Jefferson Parish voters approve LCMC Health's acquisition of East Jefferson General Hospital

The partnership provides financial stability and protects access to high-quality healthcare in Jefferson Parish

NEW ORLEANS – (Aug. 15, 2020) – Today, the citizens of the East Bank of Jefferson Parish voted to approve LCMC Health’s acquisition of East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH). Residents of the East Bank of Jefferson Parish will continue to have access to their health care teams and the high level of care they have come to expect. In addition to continuity of care, EJGH’s partnership with LCMC Health will preserve the jobs of nearly 3,000 dedicated health care workers and infuse $100 million in investments.

“The voters on the East Bank showed their support of our doctors and team members at EJGH today. Their decision paves the way for saving their hospital and putting it on a path to provide great healthcare to our community for decades to come. We needed the voters to make this happen and we thank them for standing with us,” said Gerald Parton, EJGH President, and CEO.

As of 9:00 p.m., the EJGH agreement generated 95 percent support among East Bank voters with more votes to be counted.

“LCMC Health is incredibly excited for the opportunity to bring East Jefferson General Hospital into our family of hospitals,” said Greg Feirn, LCMC Health CEO. “With the public’s vote to approve our partnership, the Jefferson Parish community will continue to receive extraordinary healthcare through East Jefferson’s dedicated team of physicians and staff.”

“Today, the voters of Jefferson Parish made it clear that they want East Jefferson General Hospital to continue its longstanding legacy of caring for our community,” said Jefferson Parish Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken, whose district includes EJGH. “EJGH’s future is sure to be stronger than ever now that it has joined LCMC Health’s network of hospitals.”

“Now more than ever, we need our local hospitals and I’m so glad that the residents of Jefferson Parish voted to approve the sale of East Jefferson General Hospital to LCMC Health,” said Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “This vote was very critical to the hospital’s future success. We all want East Jefferson General Hospital to thrive because it is a very beloved institution for many of us in Jefferson Parish. It is very difficult financially to be a stand-alone hospital so now EJGH will be part of a larger system with LCMC Health and will have access to more resources, in addition to $100 million in investments over the next five years.”

EJGH will now become part of LCMC Health’s system, which includes Children’s Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, and West Jefferson Medical Center. The partnership gives patients, doctors, and staff access to LCMC Health’s extensive network of services and resources while offering patients the opportunity to continue to see their regular care teams and physicians.

A key element of the partnership includes the preservation of the patient-to-trusted-doctor relationships in a facility close to home, across a wide variety of services. Both organizations will continue to carry out their not-for-profit missions of treating every person in the region like family, by providing them with access to the best possible health care.

Support for the sale of EJGH to LCMC Health was widely spread across Jefferson Parish and the Greater New Orleans region, with numerous groups, organizations, and public officials publicly supporting the agreement, including:

• The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate
• Gambit Weekly
• The Jefferson Chamber
• Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO)
• Jefferson Community Foundation
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• GNO, Inc.
• Civic League of East Jefferson, Board of Directors
• Jefferson Parish Council
• Sheriff Joseph Lopinto
• Jefferson Parish Assessor Thomas Capella

The support of these local groups, organizations, and individuals for EJGH and LCMC Health’s partnership was critical in informing the public about the election and helped make the acquisition a reality.

With the approval of Jefferson Parish voters, EJGH and LCMC Health will work together to finalize the partnership in the coming weeks.