LGH extends its services at LaSalle Family Medicine Clinic (LFMC), a rural health clinic just across Ninth Street from the hospital. Walk-ins are welcomed at LFMC by select providers based on availability. Physicals and routine medical office visits are available by appointment by calling 318992-6311. LGH’s active medical staff includes: David Barnard, MD, Hospital Medicine; Richard Blanchard, MD, Pathology; Ilyas Chaudhry, MD, Cardiology; John Clark, MD, Pediatrics; William D. Crenshaw, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery; Mathew Erickson, MD, Family Medicine; Blake Henchcliffe, MD, Psychiatric Medicine; Padam Hirachan, MD, FASN, FACP, Nephrology; Josh Holstead, MD, Urology; J. Derek Johnson, MD, Family Medicine; Robert Kendrick, MD (Retired), Family Medicine; Joseph Landreneau, MD, Cardiology; Bruce E. Rayburn, MD, General Surgery; Dave Rayburn, MD, General Surgery; James Rush, MD, Psychiatric Medicine; and Khaldoun Soudan, MD, Nephrology. Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant medical staff consists of Clint Cooksey, APRN, FNP-C; Lauri Haller, APRN, PMHNP-BC; Jeanne Harrison, APRN, FNP-C; Dwayne Jeter, APRN, FNP-C; Kristen Johnson, APRN, FNP-C; Kathy D. Lambeth, APRN, FNP-C; Robbie Marcantel, PA-C ; Kulvinder “Rocky” Singh, APRN, FNP-C; Marsha M. Stapleton, APRN, PMHNP-BC; Allison K. Stelly, APRN, FNP-C, and Suzanne Yaws, APRN, PMHNP-BC.

Specialty clinics are available at LFMC including Cardiology (Suite D), Family Practice (Suites B, C, H, & J), Mental Health (Suite F), Nephrology (Suite F), Pediatrics (Suite A), Surgery (Suite D), and Urology (Suite F). The landscape of healthcare has required the world of medicine to adapt its delivery to those in need in numerous ways. Adjusting to the ever- changing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, LFMC continued its commitment to patient safety in a variety of ways over the last years. By having utilized one, centralized entrance to LFMC, we were able to monitor and limit unnecessary exposure while screening all traffic entering the building. LFMC also encouraged patients to wait in their vehicles until called to see their specialist throughout most 2020 and into 2021 whenever weather permitted, and many times patients were actually seen and treated in their own vehicles. To adapt to the ever-changing healthcare landscape brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients took advantage of LFMC’s expanded Telemedicine Services, a practice that began at LGH over a decade ago. Through this avenue of expansion, the healthcare needs of patients are no longer limited to a face-to-face office visit. Though the traditional face-to-face visit is still the gold standard and the best choice for most patient needs, the ongoing medium of Telemedicine has helped to meet patients in their homes when necessary. Remaining ever mindful of the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, LFMC is proud to have entrances to our clinic fully functional and open once again.

A number of LFMC’s medical staff members are certified to perform Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) physicals as required by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Those in need of this specialized service may call 318-992-6311 for appointments. A wide range of laboratory and radiology services can be obtained at LFMC located in Suite G. The Diagnostic Center at LFMC also offers 3-D Mammograms to patients, once again preventing lengthy travel to obtain cutting-edge medicine – right here at home.

LaSalle General Hospital added LaSalle Employer Solutions to its line-up of services in 2019. Dr. Mathew Erickson, Kathy D. Lambeth, APRN, FNP-C, and Julius Lovasz, LPN oversee and manage LGH Employer Solutions and its clientele. This discipline has gone by various industry names across the country such as Occupational Health, Environmental Health, and Industrial Health. LGH’s industrial health clinic offers comprehensive, medical care for those with work-related injuries and/or illnesses as well as preventive services. One of the goals of LaSalle Employers Solutions is to help employers control costs by keeping employees healthy and productive. Some of the services that are available at LaSalle Employer Solutions include but are not limited to: Drug and alcohol screening for new or continued employment; DOT Physicals; Fit-for-Duty Physicals; FoxForm services; Health screening for employees;

Injury care, including crush injuries, head injuries, cuts, burns, etc.; Laboratory work, including blood testing; OSHA Questionnaires; Pre-Employment Physicals; Post-accident screening and testing; Pulmonary Function Testing and more.

LaSalle Employer Solutions continues to grow as this entity meets the needs of companies both locally, across Louisiana, and from out of state. Please call 318992-9238 to plan appointments, to arrange company visits in our office, or to arrange onsite services when available. LaSalle Employer Solutions is located in the Physician Office Building directly behind LGH at 155 Ninth Street, Suite C – right next door to LaSalle Nursing Home. Just look for the big LGH Employer Solutions sign on the end of the building.

