Lake Charles Memorial Health System is the only locally owned, non-profit, community health system in southwest Louisiana. Founded approximately 75 years ago, the system is governed by a volunteer board of directors drawn from local business, industry, and public service, not a corporate parent. Decisions are made close to the community being served, and that structure directly affects how quickly the organization moves and how physicians experience their relationship with leadership.
The system has invested approximately $150 million in infrastructure over the past 13 years, gutting and rebuilding inpatient units floor by floor while maintaining operations. The result is a modernized facility inside an established regional institution.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit, community-owned regional health system |
| Governance | Board of Directors (local volunteer board, no corporate ownership) |
| Established | Approximately 75 years ago |
| Employees | 2,700+ |
| Employed Physicians | 120+ across Memorial Medical Group |
| Physician Specialties | 20+ specialties and sub-specialties |
| Clinic Locations | 35 sites across 21+ locations |
| EMR | Epic (live since October 2024) |
| Regional Population Served | 290,000–300,000 across a five-parish area |
The health system operates three acute care campuses plus a dedicated behavioral health facility.
Lake Charles Memorial Hospital (Main Campus) The 315-bed flagship facility on Oak Park Boulevard houses the majority of the system's specialty services, procedural capabilities, and inpatient units. The geriatric psychiatry unit is located on the 10th floor of the main hospital tower.
Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women (South Campus) A 52-bed facility focused on obstetrics, women's health, and surgical services, with 6 operating rooms.
Archer Institute A 42-bed freestanding behavioral health hospital on Nelson Road, the first freestanding psychiatric hospital built in Louisiana in over 40 years. It houses the adult behavioral health unit (28 beds) and the child and adolescent psychiatry unit (14 beds). The geriatric psychiatry unit operates on the main campus, giving the incoming medical director a distinct patient population and practice setting separate from Archer.
Moss Memorial Health Clinic A primary care clinic serving patients regardless of financial or insurance status.
The main campus supports a broad range of high-acuity services across all major specialties.
| Floor | Service |
|---|---|
| 10th | 31-bed Geriatric Psychiatry Unit |
| 9th | 16-bed Medical ICU |
| 7th | 31-bed General Medicine Unit |
| 6th | Pediatrics and PICU |
| 5th | 31-bed Orthopedic/Neuro/Trauma/Stroke Unit |
| 4th | General Post-Surgical and GU |
| 3rd | 3 Cardiac Cath Labs, CVICU, Surgical Trauma ICU, 15 Operating Rooms |
| 2nd | 27-bed Hematology/Oncology, 20-bed Inpatient Rehab, Acute Dialysis |
| 1st | Endoscopy Center (~50 GI scopes per day) |
Behavioral health is the number one admitting diagnosis across the Lake Charles Memorial Health System and has been since the 1970s. The system provides the largest volume of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services in the region and built the first freestanding psychiatric hospital in Louisiana in over 40 years.
Total behavioral health inpatient bed capacity across the system:
| Unit | Beds | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Geriatric Psychiatry | 31 | Main Campus, 10th Floor |
| Adult Behavioral Health | 28 | Archer Institute |
| Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | 14 | Archer Institute |
| Total | 73 |
Lake Charles Memorial hosts the Memorial/LSUHSC Family Medicine Residency Program, a partnership with LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. The program includes 21 residents, graduating 7 per year. Historically, about 70% stay in Louisiana and approximately 50% remain in the five-parish region. The system also hosts clinical rotations for pharmacy, physical therapy, CRNA students, and other healthcare disciplines, averaging over 800 healthcare trainees per semester.
Lake Charles Memorial Health System's mission is to improve the health of the people of southwest Louisiana through superior care, innovative service, health education, and disease prevention, provided in a personalized, caring, and safe environment.