Could TRMC, Lady of the Sea merge? Councilmen say study is under way

Whether it is feasible that Thibodaux Regional Medical Center and the short-term care Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Galliano can forge a mutually beneficial partnership is being studied, according to two Lafourche Parish councilmen.

It’s not clear who is conducting the study, though Lady of the Sea’s chief officer said the hospital’s governing board was blindsided when a councilman casually mentioned the seemingly ongoing analysis in an agenda item for Tuesday’s meeting.

“Our councilman has not talked to this hospital about any feasibility study,” said Werner, who announced in March he would retire as CEO on Sept. 30. “We weren’t invited to any meetings. I can’t give you any information on it. … If we’re going to be part of a feasibility study, wouldn’t you think this hospital would be involved?”

Councilman Jerry LaFont, Dist. 8, sponsored a resolution on Tuesday’s parish council agenda that would request the Lady of the Sea board of commissioners to not hire Werner’s replacement until “the ‘Feasibility Study’” on the TRMC-Lady of the Sea partnership “has been completed.”

Results from the meeting were unknown at press time, and LaFont declined comment prior to the meeting.

Media inquiries filed with TRMC seeking confirmation and what the hospital would desire from a partnership were redirected to the parish council.

Councilman Daniel Lorraine, who represents the southernmost portion of Lafourche Parish, said Thibodaux Regional is conducting the study. He added that he would support an agreement that is mutually beneficial.

“If it’s fair and reasonable for both sides, then I think it’s good for the parish,” Lorraine said.

Informal discussions concerning a partnership between the hospitals’ board of directors have been held in the past, but no framework has been laid out and no details agreed upon, said Werner, who also criticized LaFont’s insinuation that the hospital should delay hiring his replacement.

“This delay in getting a CEO for this hospital in the interim before I retire stops this hospital from moving forward, and I just think there hasn’t been much thought put into this,” Werner said.

Because council resolutions lack the force of law, the hospital board could ignore the request.

Still, its inclusion on the agenda has made public what appears to be mutual interest in researching a deal, even if a current inquiry has excluded some involved parties. “A partnership is something that can possibly take place,” Werner said.

The disclosure comes seven years after a similar arrangement was brokered at a Raceland hospital and months after a public-private partnership was announced as a means to save Chabert Medical Center from repeated state funding cuts.

As of now, it’s unclear what terms or results a partnership between two of the three Lafourche Parish hospitals would derive. Any deal would need approval by both hospitals’ governing boards.

Lady of the Sea officials describe the hospital as an acute-care, critical-access facility. Its emergency department aims to stabilize patients in time of crises, then transport them to other area hospitals.

In total, their patients’ average length of stay cannot exceed four days. The hospital has 25 beds and 19 active physicians. Lady of the Sea does not employ specialists.

Because it is the closest health-care center to the blossoming Port Fourchon, Lorraine said the time has come to enhance the hospital so that it can more capably treat emergencies, though this is far from guaranteed even if a deal is struck.

Beefing up its services could also cut down the amount of south Lafourche residents who regularly travel longer distances to other area hospitals for certain treatment.

Councilman Philip Gouaux, an ardent proponent of consolidating the parish’s boards and commissions, expressed trepidation about rushing into a hospital deal.

“The hospital board is, as far as I’m concerned, very complicated and difficult board to bring together,” said Gouaux, who added that he was surprised to hear of the study. “To my knowledge, none of the boards have any knowledge whatsoever of what’s going on here.

“Any consolidation or any joint venture of boards, especially something as complicated as a hospital, we obviously need to make them aware of what we’re trying to do and maybe get some ideas that they may have and bring them into the loop at least.”

When St. Anne General Hospital agreed to a deal with Ochsner Health System in 2006, the Raceland facility’s board of directors maintained control over policy decisions, and a nine-person board – comprised of five Ochsner appointees and four St. Anne appointees – was crafted to oversee day-to-day operations. The agreement was heralded as an opportunity to improve services at St. Anne, reduce the travel time for treatment and infuse the Raceland hospital with much-needed cash.