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Council approves amended health-services agreement after OLOL presentation
Summary
After a presentation from Our Lady of the Lake on service metrics and staffing, the Central Parish Council approved a redlined amendment to the parishs cooperative endeavor agreement for public-health services, voting 6 to 3. The measure reallocates some women's-health services to Woman's Hospital and updates monthly payment terms.
The Central Parish Council on Dec. 11 approved a revised cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) governing public-health services after hearing a detailed presentation from Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL) and other partners.
Acting Parish President Ricky Compton opened discussion about changes to service contracts at the parish health unit and introduced staff and providers. "This initiative began in July 2023," said Dr. Chris Trevino, an executive sponsor for the Healthy Ascension partnership, summarizing reviews and program changes that led to the proposed contract edits. Shabrin Marks, senior operations director for Lake Physician Group, presented performance figures and operational changes, citing expanded hours and increases in patient visits and services.
The amendment approved by the council removes women's-health services from the existing OLOL contract and moves those services to a separate cooperative agreement with Woman's Hospital Foundation, which the council separately approved at $14,250 per month. The OLOL agreement's revised monthly amount was stated on the record as $341,666.67 per month beginning Nov. 1, 2025. Marks described operational changes implemented under the partnership: "We increased the public health unit hours from 42 to 47.5 and the behavioral health hours from 42 to 56.5," and said the partnership added mobile health coverage, on-site Medicaid enrollment and expanded staffing.
Councilmembers debated whether to put the services out to bid or approve the amended, redlined CEA. Concerns raised included continuity of care during a rebid, timeline for renovating a West Bank facility and retention of parish employees. Staff advised rebidding would be a six-month process and recommended extending the current contract if the council pursued a solicitation. Chair moved to approve the redline amended agreement; the motion was seconded and carried by a recorded announcement of "6 to 3." The council chair announced the result on the record.
The approved changes also include clarifications that assets purchased under the contract remain parish property and updates to performance metrics and mobile-unit operations. Council members asked staff to continue conceptual design and preliminary work on a West Bank facility regardless of the contract decision.
The council voted to approve both the Woman's Hospital cooperative agreement (payment $14,250 per month) and the redlined amendment to the OLOL CEA (new monthly amount specified in the record). The chair recorded the CEA approval as 6 to 3. No further implementation timeline was specified in the public record beyond staff statements about design and renovation estimates.
The council moved on to other agenda items after the vote; the redlined agreement and the related contract documents were distributed to council members on the dais.
