Hunter comments on closure of Avail Hospital
Published 1:54 pm Wednesday, September 27, 2023
- Avail Hospital Lake Charles announced Tuesday in an advertisement in the American Press that it will be permanently closing effective Friday, Sept 29. No reason was given for the closure. When the facility opened at 3730 Nelson Road in 2017,it was billed as Louisiana's first micro-hospital.The 33,000 square-foot facility is located on seven acres of land at 3730 Nelson Road. (Donna Price / American Press)
Avail Hospital Lake Charles announced its closure effective Sept. 29 in an advertisement Tuesday in the American Press.
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter issued a statement regarding the closure saying:
“We are disappointed to learn of the closure of Avail Hospital, but this closure speaks more of the viability of a for profit hospital model than it does of the Lake Charles economy. Since its opening, Avail has operated as a for profit entity, which is different from other local hospitals.
I have personally spoken with the administrations of Lake Charles Memorial Health System and Christus Ochsner Health SWLA, and they have both committed to reaching out to Avail personnel regarding employment opportunities. I am confident, that should these former Avail employees chose to seek employment through one of these other providers, these jobs can be absorbed by our larger healthcare community.
Moving forward, we hope to see the building utilized in some fashion in the near future.”
