North Oaks Health System and Louisiana Treasury Partner Up for “Great Employee Give Back of 2023”

North Oaks Health System recently partnered with the Louisiana Department of Treasury through its “Great Employee Give Back of 2023” initiative to help find and return unclaimed property to its staff.

Through this joint effort, North Oaks gave employees the chance to opt in and have the health system submit data on their behalf. As a result, a collective amount of $120,000 was located for 92 North Oaks employees.

Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder and members of his team were on hand to personally return monies to North Oaks employees at a surprise celebration held Thursday, April 27, on the health system’s main campus in Hammond.

“This is my favorite part of my job,” Schroder affirmed. “We launched the ‘Great Employee Give Back’ initiative a few months ago to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the state’s Unclaimed Property Program and provide a way for employers across the state to pay it forward to their employees. It’s our pleasure to return $120,000 – our largest Great Employee Give Back to date – to the employees of North Oaks, who work daily to contribute to the stellar reputation of this health system.”

“It’s always a win to come to work and get unexpected money,” noted Cath Lab Registered Nurse Blair Travasos as she received a check for $70. “This is awesome!”

“Our mission to improve lives extends not only to our patients and their families, but also our dedicated team,” asserted Michele Kidd Sutton, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of North Oaks Health System. “Participation in programs like the Treasury’s ‘Great Employee Give Back’ offer additional ways to advocate for our team and show our appreciation for the exceptional care they provide to our community.”

“North Oaks is one of the most impressive hospital systems in the South, and I’m not surprised at all that the administration looked into this program for their staff when they heard about it,” Schroder noted. “It shows how much they care about their employees.”

Certified Patient Access Associate Cheryl Thomas was surprised to receive a check for $234. “I have gotten unclaimed property notices in the mail before, but I was always skeptical. So having North Oaks check for me got my ‘thumbs up!’”

Infusion Therapy Staff Registered Nurses Gina Burdett and Christine Ragas attended the celebration together. Burdett received a check for $40.51, while Ragas had $54.12 returned. “This is a nice surprise. I might treat my grandchildren to pizza,” Ragas shared.

According to the Department of Treasury, one in six Louisiana residents have unclaimed property. To date, $660 million has been returned through the Louisiana Cash Claim program with more than $1 billion waiting to be claimed by state citizens.

To learn more about the Department of Treasury’s “Louisiana Cash Claim” and “Great Employee Give Back of 2023” programs, click here.