The operator of two north Louisiana safety net hospitals wants to partner with Ochsner Health System in a bid to preserve its contract with the state, The USA Today Network of Louisiana reports.
BRF—formerly Biomedical Research Foundation—holds the state contract to operate charity hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe.
But Gov. John Bel Edwards has sought to terminate the BRF’s contract because the foundation filed an antitrust lawsuit against Willis Knighton Health System, the largest hospital provider in northwest Louisiana. The foundation also has repeatedly been at odds with LSU, which operates the medical school in Shreveport.
But on Tuesday, Edwards facilitated preliminary discussions with BRF and Ochsner at the State Capitol. The goal: strengthen the foundation’s financial position and stabilize the relationship between BRF and LSU.
