LC Memorial working on $55M in upgrades
Published 11:06 am Wednesday, March 26, 2014
The Lake Charles Memorial Health System recently started construction on several projects, which over the next three years will amount to $55 million in upgrades.
Memorial will expand and upgrade its Emergency Room as well as expand its Gastroenterology Center. There will also be a new Intensive Care Unit on the 9th floor and new medical office buildings on Nelson Road and at the W.O. Moss Memorial Health Clinic.
“We’re trying to make sure we have the facilities we need to serve the patients well,” said Larry Graham, Chief Executive Officer/President. “This particular group of projects are ensuring that we have more than adequate facilities that make the patient experience better.”
Graham said projects have been accelerated, partly in response to the potential growth in the number of people in Lake Charles with the projected economic boom.
More recently, Graham said there has been a “large increase” in their emergency room volume. The emergency room will be more than doubled in size and will go from 18 to 36 beds with a larger waiting area.
The existing ICU will be refurbished after the second ICU is built.
Once completed, Memorial will have 32 beds as opposed to 21 beds in its medical and surgical ICUs.
“The ICUs will be ultra modern,” he said.
As soon as these projects are completed $115 million will have been spent on upgrades to the Memorial Health System since 2007.
“The future of Lake Charles Memorial is very bright,” he said. “We’re locally owned and have a local board of directors. We’re here for the community.”
Construction on these projects will continue over the next 18 months.
