Ochsner Health is the leading nonprofit healthcare provider in the Gulf South. Ochsner inspires healthier lives and stronger communities through our mission to serve, heal, lead, educate and innovate.
Bayou & River Region Outreach
-
2.6K Team Members
-
177K Patients Served
-
Bayou & River Region
Expanding access through St. Anne community screenings
Ochsner St. Anne continued expanding access to preventive care with 728 community screenings and nine health fairs, including the Community Health Fair in September 2025 and a series of free Hello Health seminars bringing fitness, cardiovascular health and chronic disease prevention directly to residents.
A summer of healthcare preparation at Ochsner St. Mary
High school students participated in the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program at Ochsner St. Mary, gaining hands-on exposure to healthcare careers through volunteering and shadowing clinicians. During the 10-day program, students rotated through hospital departments, practiced vital skills and participated in interactive workshops.
Breakfast with the doctors encourages future clinicians
Ochsner St. Mary hosted local students for a Breakfast With the Doctors, providing career insights from OB/GYN, internal medicine and family medicine physicians. The event gave students a unique chance to ask questions, learn firsthand about the medical profession and explore potential healthcare careers.
St. Charles SIM Lab strengthens regional workforce readiness
St. Charles Parish Hospital has opened its new Education Center & Simulation Lab, a major milestone for the River Region and a powerful engine for workforce development. The center serves as a regional hub for clinical training and emergency preparedness, offering real-world simulation experiences for new nurses, EMTs, paramedics and industry partners. Designed to expand job-ready training across the region, the lab will train more than 400 healthcare and industrial professionals each year.
Through OchsnerServes, team members volunteered at the Terrebonne Churches United Food Bank, assisting with food sorting and distribution for local families. These efforts support a vital community resource that depends on volunteers to help fight hunger and care for neighbors in need.
STEM Pathfinders inspires 12 River Region scholars
This summer, Donna Palahang, Michelle Zaidain and Cas Perry hosted 12 River Region students for STEM Pathfinders’ third year at St. Charles Parish Hospital. Students explored labor & delivery, the NICU, the milk bank, the Simulation Center and the new Barbara & Edwin Beckman STEM Lab. “The sim lab was the best part—I learned things I’ve never done and why healthcare matters,” one scholar says.
A pledge of stewardship
Ochner’s Sustainability Team expanded systemwide recycling efforts at Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center, Ochsner St. Anne and Ochsner St. Mary, by adding the collection of plastic beverage bottles and aluminum cans at multiple hospital facilities. New recycling-and-trash combination stations are being installed in high- traffic areas such as cafés, entrances and waiting rooms, making it easier for patients, visitors and team members to recycle PET (#1), HDPE (#2), and aluminum materials.
In October, we launched a Pledge of Environmental Stewardship, inviting employees to commit to recycling at work and encouraging others to do the same. Team members who take the pledge receive 30 minutes of OchsnerServes credit, reinforcing responsible environmental practices.
Read full Community Benefit Report
Our Community Benefit Report reflects the great work underway across Ochsner Health and in collaboration with our partners to inspire healthier lives and stronger communities. See photos and read more highlights in the full report.