Healthcare is at its best when it’s close to home and the people who matter most.
The new emergency department observation unit at FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Livingston makes this possible for the Livingston Parish community.
This addition isn’t just more beds. It includes 10 dedicated observation beds designed to provide peace of mind for families, offering support and care right where they belong.
“These will be the first overnight beds in all of Livingston Parish,” says Mark Laperouse, MD, medical director of emergency medicine services for FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake. “Patients crave healthcare close to home. This unit offers peace of mind, providing compassionate care, a familiar setting and keeping loved ones nearby when it matters most.”
This $5 million investment is about putting people first, helping families stay together during medical care and providing reassurance without the need to travel. It’s healthcare designed with comfort and compassion at the center.
What Is an Observation Unit, Really?
Not every emergency room visit ends with a patient going straight home, but not every situation requires a full hospital admission either.
That’s where the emergency department observation unit comes in.
“It’s for patients who don’t require all of the specialties that a regional medical center has but aren’t quite ready to go home,” Dr. Laperouse says. “Sometimes patients just need a little more time before it’s safe to go home.”
This overnight stay allows care teams to monitor symptoms, run additional tests or simply ensure a patient is stable before discharge. In some cases, that extra time confirms a patient can safely return home. In others, it helps determine if they need a higher level of care at a larger facility.
“It gives us time to determine what’s safest for the patient,” he says.
Why Close to Home Matters
For patients and families, staying close to home isn’t just convenient. It’s deeply personal.
“They come to Our Lady of the Lake Livingston because it’s beautiful, clean and culturally comfortable,” Dr. Laperouse says. “When they need to stay overnight, they want to be near what’s familiar.”
That means less stress, easier visits from family members and a greater sense of comfort during an uncertain time.
And the setting itself plays a role in healing. With views of trees, water and open space, the unit is designed to feel calm and restorative.
Connecting Care from Start to Finish
The observation unit is based on a simple idea: the right patient, in the right place, at the right time.
By caring for patients who need short-term monitoring locally, the unit helps keep them close to home while also ensuring FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake’s larger hospitals remain available for more complex cases.
It’s a model that improves access, efficiency and the overall patient experience. Just as important, it strengthens what happens next.
One of the biggest advantages of the new unit is how it connects every step of the care journey. Patients can move seamlessly from emergency care to observation and then into follow-up care if needed.
“We’re connecting emergency care to a safe landing spot in the outpatient world,” Dr. Laperouse explains. That includes access to services already available on campus at Our Lady of the Lake Livingston, such as:
- Primary care and family medicine
- Cardiology
- Orthopedics
- Pediatrics
- Urology
It’s a more coordinated approach that helps patients stay connected to care long after they leave the emergency department.
Rooted in Mission, Built for the Future
Adding overnight observation beds is more than a milestone. It’s a continuation of a mission that spans more than a century.
“More than 100 years ago, our mission was to provide care where it’s needed,” Dr. Laperouse says. “That’s still what drives us today.”
The Livingston campus itself was built in response to community need, and this new unit is the next step in that commitment.
It also builds on a proven model.
“We’ve had an observation unit at our regional medical center for years,” Dr. Laperouse says. “Because of the patient experience and efficiencies, we wanted to extend that model to Livingston.”
Investing in Livingston Parish
The new observation unit is part of a broader, ongoing investment in the health of Livingston Parish.
With advanced imaging, updated lab services and continued expansion of specialty care, the goal is simple: bring high-quality care closer to home.
“We’re always thinking ahead to keep care close to home,” Dr. Laperouse says.
For families, that means fewer long drives and more time together. For patients, it means receiving expert care in a place that feels familiar. For the community, it means continued investment in accessible, high-quality healthcare.
This milestone represents more than a new unit. It reflects a continued commitment to care for Livingston Parish, today and into the future.
