A Legacy of Giving: The Ochsner Society's 40th Year

A Legacy of Giving: The Ochsner Society’s 40th Year

The Alton Ochsner Society continues to provide access to funding for the most innovative projects at Ochsner Health with its first lifetime member

By George Menz | Photos: Staci Brimer

Alton Ochsner, MD, was one of the five founding members of what later became Ochsner Health. He dedicated himself to supporting the health of the Gulf South region—and America as a whole, having authored the first paper definitively linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer. Across the span of his career, he performed 20,000 surgeries, published close to 600 papers and trained 300 surgeons.

Above all else, Dr. Ochsner believed in centering patients. “In this hospital,” he said, “the patients and their families come first.” Today, donations by members of the Alton Ochsner Society support the Excellence Fund, an unrestricted fund which provides support for new projects and initiatives that will improve patient care. As the Society celebrates its 40th anniversary, it also celebrates the addition of its first lifetime member: Bill Kearney.

Welcoming Bill Kearney

Bill’s relationship with Ochsner began at birth. “My mother decided that’s where she wanted me to be born,” Bill said. “I make the choice for Ochsner to be my healthcare provider for all the things I do. Some people look at it as a client-healthcare relationship. I view it as something much deeper.”

Bill grew up in uptown New Orleans and some of his acquaintances and playmates were the children and grandchildren of Dr. Ochsner. This lifelong link to Ochsner is what led Bill to become the first lifetime member of the Alton Ochsner Society. In fact, he had no idea he was making history; he just wanted to pay back the organization that had been such a huge part of his life, providing him care since the very beginning of his life.

Bill Kearney is the first lifetime member of the Alton Ochsner Society.

Photos: Staci Brimer

“As a result of my connection and what Ochsner means to our community, when the opportunity came up, I said: that’s who I am. I didn’t know I was the first person,” Bill said. “I just instinctively said, that’s what I want to be, that’s something I want to be a part of, in recognition of what Ochsner means to me, to the city and to the state”

The Excellence Fund

Bill’s contributions to the Excellence Fund support care that falls outside what specifically dedicated funds can offer. “We don’t know exactly what a patient is going to need, or what we can innovate and do that is going to save and change lives,” said Louisa Post, a Director of Development in Ochsner’s Philanthropy Department. “By having an unrestricted fund, we can support things that are really important but don’t have a fund.”

The Excellence Fund is available for almost any purpose that will improve patient care and any member of the Ochsner community—from doctors to nurses to business professionals—can submit proposals. “The decision to support a proposal is based on how much a project will improve patient care and delivery and whether or not the project could be funded through departmental funds or the annual operating budget,” Louisa said.

Dr. Ochsner sought to build a community that would confront illness with the patient’s needs in mind and the Excellence Fund aims to further every aspect of Ochsner’s mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. The Society’s vision statement reads: “We will shape the future of healthcare through our integrated health system, fueled by the passion and strength of our diversified team of physicians and employees.”

Bill said he didn’t realize he was making history with his lifetime gift during the 40th anniversary of the Alton Ochsner Society.

Photos: Staci Brimer

The patient is at the center of everything the Alton Ochsner Society supports. “The projects will be prioritized in terms of how they will affect the lives of our patients,” Louisa said. Among the life-changing initiatives they’ve supported is the Neurosciences Medical 3D Lab, which uses 3D printing and virtual and augmented reality technologies in the service of clinical care delivery: patients gain a deeper understanding of their conditions and doctors can practice complex surgeries in a virtual environment.

In 2021, the Excellence Fund supported 59 innovative projects. Among them are the Functional Restoration Program, the Chronic Pain Education project and the Aging in Place: Dementia Care project. Each project offers patients and caregivers the support and resources they need.

In past years, the fund supported projects which enhanced both patient care and professional resources for Ochsner staff. This versatility is essential, as new ideas often aren’t covered by existing funds and may need special attention in order to flourish.

