LSU deal carries $15M in state construction costs

Published 2:16 pm Friday, September 13, 2013

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration plans to spend up to $15 million to build clinics for two private hospitals in central Louisiana that will be taking over services from the LSU public hospital in Pineville.

If lawmakers agree in the 2014 legislative session, Jindal wants to close the university-run Huey P. Long Medical Center and shift its services to CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital and Rapides Regional Medical Center.

As part of the deal, the state would pay up to $15 million to help expand an inpatient psychiatric facility and to add three new clinics that will provide outpatient and specialty services.

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Jindal’s commissioner of administration, Kristy Nichols, says though the state would pay the construction costs, the clinics and psychiatric facility will be owned and operated by the private hospitals.