, resulting in less pain and a quicker recovery. The 58,000 square foot hospital is a part of Ochsner’s Optimal Hospital Program, which offers advanced, patient-centered care using innovative devices and materials including patient tablets, wireless vitals monitoring, copper-infused linens and surfaces and red night lighting. Designed with style, comfort and convenience in mind, the new facility features spa-inspired décor in its public waiting spaces and all private rooms, and offers a complimentary in-house chef, concierge services and valet parking. Ochsner Hospital for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Elmwood offers multiple services under one roof – including orthopedics, sports medicine, therapy & wellness, performance training, physical medicine & rehabilitation and primary care. We are proud to offer opioid-free orthopedic surgeries at this location as well.

In partnership with Son of a Saint, the Ochsner Performance Training Program is providing training to young people who need it most, transforming bodies and changing lives. Read more about the impact of the program.

Ochsner Transplant Institute

Every ten minutes, another name is added to national transplant waiting list. Together, there are nearly 108,000 people waiting for an organ transplant in the U.S. The majority of transplant patients in the Gulf South find unparalleled care and shorter wait times at the Ochsner Transplant Institute. Since its inception in 1984, Ochsner’s team of renowned physicians, surgeons, transplant nurses and support specialists have successfully performed more than 8,000 lifesaving liver, kidney, pancreas and heart transplants. This number includes surgeries performed through our living organ donor programs, including our living donor liver transplant program and our living kidney transplant program. We are the busiest, most experienced transplant center in the Gulf South region.

In recent years, Ochsner has strengthened our position as an international leader by achieving the highest national benchmarks for quality. By recruiting some of the world’s leading transplant surgeons and physicians, pursuing clinical and research excellence and adding programs for even the rarest and most complex organ transplants, the Ochsner Transplant Institute continues to grow and serve more adult and pediatric patients needing organ transplants in New Orleans, the region and around the world. To date, we have cared for transplant patients from 37 states and 10 countries.

At Ochsner, it’s all about making sure our patients do better, live longer and experience fewer complications. We combine advanced technology, specialized procedures and a patient-focused approach that leads to successful outcomes. Patients find peace of mind knowing that our transplant success rates and survival rates are greater than the national average.

The Ochsner Transplant Institute has streamlined the care process around the needs of our patients, leading to shorter wait times. A one-day evaluation clinic is offered to help our patients move through the process and get on the waiting list sooner. Along with shorter wait times, Ochsner is known for minimal surgery times, fewer days in critical care and shorter hospital stays.

The cases at the Ochsner Transplant Institute are often complex. Cecilia and Rhett's are no different. Read more about this amazing family and their incredible story about how far a parent would go to save their child. 

Support Transplant Care at Ochsner

Ochsner Neuroscience Institute

The Ochsner Neuroscience Institute provides leading-edge healthcare through innovative research, excellence in all facets of patient care, and important programs that serve the community. Thank you so much for helping to make us the leader in neurological care in the region - we could not do it without you.

There are many barriers to treatment that patients contend with, whether it be access to care geographically, the financial burden of healthcare, or lack of friend/family support in recovery. At Ochsner, our priority is to provide excellent, patient-first care with integrity and compassion. Your gifts to the patient assistance fund help us offer support to patients and family when they are striving to overcome the challenges of receiving healthcare and enable them to focus on getting better. It can mean a room to stay, a hot meal and transportation to follow-up care. Ultimately, it let’s us live out our mission of improving healthcare for all Louisiana residents.

Some patients who your generosity supports are choppered in from hours away for a higher level of care or surgery that the hospital they went to doesn’t offer. Their family members fly with them but have nowhere to spend the night because there is no room assigned yet or because of the COVID visitation restrictions. Some of families do not have $130 or more for the hotel and some eat crackers or sandwiches the hospital provides and nothing else. The patient assistance fund has allowed us to get the families rooms for respite, or give gift cards for meals from nearby restaurants. We have even used it when family members cannot get to their appointments to pay for a cab. Thank you for helping to ensure that every patient can receive care and that their family can be with them during their health crisis.

Music is helping patients find their voice again while honoring a beautiful life at the Ochsner Neuroscience Institute. Read more about the program and its impact here and watch the video below to learn more about the amazing donors who made it possible and their reason for leaving a legacy at Ochsner. 

Read more about exciting developments at the Ochsner Neuroscience Institute made possible through the generous support of donors. 

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Frank Riddick Diabetes Institute

The Frank Riddick Diabetes Institute at Ochsner Health services patients with or at risk for diabetes by providing state of the art diabetes care. The Institute also provides innovative research contributing to the development of new diabetes treatments, education and health care delivery systems. The Frank Riddick Diabetes Institute focuses on inpatient and outpatient care activities, efforts in populations medicine including a novel Diabetes Digital Medicine Program, and providing education about diabetes to both health care professionals and patients as well as clinical research being conducted at its Ochsner Diabetes Clinical Research unit.

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