State-of-the-art facility to expand healthcare services in Slidell
(Sept. 18, 2024 – Slidell, La.) – Slidell Memorial Hospital (SMH) is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its highly anticipated Surgical Services and Patient Care Tower, a 3-story building addition that will transform the delivery of healthcare in the community. The new building, located on the main hospital campus, will officially open to patients later this month.
The Grand Opening was held Tuesday, September 17, at 6 p.m., with a ceremony attended by hospital leaders and team members, community members and local dignitaries. Speakers included SMH Chief Executive Officer Sandy Badinger; SMH Chief Administrative Officer Holly Sanchez; and Surgeon Francis Petitto, M.D.
This event marked the culmination of a $52 million project that will bring cutting-edge medical technology, enhanced patient care and additional services to Slidell and the surrounding areas. Planning for the hospital addition began in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was brought to a public vote in April 2021. Voters in tax wards 6,7, 8 and 9 overwhelmingly approved a $23 million bond renewal to help finance the construction of this expansion, and the hospital broke ground on construction in November 2022.
Badinger noted, “This facility is the fulfillment of our promise to the community—to bring more services and advanced care to our patients right here in Slidell. Thanks to your continued support, we’re able to keep healthcare local, which is exactly what our patients deserve from their community hospital. We truly appreciate your role in making this possible.”
“This is the largest expansion in Slidell Memorial’s history, making this milestone a great accomplishment for our hospital team members, construction team and architects—and especially for our community members who helped us grow,” said Sanchez, who led the project. “Through the collaboration of so many people, we are able to bring our community this beautiful new facility, equipped with the latest technology, that will make a difference in how we deliver care.”
The new tower expands SMH’s main campus by 61,028 square feet and features a brand-new set of operating suites, an Intensive Care Unit and inpatient Medical/Surgical Unit equipped with private rooms that can be converted to negative pressure, enhancing the hospital’s ability to treat airborne illnesses. A separate phase of this project will refit the old operating room space into a pre- and post-operative services unit that will tie into the new surgery floor to create a private and efficient surgical experience for patients.
Dr. Petitto explained the new advancements that are now available to patients at SMH: “Thanks to this investment in new technology, including the brand new da Vinci 5 surgical robot, we are able to perform more innovative surgeries here and stay at the leading edge of technology that allows for better outcomes for our patients.”
SMH Board Chairman Larry Englande added, “We are proud that we were able to fund the remainder of the project through savings that we have reinvested into Slidell Memorial. Alongside our partner Ochsner, we prioritize our responsibility to the community in every decision we make. We will continue to plan for the future of healthcare in Slidell.”
DonahueFavret Contractors Inc. and Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects, both local to southeastern Louisiana, were selected to complete the project after a competitive bidding process.