The bedrock of the community

For Bill, Ochsner doesn’t just provide healthcare: it provides the community with strength and resilience. “If you look at the bedrock of any community, it’s about med and ed—medicine and education,” Bill said. “On a fundamental basis, we wouldn’t have a thriving society if not for Ochsner.”

The Excellence Fund provides a resource for community members to support patient care on that fundamental level.

“I think people who donate to the Excellence Fund want to give back because they love Ochsner and they trust us to make the best decisions for patients,” Louisa said. Ochsner’s longstanding presence in the Gulf South community gives it a special place in the hearts of New Orleanians and residents of the Gulf South region.

Speaking to those interested in giving back to the community, Bill asked them to consider which causes give back to the community every day. “If Ochsner isn’t chief among them, I don’t know what is.”

Thank you to the members of the Alton Ochsner Society for your generosity. The annual unrestricted gifts of Ochsner Society members guarantee that lifesaving treatments, excellent medical education and innovative research will always be available at Ochsner.

STAKEHOLDERS ($10,000-$24,999)

Mr. Dick H. Piner, Jr.

Louie and Sally Roussel

LEADERS ($5,000-$9,999)

Mr. Robert S. Boh

Sarracenia Foundation, Inc.

PARTNERS ($1,000-$4,999)

Mr. Emanuel V. Benjamin III

Ms. Mary Theresa Benson

Ms. Dorothy M. Clyne

Mr. and Mrs. James Dagnon

Mr. and Mrs. Gustave A. Fritchie

Ms. Celeste Goodson

Mr. and Mrs. James Gundlach

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory J. Hamer, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. John Crawford Hope III

Mr. Michael W. Kearney

Mr. William Kearney IV

Mr. and Mrs. David McKinney

Mr. and Mrs. John McLean

Mrs. Gilda H. Moore

Dr. Pat O’Brien, PhD

Ms. Crescentia Pennock

Mr. and Mrs. Etienne Senac

Tom Snedeker & Emery Clark

Ms. Susan Ann Swanner

The Honorable and

Mrs. Jacques L. Wiener, Jr.

SUPPORTERS ($500-$999)

Mrs. Ann B. Bailey

Mr. Paul L. Benenati

Mr. John C. Blitch

Mrs. Frances Caccamise Boudreaux

Dr. Aden A. Burka

Carpenter Management Co., Inc.

Mrs. Sally T. Duplantier

Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Ferguson, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Ward A. Howard

Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Lajaunie

Dr. Joseph L. Lindsay III

Mrs. Arlene J. Manguno

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Manshel

Mrs. Louise B. Moore

Mr. Donald Osborne

Mr. William R. Picard II

Ms. Cheryl Roan

Mr. Edward P. Schnauder

Dr. John L. Smith

Excellence Fund Supports Chemotherapy Care

Among the remarkable projects that draw on the Excellence Fund is the Chemotherapy Care Companion program. The program closely tracks patients undergoing chemotherapy, using questionnaires and monitors to identify and address side effects of chemotherapy treatment. While it began with a focus on high-risk patients, it soon expanded—and, with the assistance of the Excellence Fund, it expanded even further.

Thanks to a 2020 Excellence Fund grant, today’s Chemotherapy Care Companion program encompasses all chemotherapy patients at Ochsner and donor support to the Ochsner Cancer Institute covers the cost. With over 450 patients enrolled to date, we’ve found 90% satisfaction with the program and 70% patient compliance. What’s more, preliminary data shows that the program has reduced total emergency room visits and admissions by a third. All in all, it’s shown remarkable results.

With results like these, it’s no surprise that Ochsner has received the 2022 Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) Innovator Award, offering national recognition across print and news media: a full-page announcement in ACCC’s official journal Oncology Issues, a dedicated listing on the ACCC website, an appearance on the Association’s podcast, blog and articles in ASH Clinical News, The Advocate and Modern Healthcare.

The Chemotherapy Care Companion program is just one example of the work that donations like yours make possible. The Excellence Fund exists to identify and support these efforts, continually enhancing patient care and advancing healthcare for our community and our region. It’s a legacy that would make Dr. Ochsner proud.