Since 1949, people across the Lafayette region have relied on Our Lady of Lourdes Health to meet their physical needs in a way that also nourishes their spiritual health. As the region celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, that mission continues across a broader footprint than ever as their leadership team and team members continue to bring the best medical treatments to Acadiana and help people stay close to home.
Our Lady of Lourdes Health has grown tremendously since its original opening. Today, it encompasses a regional medical center on Ambassador Caffery Parkway, as well as specialized centers that focus on cancer care and burn treatment. Over the past 15 years, Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Heart Hospital have joined the system. There are also clinics in multiple local communities, as well as ones that are strategically located to serve under-resourced populations. More than 3,000 employees now work for Our Lady of Lourdes, touching hundreds of lives each day.
“We are healing people not only physically, but also spiritually, psychologically and emotionally. It’s about complete care for people, from birth to end of life,” says Sister Uyen Vu, Franciscan services coordinator. “God has allowed us to embrace the whole spectrum of healthcare. That is a blessing. I can feel the Holy Spirit throughout this place.”
Rob Tasman, regional vice president of mission integration and formation, says that work begins with collaboration among clinical leaders, physicians and administrators about the best ways to deliver high-quality care to patients. That may mean investing in state-of-the-art medical equipment and training on the latest innovations to treat different conditions. Other times, it may mean taking team member feedback into account when they recommend new processes or procedures that can lead to better health outcomes.
“They are the ones who are the founts of knowledge and in the best position to make those recommendations to us,” Tasman says. “By listening to them, we have achieved some major accomplishments for the betterment of patient care. There is no class system or hierarchy here. Everybody brings value and deserves to have their input heard.”
Exceptional Healthcare Achievements
That teamwork has helped Lourdes reach many notable healthcare achievements in recent years. It has earned the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Certification for excellence in oncology care; consecutive ‘A’ grades from the Leapfrog Group for patient safety; national recognition for advanced cardiac care with procedures like transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TCAR) and transcarotid artery revascularization; Acadiana’s only Level III Surgical NICU; one of America’s Best Maternity Hospital for two consecutive years, and more.
“Our physicians are so humble, and that is part of the beauty of the care they provide,” Sister Vu says. “When patients see the collaboration and respect between the doctors and other team members, they feel blessed. They see the openness and feel confident in the care they are receiving.”
Spiritual Care for All
Since Lourdes is a nonprofit Catholic organization, there is a religious component to much of its work. A large chapel on the first floor of the main hospital hosts Mass six days a week and a special Healing Mass on the first Friday of every month. Priests and chaplains, who are part of the Our Lady of Lourdes pastoral care team, visit with patients, their families and the team each day. Patients can receive sacraments if they choose to do so, or simply have someone pray with them. However, patients do not have to be Catholic to receive care at Lourdes. In fact, the hospital treats hundreds of people of other faith backgrounds, as well as people who do not identify with a religion.
“At its heart, Catholic means universal. We embrace that by telling people to come as you are, whoever you are, and we seek to take care of you physically and spiritually,” Tasman says. “If a patient from another world religion comes to us, we can seek out someone in the community of their faith to minister to them. Part of our mission is to pursue all of our work with the spirit of healing. That means physically, but it may also take the shape of ministering to your spiritual side so you can have a sense of peace, tranquility and ease about the situation. We consider that to be powerful.”
Sister Vu says spiritual guidance is also offered to all employees and can easily translate into positive patient interactions.
“I believe that when team members are at peace within themselves, that peace will flow out through them to the patients,” she says. “It’s such a privilege for me to be a part of that work.”
Still Growing
As the Lourdes team looks to Year 76 and beyond, plans are already in place to enhance its Acadiana presence and meet ever-growing needs. Earlier this year, the system announced that it will invest nearly $100 million across all of its campuses over the next three years through construction projects, technological advancements and process enhancements. The first portion of these investments is the Advancing Acadiana plan at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital, an extensive renovation and expansion strategy that will include a NICU with family suites, a more modernized labor and delivery experience, a new Mother Baby unit, a new chapel, and other improvements.
Tasman said Lourdes is also working closely with other organizations in the community to address mental health and housing needs, which continue to grow across the Lafayette area.
“We know the problem is there and we want to see if we can be part of the solution,” he says. “It falls directly into our goal of being a comprehensive and sophisticated health system.”
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital opened on Aug. 1, 1949, under Sister Marie Brendan Donegan as a subsidiary of St. Francis Hospital in Monroe. In 1957, it became independent, and numerous Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady Sisters have since helped it become a leading healthcare provider in Acadiana. Today, Our Lady of Lourdes Health includes three hospital campuses, a free-standing emergency room in Scott and more than 70 clinics and outpatient centers..
