Health care providers announce partnership for vacant north Baton Rouge facility

The long-term vacancy of the New Era Medical Office Complex at Howell Place in north Baton Rouge will soon come to an end, with Oceans Healthcare, Capital Area Human Services, Ochsner Health, and the Louisiana Center for Eyes slated to fill the 76,000-square-foot space.

During a news conference this morning, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome announced a public-private partnership with the four entities, which will provide behavioral health, eye care and primary care services in the facility. 

The commercialization of Howell Place is geared toward increasing access to quality care in north Baton Rouge. It’s expected to create over 100 new jobs, as well as drive commerce in the surrounding area.

In a prepared statement, Broome says her administration has for the past two years been working to solve the 15-year vacancy issue at the complex, which she says has negatively affected Baton Rouge. She worked with New Era Holdings, which owns the facility, to organize and gather occupants for the medical office building. 

Together, Broome and New Era collaborated with the Metro Council to unanimously secure incentives to attract the providers to the facility.

Here’s how it will work:

• Oceans Healthcare, which will create over 85 jobs within the area, will provide inpatient hospital and group therapy outpatient services. Oceans requested a $1.4 million performance-based incentive grant from the Metro Council last year.
• Capital Area Human Services will provide community-based social and mental health services.
• Ochsner Health Clinic will provide primary care services, and is expected to provide services to 10,000 patients within its first year of operation.
• Louisiana Center for Eyes will continue to provide ophthalmology care and retail services. 

Read Daily Report PM for more details about the public-private partnership.

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