LGH operates La-Salle Parish Ambulance Service (LPAS) that is staffed and available to the residents of LaSalle Parish 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. LPAS maintains up-to-date equipment, training, and certifications. All trucks include EMT-Paramedics skilled in Basic, Advanced Cardiac, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support through the American Heart Association. If a situation arises that requires emergency medical services, LPAS can be easily dispatched by simply dialing 911. LaSalle Ambulance offers a rich past coupled with the necessary life-saving equipment and skills needed for today’s busy world as we move into the future of first-response healthcare.

In 2016, LGH opened LaSalle Senior Behavioral Health Unit. As this unit looks to begin its eighth year of operation, LGH has expanded and transitioned into LaSalle Behavioral Health Unit (LBHU) providing specialized care to adults 21 years of age and over. LBHU, located on the first floor of LGH, is a joint venture with Sunrise Heathcare Management. During the spring season of 2021, LBHU began an additional renovation/remodeling project to separate the Adult and Senior Adult sections of this unit and is now accepting younger, Adult-population patients. While offering a variety of services, LBHU is designed for adults experiencing mental, emotional, or behavioral complications and can simultaneously accommodate patients that require additional medical services. Our Program Director, Christina Pennington, RN and her interdisciplinary team, stand ready to assist patients and family in times of need. During a stay with our LBHU, patients find compassion, integrity, and quality – care that is customary at LGH. If you or your loved one feels that behavioral health therapy may be a service that could be of assistance, please call our referral line at 318992-9140 or 318-9929200 for inquiries.

In 2016, LGH opened LaSalle Senior Behavioral Health Unit. As this unit looks to begin its eighth year of operation, LGH has expanded and transitioned into LaSalle Behavioral Health Unit (LBHU) providing specialized care to adults 21 years of age and over. LBHU, located on the first floor of LGH, is a joint venture with Sunrise Heathcare Management. During the spring season of 2021, LBHU began an additional renovation/remodeling project to separate the Adult and Senior Adult sections of this unit and is now accepting younger, Adult-population patients. While offering a variety of services, LBHU is designed for adults experiencing mental, emotional, or behavioral complications and can simultaneously accommodate patients that require additional medical services. Our Program Director, Christina Pennington, RN and her interdisciplinary team, stand ready to assist patients and family in times of need. During a stay with our LBHU, patients find compassion, integrity, and quality – care that is customary at LGH. If you or your loved one feels that behavioral health therapy may be a service that could be of assistance, please call our referral line at 318992-9140 or 318-9929200 for inquiries.

Celebrating five years of operation this July, New Vision™ at LGH is staffed by Desirae Hinze-Bruce, Substance Abuse Service Coordinator and Sharon Greiner, Substance Abuse Intake Coordinator. New Vision™ at LGH is medical stabilization and withdrawal management that occurs as a hospital-based service for adults experiencing impending or active withdrawal from alcohol, prescription medications, and/or other drugs. Generally, patients are qualified by a licensed physician and are admitted to the hospital for a short, in-patient stay typically lasting 3-5 days. New Vision™ at LGH medical stabilization service breaks through the pain caused by substance abuse withdrawal symptoms in a confidential, hospital environment under the supervision of a knowledgeable, medical director and competent, compassionate nursing staff.

Home health care has been part of the LGH framework for more than four decades. We have enjoyed, and we continue to value, the invitation to deliver healthcare in your home. With an order by a licensed physician, La-Salle Home Health staff can offer and facilitate a wide assortment of services in the comfort of your home. These services include Skilled Nursing Care, Certified Nursing Assistants, medication teaching/education, pain management, intravenous therapy, nutritional support, wound care, Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies, as well as necessary medical equipment arrangement and more. Home health services are available for all ages, even newborn babies! If you are in need of home health services, please call LaSalle Home Health Director, Jennifer L. Decker, RN with any question at 318-9929250 or 318-992-9200.

LaSalle Therapies & Fitness is located at 212 Ninth Street where we provide exemplary therapy services for all ages. Lead by Director of Therapies Amanda Price Parker, MS, CCC-SLP, our team of highly qualified therapists and staff members stand ready to meet all of your therapy needs. Physical Therapy can include, but is not limited to, therapeutic exercise, cardiovascular endurance training, dry needling, mobility training, modalities to reduce pain, and much more. Occupational Therapy focuses on maximizing the patient’s ability to participate in life independently whether at home or in a medical facility. Speech Therapy encompasses evaluation, treatment, and prevention of communication difficulties in addition to advanced swallowing evaluation and therapies following Bell’s Palsy. Talk to your medical professional team about Physical, Occupational, or Speech Therapy and how it may benefit you or your loved one. LGH Therapies & Fitness can be reached at 318-992-9270 or 318992-9200.

