Doctors group buys Avoyelles Hospital

When most people say they want to “give back to the community,” they aren’t talking about providing a hospital.
But that’s just what Hessmer native Rock Bordelon -- and 11 local physicians -- have done.
The sale of Avoyelles Hospital to the Allegiance Health Management-led Central Louisiana Hospital Group became official in late August and became effective Sept. 1.
“When I found out about this opportunity I was excited to help the community keep its hospital and make it better for all the residents of Avoyelles Parish -- including my parents,” Bordelon said. “This is my community hospital.”
Bordelon is the president and CEO of Allegiance, who bought Avoyelles and two other community hospitals from Progressive Acute Care for $10.55 million.
The 11 local doctors in the new ownership group are Drs. L.J. Mayeux, James Bordelon, Elias Mounayar, Scott York, Donna Breen, Dixie Broussard, Richard Michel, Kevin Bordelon, Beau Brouillette, Darren McCann and Robert Fresh.
Bordelon said he was raised just outside of Hessmer. His parents, Glenn and Mary Bordelon, and his brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Jennifer Bordelon, still live in that area. He is also a cousin of Dr. James Bordelon, who is one of the 11 doctors in the group.
“This is their community hospital, too,” he added.
Bordelon now lives in Benton, north of the Allegiance corporate office in Shreveport.
“This will help ensure the highest level of quality care for people in this parish and surrounding parishes,” Bordelon said.
He said the intent is to “help keep more people at home to receive medical care.”
Bordelon said some hospital companies buy properties “and take away. We will be adding to. We plan to put money into this hospital to improve it.”
He said the hospital currently employs about 180 people.
“That could be 250 to 300 employees within 24 to 36 months,” Bordelon said.
Don Cameron, Allegiance’s chief operating officer, said one thing that will happen quickly is that the hospital will have its own billing and collection office. That service had been contracted out by the previous owner.
“Avoyelles Hospital is doing fine,” Cameron said. “It was the flagship of the Progressive group. It has a strong medical staff and we will be adding specialists to make the staff stronger and increase services available to the people.”
He said plans also call for increasing the number of beds in the Intensive Care Unit.
Bordelon said Allegiance now has six hospitals in Louisiana. It also has hospitals in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. The company has sold hospitals it had in other states.
Bordelon said there will be no shake-up in the hospital administration.
“The hospital is doing a good job and we will be helping them to do a great job,” he said.
Bordelon said he wants the public to know that the hospital is in the network to accept Blue Cross/Blue Shield. There have been reports circulating in the public that the hospital did not accept that insurance.
“That is not the case,” he said.