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 2020, 10,822 donors found it in their hearts to offer support to patients and programs across Ochsner Health. They gave more than 13,000 gifts. They supported 350 causes to make the impact that meant the most to them.
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 year of their careers. You have saved lives.
Thank you for ensuring critical patient care can move forward, research can continue and for letting our employees know the community is with them through your generosity.
Your Impact
For many funds, donors are the only source of support.
Gifts to support the Employee Assistance Fund during the COVID-19 Pandemic have provided crucial support and timely resources. The Employee Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for Ochsner employees directly impacted by COVID-19 and exists to provide financial grants to the employees who are our frontline workers and have put their lives on hold to protect ours and those in our communities. The fund is used to support employees across our system during times of intense need. In 2020, the Employee Assistance funds provided support to 341 employees across Ochsner Health.
The Pandemic Response Research Fund was used for the Seroprevelance COVID trial conducted by Amy Freehan, PhD, in Baton Rouge. Your support also helped fund the study to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies in children who attended child care centers conducted by Dr. William Lennarz, Dr. Edmond Kabagambe, Dr. Ilana Fortgang, Dr. Brannon Alberty, Dr. Diego Lara and Dr. Marcia Henry.
To read more about the amazing work being done because of Pandemic Response donors, please view the 2020 Donor Impact Report.
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. Since 2013, nearly 224 projects have been made possible by donors like you!
One of the many ways donors like you provided support for patients across Ochsner Health is through support of the patient assistance funds. More than 800 gifts in 2020 helped patients by defraying the costs of transportation to get to and from critical appointments, co-pays for lifesaving medication and medical equipment so they could 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.
Nursing
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.
- 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.
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.
OMC-Kenner Nursing Education and Innovation Funds
In June 2019, seven members of the Kenner Women’s Services team attended the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) national convention in Atlanta. Five of the seven attendees received funds from the Kenner Nursing Education Grant Fund to be able to attend the convention. The team attended a variety of learning sessions with topics including legal issues in obstetrical nursing care, developing newly graduated nurses in the field of obstetrics, caring for infants diagnosed with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, and strategies for recognizing post-partum depression.
All of the attendees have been able to put the information gained into practice. In June 2020, we collaborated with the Women’s Services team at OMC-Westbank to create a course to teach newly graduated nurses the foundations for obstetrical and neonatal nursing. The feedback from the participants has all been positive. In September 2019, another attendee created a staff education board on legal pitfalls in obstetrical nursing. Finally, Mary Emmons and Jennifer Melton were able to present a poster outlining our department’s experience with implementing AWHONN’s staffing guidelines.
Attending the conference energized the team to tackle challenges and allowed us to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Without the Nursing Education Grant Fund, many team members would not be able to attend. Thank you for providing us with this valuable resource!
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.
In 2020, the Northshore team established a serenity room in memory of Cheryl Woods, the previous Chief Nursing Officer of the Northshore region. The room includes a new massage chair, relaxing lighting and a card swipe entry to ensure that nurses have private access to the room to recharge.
The Nursing Education Fund on the Northshore allowed Tricia Overall to attend a virtual conference in 2020.
In 2021, your support allowed Angellec Walker, a former Ochsner nurses, to attend Periop 101. In addition, your gift supported the LHA membership fee for Elizabeth Estevez, PI Coordinator.
Nathalie Gilder attended the NAHQ Virtual conference in June 2020. Nathalie is originally from Baton Rouge where she went to nursing school at Our Lady of the Lake College and graduated fall of 2000. She began working as a Tenet Emergency Room pool nurse in 2003 and has been at Ochsner West Bank since 2005. Nathalie completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Nursing from Loyola University. Nathalie is currently a Performance Improvement Coordinator and have been in the Quality Department since 2012. "I appreciate the availability of the Nursing Education Fund that allowed for me to attend an NAHQ virtual conference that expanded my knowledge in Quality and is applied in this position to contribute to patient safety at our facility," Nathalie said.
Lori Berthelot attended the LHA Webinar in October 2020.
Ava Zebrick attended the Press Ganey online conference in October 2020. Ava was born and raised in the New Orleans area and has been an Ochsner Health patient since birth. Her father has been an Ochsner employee for more than 40 years, and her spouse has been with Ochsner for nine years. Besides family connections, Ava’s own experience with challenging health conditions inspired her to work in healthcare – to help improve care and access to care for patients like herself. To do this, she obtained Master of Science in Health Care Management from the University of New Orleans. She became a patient partner on projects funded by the national Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and is a proud advocate and member of the Obesity Action Coalition.
Ava joined the Ochsner family herself in September 2019 and uses her stakeholder engagement expertise to improve patient experience. She is most proud of the Family Video Call Program she coordinated through the COVID-19 pandemic. The small team of redeployed staff that Ava led at OMC – West Bank connected more than 100 COVID positive patients with their families at the most critical moments, when in-person visits were impossible.
Jasmine Warren attended the AOCRN online webinar in November 2020.
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.
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 2020 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.
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.
Ochsner Hospital for Children
For the fourth year in a row, Ochsner Hospital for Children has been named among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice. Ochsner Hospital for Children was recognized in cardiology and heart surgery in the 2020-21 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.
Ochsner Hospital for Children has provided exceptional pediatric care for more than 75 years, and offers the only pediatric heart and liver transplant program in Louisiana. Serving over 74,000 children every year, the hospital boasts more than 150 physicians specializing in more than 30 pediatric specialties and sub-specialties. Ochsner Hospital for Children’s flagship facility is in New Orleans, with sub-specialty clinics across Louisiana and Mississippi.
At Ochsner Hospital for Children, we also help patients who are undergoing bone marrow transplants, by providing Brent House rooms post-transplant. In 2020, one patient, Anthony D. (19), was experiencing his third bout of cancer. He would not have been able to get a much-needed bone marrow transplant without your support of the Adolescent Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Survivorship Program.
The AYA fund provided gas cards to help meet transportation needs as his family lives four hours away. We also supplied gift cards for meals, and a Brent House stay that allowed the family to be with Anthony after his transplant for as long as they needed. Our typical accommodations, the Hope Lodge, was closed due to COVID-19.
His younger brother, Jordan (17), was Anthony’s donor for his transplant. He was very close to his other brother, Taylor (11), as well. Support for Brent House hotel stays allowed his younger brothers to be with him throughout post-transplant and during critical hospitalizations.
When Anthony learned that his cancer had returned for the fourth time, and his family lacked child care options for Anthony’s brothers, we were able to provide them all accommodations in the Brent House. They were in the Brent House for almost 50 days thanks to your support.
“The patient assistance funds helped make this very, very stressful time easier for the family,” said Kara Levine, a Pediatric Social Worker at Ochsner Hospital for Children. Anthony died shortly after his transplant, and both his brother, Taylor, and mother were with him when he died - thanks entirely to their Brent House stays from the patient assistance funds. The patient assistance funds even covered some of Anthony’s funeral expenses. Thank you for this crucial generosity. Jordan and Taylor are doing well in Monroe, living in Anthony’s spirit.
To read more about the amazing work being done at Ochsner Hospital for Children and how your generosity has made an impact, please view the 2020 Donor Impact Report.
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.
To read more about the amazing work being done at Ochsner Hospital for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and how your generosity has made an impact, please view the 2020 Donor Impact Report.
Ochsner Multi-Organ 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 Multi-Organ 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.
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.
To read more about the amazing work being done at Ochsner Neuroscience Institute and how your generosity has made an impact, please view the 2020 Donor Impact Report.
