Groundbreaking Held for North Oaks-Livingston Parish Medical Complex

North Oaks Health System officials, and Livingston Parish dignitaries and leaders gathered on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the North Oaks-Livingston Parish Medical Complex. 

The 2-story, 47,000-square-foot outpatient medical complex has been designed by Gasaway-Gasaway-Bankston Architects and will be constructed by M.D. Descant Inc. The facility, which represents a total investment of $32 million, will be located on 30 acres of land on the south side of the I-12 Colyell/Satsuma interchange and will take approximately 18 months to construct.

Scheduled for completion in the fall 2010, the outpatient complex will offer a wide range of outpatient diagnostic and treatment services, including cardiology, laboratory, radiology and rehabilitation services; an Urgent Care Center; a Family Medicine Clinic; a Specialty Clinic; and a Conference Room for health education.

In the first year the complex is operational, North Oaks plans to employ approximately 100 health care professionals with an estimated $4.4 million payroll and a projected economic impact of $13.2 million cycling through the community.

“We at North Oaks Health System are pleased to be a health care provider in Livingston Parish,” affirms North Oaks Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Michele Sutton. “The development of this medical complex strengthens our long-term commitment to working with the local governing authority of Livingston Parish to provide quality health care services close to home for area residents.”

North Oaks Health System is the largest community-based health care organization on the Northshore and has been serving the Florida Parishes since 1960. The health system first expanded into Livingston Parish in 2004 when it opened North Oaks Specialty Clinic and North Oaks Walk-In Clinic in Walker through a cooperative agreement with the local governing authority of the Parish. A third clinic, North Oaks Family Medicine, was opened in Walker in 2007.

Building a Healthy Community
Beyond the provision of health care services, a hallmark of the North Oaks culture is community involvement and outreach to improve the quality of life in the communities
served.

North Oaks’ active membership on the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and within the organization is a prime example of this commitment at work. Several members of the North Oaks team have shared their time and talents with numerous Chamber planning committees, including those for the: Historic River Road Run, Public Relations, Golf Tournament, Christmas Parade, Banquet/Gala Awards and Speakers. In 2008, the health system also provided manpower, as well as resources, to the Chamber as a Scholarship Sponsor, Corporate Sponsor of the Banquet/Awards Gala, Gold Sponsor of the Historic River Road Run, Major Sponsor of the Golf Tournament and as a participant in the August membership health fair. Additionally, North Oaks served as a Rex sponsor of the 2009 Chamber Banquet/Awards Gala at which the health system was honored as “Medium Business of the Year.”

North Oaks Clinics in Livingston Parish continue to offer “Especially for You” health educational programs and screenings for area residents. This joint venture with Southeastern’s Livingston Literacy & Technology Center enabled the presentation of classes and screenings focused on healthy resolutions, heart-healthy lifestyles, prescription drug abuse and fraud prevention, babysitting and CPR.

North Oaks also maintains numerous partnerships with the Livingston Parish School
System. Some examples include involvement with the Livingston Parish Drug Task
Force Committee and sponsorship of numerous school sports programs to promote active lifestyles, as well as healthy choices and self-esteem. Through the North Oaks Sports Medicine program, North Oaks also provided hundreds of student-athletes from five area schools with free physicals in May 2008 at substantial cost-savings for local families. In addition, North Oaks Community Education has taught more than 300 classes in the schools and community that collectively reached over 10,000 participants in Livingston Parish since 2004 with topics varying from steroid abuse prevention to advance directives.

North Oaks’ outreach efforts also benefit community-wide initiatives, such as Senior
Expos, the Livingston Youth and Family Counseling Annual Charity Golf Scramble,
Annual Denham Springs Kids Bike Race, the Livingston Parish March of Dimes March
for Babies and American Cancer Society Relays for Life.

North Oaks staff collection drives annually benefit the Quad Area Community Action
Agency’s food pantry, the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Department’s Operation Santa
Bear toy drive and the St. Vincent de Paul “Uniforms for Kids” drive. North Oaks also
supports local arts education, serving as a sponsor of Livingston Parish Children’s Choirs
and LIVEACT! Theatre.

Finally, the North Oaks team is actively engaged in organizations planning for the area’s future, such as the Livingston Economic Development Council and Livingston
Tomorrow Workforce Development Committee.

The North Oaks team is proud to support the healthy growth of Livingston Parish!

For More Information
• For a project overview regarding the North Oaks-Livingston Parish Medical Complex, click here or call North Oaks Marketing/Business Development at (985) 230-6647.

• To learn more about current North Oaks facilities in Livingston Parish, click here or call North Oaks Clinic at (225) 664-2111.

• To view the North Oaks Community Events Calendar, click here.

• To schedule an appointment at North Oaks Specialty Clinic, call (225) 664-9618.

• To schedule an appointment at North Oaks Family Medicine Clinic, call (225) 225-4398.

• For more information about the services of North Oaks Walk-In Clinic in Walker, call (225) 664-2111.

• For more information about Suma Crossing, please visit www.sumacrossing.com.

An architectural rendering of the North Oaks-Livingston Parish Medical Complex.

Wearing hard hats and with golden shovels in hand, groundbreakers for the North Oaks-Livingston Parish Medical Complex include, from left: Assistant Vice President/Livingston Parish Clinics Regina Scott; State Representative J. Rogers Pope; Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Michele Sutton; Board of Commissioners Chairman Guy Recotta Jr.; Board of Commissioners Members A.J. Bodker, Dr. Eleanor Dixon Wells and Dr. James Nelson; Mayor of the Town of Livingston Derral Jones; State Senator Dale Erdey; Livingston Parish President Mike Grimmer; Board of Commissioners Member Bob Zabbia; M.D. Descant Inc. Vice President Chuck Descant; Brett Gasaway with Gasaway-Gasaway-Bankston Architects; and President/Chief Executive Officer James E. Cathey Jr.