Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
Our 2021 Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, Kenner, Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital and River Place Behavioral Health Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment allowed us to determine which significant health needs should be prioritized in our region’s Community Health Improvement Planning process.
In partnership with local schools, Ochsner Health offers career days, mentoring and exposure to healthcare career opportunities, as well as health education focused on nutrition, overall health and development. We have an on-site school-based health center at Bonnabel High School, and at the Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy, we sponsor a community garden that will be maintained by students and provide vegetables used in the school’s teaching kitchen. OchsnerServes volunteers also help maintain the garden.
Our volunteerism efforts are focused on collaborating with external partners to create opportunities for our employees to give back to the local community. Initiatives include beautification projects, supply collection, event setup and many other types of projects.
We work with national, regional and local organizations that support our vision, mission and values to develop innovative new initiatives for the greater good of the community, including the City of Kenner and the Kenner Business Association. We’ve partnered with the City of Kenner to improve EMS services and coordination with fire and law enforcement.
We provide health education for senior citizens in retirement and nursing homes, free health classes in our community and vaping prevention education within the St. Charles school district.
Improvement of environmental factors was identified as a community health need, especially in the River Region, so Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner now has several projects underway, including the creation of more green spaces, waste reduction and recycling improvement, and the establishment of additional walking paths.