The wide range of fitness equipment used by our Therapists can also be utilized by those who are members of our Fitness Center. If you would like to become a member of the LGH Fitness Center, please call 318-9929270 for our reasonable rates, go to website at www.lasallegeneralhospital. com , or check us out on Facebook. Currently our Fitness Center is open to the public 6 days a week.

Signs of growth and progress continue at LGH as we have recently completed renovations of the Emergency Room / Admitting Department. These renovations include a new, main entrance to LGH, new Admitting lobby, increased security measures, and a new Emergency Department room with negative pressure capabilities. The LGH Auxiliary Gift Shop and LGH Chapel have each been relocated to this new area during the latest renovation projects, and other modern touches have been added throughout visitor flow areas that includes the addition of a new meeting room, new paint colors, new directional signage, new artwork featuring LaSalle and surrounding areas, and an LGH timeline. Upgrades to second floor patient rooms have expanded into C-wing being equipped with eight (8) negative-pressure rooms and the ability to close off the wing for isolation use when needed. The past year has also brought with it new upgrades to our Central-Sterile Supply, LaSalle Behavioral Health Unit, Laboratory, Cardiopulmonary Services (Respiratory), Radiology, Pharmacy, the exterior of the hospital building, and the re-paving of the Emergency / Admitting parking lot.

While any construction can be inconvenient for patient care and staff, your patience is appreciated as we continue developments and improvements in the patient rooms and additional changes throughout the campus. We maintain a renewed confidence that these changes will make LGH a better place for our Patients, Visitors, and Employees for many years to come.

Currently, there are approximately 350 employees staffed at La-Salle General Hospital, LaSalle Family Medicine Clinic, LaSalle Home Heath, LaSalle Therapies & Fitness, LGH Employer Solutions, LaSalle Behavioral Health Unit, New Vision™ at LGH, and LaSalle Parish Ambulance Service who are dedicated, prepared, and eager to serve the needs of the people of LaSalle parish and the surrounding areas. Our team of qualified, compassionate employees remain ever resilient; we have known this fact for over 50 years and we celebrate it as we move into the future of healthcare. This resilience, however, has been showcased anew in the wake of a worldwide pandemic that has affected everyone in all aspects of healthcare and beyond. While the coronavirus pandemic brought with it many challenges for our world and especially the field of medicine, the LGH Family has been encouraged, honored, and made stronger by the tremendous support shown by you – our community. We are proud to continue offering an excellent level of quality in the face of COVID-19 as we see additional progressions of the virus and the changes it brings to medicine. Our community’s encouragement helps us face these challenges and refreshes us as we continue to rebuild our work standards following this world-changing illness. To keep abreast of our ongoing activities, visit our website at www.lasallegeneralhospital. com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

When you find yourself in need of medical services, visit LaSalle General Hospital or any of our campus facilities.

“Our primary purpose is to render care to you, our patients – in LaSalle and surrounding parishes. YOU are our priority.”

LaSalle General Hospital – Rural. Comprehensive. Healthcare.

Justiss Oil Company has recently expanded from two to three-well service crews that operate out of Jena. Most well service work is either for ourselves or our customers from Louisiana to western Mississippi. Rig 60 is drilling in mostly the same areas for various customers. The industry’s hot spot in Louisiana remains firmly planted in the Haynesville Shale. Although our equipment is too small for those type of wells, we continue to participate in that activity through leases taken either directly or through participation with an industry partner. New “benches” within the Cotton Valley formation such as the Bossier interval show potential to be the next horizontal gas target in northwest Louisiana.

Although at a slower pace than we have historically gone, we continue to generate prospects and explore for new reserves, with the focus in central and northern Louisiana. The cost of the myriad of goods and services required to drill and complete a well have steadily increased. Long deliveries for equipment and parts continue to plague the industry as well. Complicated and onerous lease terms from large publicly held mineral owners slow down the process of prospect assembly to a crawl.

Baker Tank/Altech, our manufacturing division in Arp, Texas, remains active with three field crews performing floating roof installations and repairs as well as new tank construction. Jobsite locations range from Mississippi to West Texas.

As always, we continue to have a conservative management philosophy. Over-aggressiveness in such a cyclical industry, often, leads to trouble, and one cannot afford to risk what one cannot afford to lose. Whatever comes, we plan to be here for the long pull.

-Jim Justiss