Our Lady of the Lake Health to Launch $55 Million Emergency Department Renovation
August 18, 2025
Multi-phase project will transform and enhance the region’s only Level I Trauma Center
BATON ROUGE, LA — Today, Our Lady of the Lake Health announced a transformative $55 million renovation of its Emergency Department, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, designed to expand capacity, integrate advanced technology, and improve the patient and caregiver experience. The renovation, set to begin in Fall 2025, will take place in three strategic phases to minimize disruption to care. Throughout the renovation, the Emergency Department will remain fully operational 24/7.
“Our mission is rooted in serving this community with compassion and excellence,” said Chuck Spicer, president of Our Lady of the Lake Health. “This renovation project builds on that promise and begins to elevate and enhance our physical facility to the level of clinical excellence our team members and physicians provide in the delivery of emergency care every day.”
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department serves as a central hub for high-acuity, time-sensitive care across South Louisiana, supporting rural communities, EMS partners, and mass casualty responses. The renovation, designed by Perkins&Will in collaboration with Louisiana State University interior design students, will feature:
- 20 additional expanded treatment spaces to reduce wait times
- Enhanced patient flow for faster triage and interventions
- State-of-the-art diagnostic technologies
- A design centered on comfort, privacy, and healing
“This project is a pivotal step in our health system’s strategic plan to modernize facilities, expand capabilities, and elevate emergency care across our region,” said E.J. Kuiper, President and CEO of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health, the parent organization of Our Lady of the Lake. “It’s a commitment to our mission and ensures that when every second matters, our community receives the highest level of care in a space built for healing, innovation, and compassion.”
A comprehensive signage and wayfinding plan, along with on-site support and complementary valet parking, will help patients and families navigate the facility during construction.
“As the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, and the state’s busiest Emergency Department, we see some of the most complex and time-sensitive cases from across South Louisiana,” said Mark Laperouse, MD, Medical Director of Emergency Services at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. “This renovation is designed to give our physicians, nurses, and care teams the environment and tools they need to deliver rapid, highly coordinated care, while ensuring patients and families feel supported every step of the way.”
The renovated Emergency Department will also serve as a premier academic space for training future physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals, further cementing Our Lady of the Lake Health’s role as a destination for clinical excellence and innovation.
For more information about Our Lady of the Lake Health’s Emergency Department renovation, visit ololrmc.com/renovations.
About Our Lady of the Lake Health
Our Lady of the Lake Health is a not-for-profit Catholic healthcare ministry based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with more than 7,500 employees committed to serving the Capital Region and building a healthy community through excellence in patient care and education. With an 800-bed Regional Medical Center, a dedicated Children’s Hospital, a 78-bed hospital in Gonzales, Louisiana, two freestanding emergency rooms in outlying parishes, and a 600+ provider Physician Group, Our Lady of the Lake Health provides comprehensive healthcare services for common to complex conditions. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a primary teaching site for graduate medical education programs in partnership with LSU, and is recognized in the areas of heart and vascular, trauma and emergency care, stroke, cancer care, minimally invasive procedures, and more. Our Lady of the Lake is part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and is driven by its mission to serve all God’s people, especially those most in need. For more information, visit ololrmc.com.
About the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System
The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System is one of the largest healthcare systems based in Louisiana and is the leading healthcare provider for more than half the state’s population. The health system is a non-profit, Catholic organization sponsored by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the ministry serves patients in Louisiana and Mississippi through a network of hospitals, clinics, physicians and integrated health systems. The health system’s unified physician organization is comprised of more than 1,100 adult and pediatric primary care physicians and specialists. The system’s nine main campus hospitals include St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and Gonzales, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Heart Hospital, and Women's & Children's Hospital in Lafayette, Our Lady of the Angels in Bogalusa, and St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. For more information, visit fmolhs.org.