Now that Baton Rouge General Medical Center’s Mid City campus emergency room is officially closed—doors were shut for the last time at 7 this morning—hospital officials say the effort to transition employees to its campus on Bluebonnet Boulevard has begun.
“Over the coming days, employees and physicians housed at the Mid City ER will transition to the Bluebonnet campus. In addition, a logistics team has been established to assess equipment, medications and supplies and to recirculate to other areas of the health system,” the hospital says in a prepared release issued shortly after this morning’s closure.
Despite the closure, Baton Rouge General says a dozen patients are still being cared for by clinical teams at the Mid City ER. They’ll remain at the facility until they’re ready to be discharged or transferred, the hospital says.
The hospital has accelerated outreach efforts in recent weeks to keep patients and the community informed about the closure. Over that span, hospital officials say they’ve seen about a 10% decrease in ER volume at Mid City.
Other hospitals in the Baton Rouge area are also gearing up for the expected uptick in ER visits now that the Mid City facility has closed. As Business Report detailed in its recent cover story on the closure and its impact on the community, Our Lady of the Lake officials say they expect daily patient load in its ER to increase by about 11%. Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary could see up to 10% more patients in its ER, according to data it provided to the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services.
Other area hospitals with ER departments are also preparing for the closing and say they can expand their capacity if needed.
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