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With one major expansion project complete, officials at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center are now working to change the game again.
The hospital’s Wellness Center has been open since 2016 — a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that has exceeded the hospital’s lofty expectations, while changing the lives of thousands locally.
At press-time, the Wellness Center has had more than one million visitors utilize the services within the center and its Fitness Center has more than 5,500 members.
Construction is beginning on Phase 2 of the Wellness Center. Phase 2 will feature tennis, courts, sand volleyball courts, a multi-use field, walking tracks and more. The expansion will provide even more opportunities for people to improve their health and overall well-being. With that facility moving along, Thibodaux Regional also has eyes for more, including announced plans for a new state-of-the-art cancer center, which will encompass close to 100,000 square feet .
The center, when opened, will have all of the best technologies in the ever-changing world of medicine.
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center CEO Greg Stock said, once complete, the new Cancer Institute will afford people more opportunity to seek their cancer treatments locally, instead of having to go out of town — or even out of state — while recovering from the disease.
“We know that there are people who seek treatment at facilities out of state and we want people to know that we understand the decisions that people have to make,” Stock said. “But we also want them to know that our commitment is to the best care for patients. There are a lot of things that go into cancer care and a lot of people are affected — the patient, their families and it’s a life-changing experience for everyone. Our Cancer Institute will have the latest technologies and we will do our best to make sure that this difficult time is as manageable as it can be for those who are in need.”
The growth occurring at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center’s campus is amazing given the hospital’s modest roots. In 1930, St. Joseph’s Hospital was formed — a church-run facility that was operated by the nuns of the church.
In 1953, St. Joseph’s Hospital got a 40-bed facility. That building was added onto and renovated several times, but by 1975, there was just not enough space to fit the needs of the community.
So Thibodaux General Hospital opened its doors — a 101-bed facility that sits on the hospital’s current campus grounds on 602 North Acadia Road. Since that time, the hospital has continued to grow and expand— currently a 180-bed regional medical center with more than 1,300 employees and more than 250 physicians on its medical staff.
The Wellness Center marks Thibodaux Regional’s continued push to provide high quality compassionate care. Stock said the Wellness Center’s opening has been one of the most fulfilling things he’s ever seen in his career as a medical professional.He points to the thousands of lives that have been made healthier by the center as proof that the facility is working.
“There are people who have lost 115 pounds or 150 pounds in some cases,” Stock said. “In other cases, there are people who have lost just 20 pounds, but their blood pressure has gone down and they’re off their medications. There are people who are walking 3 miles a week who could hardly walk across the room. There are people who are walking across the room who couldn’t get out of bed. It’s just amazing. This Wellness Center is giving people their lives back. It’s the greatest thing to see.”
And the Cancer Center hopes to keep the momentum rolling — literally aiming to save lives.
Thibodaux Regional Board Chairman Jacob Giardina said cancer is a disease that affects every family in the country — either directly or indirectly.
The idea for the center is several years in the making, according to Giardina who said lots of thought went into Thibodaux Regional’s planning to make sure that the facility would be state-of-the-art amidst rapid changes in medical technology.
Those aren’t just idle words. Thibodaux Regional backs those up with hardware. The hospital has achieved its 12th straight Heathgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award — an honor which goes to only the top 5 percent of hospitals in the United States for patient experience and satisfaction.
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center is the only hospital in Louisiana to enjoy that level of sustained longevity.
“We are always striving to be better for our patients,” Stock said. “Any way that we can do more for them, we’ll explore it and look to achieve it.” •
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
