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August 17, 2010Back-to-school road safety tips for children and parents
August 19, 2010Thibodaux Regional Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 10 to announce the completion and grand opening of the South Hospital Project, the third phase of a five-year, multi-phase expansion and renovation project.
Thibodaux Regional CEO Greg Stock led the ceremony, which included comments from Thibodaux Mayor Charles Caillouet, Chief of Medical Staff Greg Chiasson and Emergency Department Medical Director Michael Owens, among others.
“Our focus on having the best possible facilities as well as state-of-the-art technology, further exemplifies our commitment to the community, provision of quality health care and to the people of the Bayou Region,” Stock said.
The 60,000-square-foot renovation tripled the size of the emergency department and doubled the size of the kitchen and dining facility.
“I remember wondering when we were going to upgrade our facilities,” Owens said. “About the same time, I was wondering when the Saints were going to make it to the Super Bowl.”
The facilities were upgraded with the intent to meet patient needs and improve their quality of stay, but a lot of the focus was also put on the patients’ families.
The main entranceway is easily noticeable and the dining area “includes the most modern food preparation and serving areas available,” according to a hospital press release.
In an era when many hospitals around the country are in debt, Thibodaux Regional has prospered.
“Not only have they survived, but they’ve thrived,” said John Mattessino, president and CEO of the Louisiana Hospital Association.
Rather than cut back their spending, the hospital expanded without help from taxpayer money.
“We have incurred no debt throughout this entire $100 million expansion and renovation project,” said Jacob Giardina, chairman of the TRMC’s board of commissioners. “All phases were funded through hospital operations and no taxpayer assistance was required.”
David Rhodes started the ceremony with “God Bless America,” which drew two rounds of applause from the guests. Cameron Belding impressed the crowd on the piano as an intermission to the presentation, and Rhodes finished concluded with “You Raise Me Up.”
Past expansion phases included the construction of an ambulatory surgery center and parking garage and the North Hospital Project, which was the construction of a patient tower, heart and vascular center and women’s center as well as upgrades to the central plant, medical records department and clinical laboratory.
