University Hospital, most recently called Interim LSU Hospital (ILH), was a

teaching hospital A teaching hospital or university hospital is a hospital or medical center that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities a ...

located in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. It closed on August 1, 2015, when all patients were moved to

University Medical Center New Orleans University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO) is a 446-bed non-profit, public, research and academic hospital located in the Tulane - Gravier neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, providing tertiary care for the southern Louisiana region and ...

. University Hospital was previously known as

Hôtel-Dieu In French-speaking countries, a hôtel-Dieu () was originally a hospital for the poor and needy, run by the Catholic Church. Nowadays these buildings or institutions have either kept their function as a hospital, the one in Paris being the oldest an ...

Organization

University Hospital was one of several

s in the state of

administered by the

Louisiana State University System The Louisiana State University System is a system of public colleges and universities in Louisiana. It is budgetarily the largest public university system in the state. William F. Tate IV is president of the LSU system, and also serves as chance ...

. In December 2012, it was announced that LSU Health Systems would transfer the management of ILH to Louisiana Children's Medical Center, a non-profit corporation that manages Children's Hospital and Touro Infirmary. The plan also called for LCMC Health to acquire University Medical Center Management Corporation (UMCMC), a non profit corporation originally established to manage and operate the University Medical Center, a $1.1 billion facility that opened on August 1, 2015. ILH's transition from public to private management took place in June 2013. The hospital is located in the New Orleans Hospital District. It is adjacent to the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The address is 2021 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112–1352.

History

University Hospital opened as Hôtel-Dieu (French for House of God) in 1859 and was operated by the Daughters of Charity. In 1913, it was the first hospital in the United States to have air conditioning in its surgical suites, and it was the site of milestone medical research that developed sulfonamide drug treatment for meningitis in the 1940s. The hospital developed a relationship with LSU Health Sciences Center in the 1970s and 1980s. It was purchased by the

in 1991, renamed and converted into a teaching hospital for the adjacent medical school, which it also oversaw. University Hospital postKatrina New Orleans

University Hospital postKatrina New Orleans

In August 2005, like its sister hospital, Charity Hospital and most of the city, University Hospital sustained severe flood damage during

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

, and its patients were evacuated by boat and helicopter after the storm. In addition to the flood damage to the structure itself, the significant flooding caused the emergency generators to become submerged (as a result of being on the first floor), eventually becoming inundated with floodwater and failing. Another substantial impact caused by the overwhelming flood waters was the devastation to the sewage system. As those employed by the hospital attempted to successfully care for patients while dealing with limited supplies and manpower, the sewage system eventually failed, exposing all occupants of the hospital to potential diseases and illnesses. However, the hospital was extensively renovated and reopened November 20, 2006. Although staff shortages and other limitations originally only allowed for a capacity of 85 out of 575 beds, the reopening was seen by many as a turning point for

, having had a severe shortage of emergency care since Katrina. In October 2009, University, with the closure of Charity Hospital, was designated the city's new Level I trauma center, named "Spirit of Charity", and alleviated West Jefferson Medical Center and

East Jefferson General Hospital East Jefferson General Hospital is a hospital in Metairie, Louisiana (U.S.). The hospital broke ground in 1965 and is still expanding. The facility serves the people of the East Bank of Jefferson Parish. History In 1965, the Jefferson Parish ...

, which had been serving as the trauma centers up until then. As of 2014, the hospital is operating at 235 staffed beds. The successor of Charity Hospital following Hurricane Katrina, Interim LSU Hospital was the main teaching hospital for LSU Health Sciences Center and was the only hospital in south Louisiana certified as a

Level I Trauma Center A trauma center, or trauma centre, is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major trauma, major traumatic injuries such as Falling (accident), falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. The term "tra ...

by the

American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a professional medical association for surgeons and surgical team members, founded in 1913. It claims more than 90,000 members in 144 countries. History The ACS was founded in 1913 as an outgrowth of ...

. Interim LSU Hospital was closed on August 1, 2015, with all patients and services being moved to the newly built

References

External links

ILH Official Website.
{{coord, 29.9566, N, 90.0851, W, display=title Defunct hospitals in Louisiana Hospitals disestablished in 2015 Hospitals established in 1859 Teaching hospitals in Louisiana Louisiana State University System Tulane University Hospitals in New Orleans 1859 establishments in Louisiana 2015 disestablishments in Louisiana

Organization

History

See also

References

External links