In 2013, LSU plans to close its Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge and transfer inpatient care and medical education programs to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, also in Baton Rouge. Before its closure, LSU will downsize the hospital to 10 beds to reduce costs.
When EKL closes, the nearby outpatient surgical center will replace the hospital and house the 10 beds for the general population in addition to five beds for prisoner care. Converting the surgical facility to a small hospital allows LSU to continue receiving funds to operate its EKL-affiliated clinics, because federal funds for the clinics are contingent on an affiliation with a hospital receiving clinic patients, according to the report.
The outpatient surgery center is currently undergoing renovations at a cost of $1.2 million, according to the report. The facility will have four operating suites, two endoscopy suites and imaging services in addition to inpatient capacity.
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