A four-story, 132,000-square-foot facility on Jefferson Highway is about to become the largest neuroscience hub in Ochsner Health's network, with clinic patients set to walk through its doors starting Monday, October 5. The $120 million project, called the Debra H. and Robert J. Patrick Neuroscience Institute, brings neurology, neurosurgery, behavioral health, physical medicine and rehabilitation, therapy, and wellness programs together under a single roof for the first time.
The opening caps a four-year effort that began in September 2022, when Ochsner Health announced the project following a donation from philanthropists Debra and Robert Patrick, according to New Orleans CityBusiness. The health system broke ground at the Jefferson Highway site in November 2023, with the capital campaign led by Woodward Design+Build CEO Paul Flower, according to a Facebook post from Ochsner Health.
Ochsner projects the institute will be the only facility in the region offering comprehensive, single-destination neuroscience care between Houston and Atlanta, per a news release distributed via PR Newswire. The institute consolidates 25 distinct neuroscience programs under four clinical pillars — neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and behavioral health — allowing multidisciplinary teams to treat patients through every phase of neurological illness and recovery, the release states.
Specialized Labs Target ALS Patients and Rehab Technology
Among the institute's standout features is the Team Gleason Assistive Technology Lab, built through a partnership with the Team Gleason Foundation. The space simulates home environments where ALS and motor neuron disease patients can learn to use assistive communication devices and adaptive equipment, with speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists guiding patients through technology tailored for home independence, according to Biz New Orleans.
The Parker Family BioDesign Lab provides space for clinicians and industry partners to develop applications, including 3D modeling. Separately, the building has a gait lab that uses motion analysis to develop individualized treatment plans, as well as virtual- and augmented-reality rehabilitation technology. Together with examination space, the labs make up what Ochsner describes as its largest neuroscience location.
Globally, neurological conditions — ranging from stroke and epilepsy to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's — are the leading cause of disability and the second-leading cause of death worldwide, affecting roughly one billion people as aging populations grow, the Biz New Orleans report notes.
Anchored on Ochsner's Flagship Campus
The new institute sits on the campus of Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway.
To back the clinical buildout with research, Ochsner Health appointed Dr. Nneka Ifejika, a nationally recognized stroke rehabilitation specialist, as Chief Scientific Officer to lead its research enterprise, according to the health system's own academic reporting. The move ties research trials and clinical recruitment directly to the new institute's footprint.
A New Neuroscience Institute Joins New Orleans Healthcare Landscape
LCMC Health has been expanding cancer treatment facilities at University Medical Center New Orleans, reported in Hoodline's coverage of rising cancer diagnoses.
The Patrick Neuroscience Institute's October 5 opening marks the moment a four-year development effort becomes a working clinic for patients across the Gulf South.
