Our Lady of the Lake, a ministry of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, has led Southern Louisiana’s healthcare efforts in pediatric services for many years. The system’s new children’s hospital, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., was dedicated in October 2019.

Designed by HKS, Inc., the new 372,842-square-foot hospital includes an emergency room that’s expected to see more than 35,000 patients annually, a surgical suite of five operating rooms, a 30-bed intensive care unit, 40 medical/surgical inpatient beds, and a hematology/oncology floor with 30 inpatient specialized beds and one of only eight outpatient St. Jude Affiliate clinics in the nation. It’s also home to a pediatric transport team that has transported more than 1,250 patients in the last six years from the surrounding region.

The natural ecosystem of Louisiana’s piney woods, marshes, and coastal areas inform the design of the interiors with images of indigenous animals, including black bears, alligators, beavers, and crabs. Each patient floor has a playroom, and the hospital is surrounded by gardens with bird houses and an entertainment pavilion.

In addition to providing a warm, healing environment for its young patients, the hospital serves the larger community as a gathering place for education and recreation.

 

Project details:

Facility name: Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital

Location: Baton Rouge, La.

Completion date: October 2019

Owner: Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System

Total building area: 372,842 sq. ft. (hospital and central utility plant); 95,401 sq. ft. (MOB)

Total construction cost: $134.2 million (hospital and central utility plant); $15.4 million (MOB core/shell)

Cost/sq. ft.: $360 (hospital and central utility plant); $161 (MOB core/shell)

Architecture firm: HKS, Inc.

Interior design: HKS, Inc.

General contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors

Engineering: WSP (MEP), HKS, Inc. (structural)