LSU School of Medicine considers options for resident training

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By Anna Heumann

The future of LSU's School of Medicine, currently located in New Orleans, has been the subject of rumors and confusion. Recently, there has been much speculation about relocating some of LSU's med school operations from New Orleans to Baton Rouge - speculation that was, in part, fuelled by an ad by the Louisiana Health Sciences Center Foundation. As a result, renewed concerns leave many faculty and residents unsure about their jobs, homes and stability if LSU does move its medical, nursing, allied health programs, graduate studies and basic science training and research labs of out of New Orleans.

Hurricanes and an aging infrastructure have taken down both of the major state run hospitals: Charity Hospital in New Orleans and Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge. The inability of the hospitals to facilitate resident training is creating speculation that LSU medical students and faculty in New Orleans may have to relocate north to the capital city.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina created the first push to move the LSU Medical School out of New Orleans to Baton Rouge. However, during Hurricane Gustav, it was discovered that Earl K. Long lacked up-to-date hospital technology and infrastructure, prompting an evacuation of many patients to private hospitals in New Orleans.

Dr. Larry H. Hollier, chancellor of the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, recently told Tiger Weekly that he will continue "to dismiss these attempts to move" from New Orleans.

"It simply is not feasible to move the schools; it would be massively expensive to try to duplicate our buildings, research labs, etcetera in Baton Rouge," said Hollier, who claims he will continue to fight any attempts to relocate the LSU School of Medicine.

However, Hollier's voice can be heard narrating the aforementioned LSU foundation advertisement, which hints at the possibility of a relocation for at least some of LSU's med school operations.

House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, reiterated Hollier's position that the LSU Medical School is staying put. "LSU is going no place. They have a billion dollars worth of infrastructure" in New Orleans, Tucker told the Times Picayune in an interview.

According to Hollier, the central concern in the matter is an issue of cost effectiveness and excellence.

"We all recognize that to remain a truly competitive school of medicine, we need a major teaching hospital in New Orleans" said Hollier.

The discussion over how, where and if Charity Hospital should be rebuilt in New Orleans has prompted LSU Medical School officials to look elsewhere for students' residencies. No matter what plan is created to rebuild Charity Hospital, having enough beds to meet the needs for LSU training residents will continue to be an issue.

LSU has already announced its plans to close Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge. The patients previously seen at Earl K. Long and the medical training components of that facility will be moved to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, a private hospital in the area.

According to the Advocate, K. Scott Wester, OLOL chief executive officer, described the collaboration between the Lake and LSU as "the right relationship at the right time."

In addition, LSU residents will be assigned to various clinics in Baton Rouge for outpatient work.

Patients who qualified under private health care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or Disproportionate Share and were previously tended to by LSU Medical School students should still receive the same health care under the OLOL collaboration with LSU.

At this time, the fate and future home of LSU's med school operations are still undecided. However, it is evident that building a new complex in Baton Rouge instead of New Orleans would be a drastic change, but there may be no other option if New Orleans cannot provide an adequate teaching facility for resident training. If relocation does occur, it could potentially endanger the School of Medicine's centralization in New Orleans and force many faculty and student residents to relocate.

Although rumors of relocation are rampant, Hollier has dismissed much of the speculation and insists that the LSU health system will undergo "regionalization not relocation."

Originally Published: Issue 804 - June 17, 2009

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