Hospital Emergency Room Closure Creating Community Crisis

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Baton Rouge General Hospital executives say plans to close their Mid City emergency room will proceed regardless of any alternatives legislative leaders, community activists and the Jindal administration develop.

Mark Slyter, president and chief executive officer at Baton Rouge General/General Health System, tells The Advocate he respects the community's constructive discussion and their desire to have emergency services in mid-city, but they are moving ahead with the closure.

Meanwhile, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Lane Regional Medical Center are scurrying to come up with ways to handle an increase of patients in their emergency rooms.

The Baton Rouge General announced Feb. 4 that it would close its emergency room, citing a loss of $2 million a month. No firm date for closure has been announced.