As it continues to prepare for the closing of its Mid City campus emergency room at the end of this month, Baton Rouge General says it has accelerated outreach efforts in recent weeks to keep patients and the community informed about the transition.
Baton Rouge General Mid City Administrator George Bell says about 60,000 information postcards have been mailed out to Mid City residents, while another 40,000 have gone out to multifamily developments, neighborhoods and businesses in the area.
“Packages of informational tools and resources are also being distributed by our outreach teams to more than 300 area churches, physician offices, businesses, neighborhood associations, schools and other organizations in Mid City,” Bell says in a prepared release. “Additionally, more than 20,000 automated phone messages are expected to reach area residents next week.”
All of the outreach comes as the Louisiana Democracy Project prepares to protest the closure at the Mid City campus this evening. The group is encouraging citizens who disagree with the closure to make signs and march around the facility between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Since the closure was announced last month, Baton Rouge General says it has sent some 4,500 letters and digital messages to church leaders, nonprofit organizations, health care providers, schools, businesses and stakeholders in the Mid City community and beyond. Throughout the hospital campus and physician offices, 7,000 informational flyers and pocket cards have been disseminated to patients, families and visitors.
Though the ER is closing, the Mid City campus is slated to remain open.
“We will be carefully assessing our Mid City operations as we move forward to ensure that we’re meeting our patients’ needs and ensuring the viability of our operations,” says Bell.
As for staffing changes at the Mid City campus, the hospital says that’s unclear at the moment.
“A clear picture of the number of positions that will ultimately be impacted will not be known for some time,” reads a news release. “Approximately 100 previously vacant positions have not been filled, and with anticipated increases in volume at [the Baton Rouge General] Bluebonnet [campus] and the recent addition of two patient care floors at that campus, the hospital has added 150 clinical positions at that location and continues to expand nursing opportunities.”
Baton Rouge general is providing updates on the Mid City ER closure and transition online. Also, be sure to check out the new Business Report cover package on the ER closure. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
