Terrebonne Parish has remained without a fully functional hospital since Hurricane Ida hit Aug. 29.
As of Tuesday, Thibodaux Regional Medical Center was still the only hospital in Terrebonne and Lafourche that was operating fully.
All of the others have been closed since Ida damaged them, forcing patients to be evacuated to hospitals outside the area. The emergency room departments at St. Anne and Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center never closed, according to Ochsner Health.
On Sunday, the Army set up a mobile unit at Terrebonne General Medical Center that is able to treat patients and, if needed, send them to other hospitals where a bed is available, officials said.
Small emergency rooms also continue to operate at Terrebonne General and Chabert Medical Center in Houma.
Meanwhile, Terrebonne General Health System is working to bring the Houma hospital back online as quickly as possible. Both Ochsner St. Anne Hospital in Raceland and Lady of the Sea in Galliano also remain closed.
Hurricane Ida recovery:Where to find help, resources in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes
Here are the latest updates from health-care systems in Terrebonne and Lafourche:
Ochsner Health
Both Ochsner-St. Anne Hospital and Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center sustained damage. St. Mary in Morgan City, however, had no damage.
The emergency departments at both St. Anne and Chabert are up and running.
The health system has completed more than 600 transfers since Hurricane Ida; some of these transfers have been outside of the Ochsner system. Roughly 180 patients have been transferred out of the Houma-Thibodaux area, according to Ochsner President and CEO Warner Thomas.
Dr. Robert Hart, chief Medical Officer at Ochsner Health, said a real success story is how St. Mary Hospital in Morgan City stepped up to accept patients in light of the storm.
“They have been taking a lot of the patients. When you consider Chabert and St. Anne is not at full (working) capacity, St. Mary has really ramped up,” Hart said.
The Morgan City hospital has gone from a census of 25-30 inpatients normally to more than 70. Hart said during a Zoom meeting with reporters Tuesday that some of the patients at St. Mary are there for COVID-19 but that the health system has been moving them to other facilities.
Hart said the health system has been able to redeploy some of the staff from Chabert and St. Anne to St. Mary.
Ochsner facilities that are open in the Houma-Thibodaux area:
- Ochsner St. Mary’s emergency room.
- Ochsner St. Mary Women’s Clinic.
- Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center’s emergency room.
- Ochsner St. Anne Hospital’s emergency room.
- Ochsner St. Anne Women’s Clinic in Raceland has relocated to 1302 Lakewood Dr. Ste. 100 in Morgan City.
Ochsner health has added new appointment availability for patients impacted by Hurricane Ida who are seeking cancer care, cardiology, or women’s services. Call for an appointment. Phone lines are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
- Women’s Services: (504) 354-3950.
- Cardiology: (504) 354-4243.
- Cancer: (504) 354-4242 or [email protected].
When making an appointment, please express any questions or concerns you may have about transportation.
Terrebonne General
Terrebonne General sustained considerable roof, water and electrical damage that required the evacuation of all patients for their safety. At the time of the storm’s impact, the hospital was at capacity with 120 patients and more than 100 staff.
“Our services will be brought back swiftly, with the commitment of our physicians and staff to be here as the health-care leader for our community. Our main goal is to provide and restore all healthcare services to our community as quickly as possible,” said Terrebonne General President and CEO Phyllis Peoples. “We are strong and proud of what our organization has accomplished in a matter of days and know that we have a responsibility to get back to caring for all of our patients.”
Terrebonne General is offering limited emergency services, with more clinics and medical services expected to come online in the next few weeks.
The Emergency Services Department is located at Terrebonne General’s campus and is open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. No appointment is needed.
A community call line has been established for donations of food or essential items for distribution. Call 873-4357 or visit tghealthsystem.com/giving for details.
Thibodaux Regional Health System
Permanent power was restored to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
More:Permanent power restored at Thibodaux Regional, some city streets
“We appreciate Entergy’s quick response in restoring power to the facility,” said CEO Greg Stock in a social media post. “This further enhances our ability to serve the health-care needs of the region. The commitment, skills and abilities of our staff and physicians during these challenging times have been amazing.”
The health system sustained minimal damage. During the storm, Ida’s strong winds suppressed one of the hospital’s backup generator’s exhaust systems, causing it to overheat, the health system said. The issue was addressed within the first hour and the generator was functional afterward.
Lady of the Sea Hospital
The 20-bed Galliano hospital sustained roof damage as Ida blew through, causing the hospital to close.
The hospital’s medical clinic in Cut Off is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays for walk-in appointments, officials said Tuesday via Facebook. Lab and radiology services are available. No phone service was available.
— Emily Enfinger is a reporter for The Courier and the Daily Comet. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyEnfinger. Email Emily at [email protected].
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