Change in organizational structure set

The Board of Directors of American Legion Hospital announced Monday that they have initiated a change in organizational structure.

Effective March 15, Terry Osborne will assume the position of American Legion Hospital Corporation (ALHC) CEO. In his new position, Osborne will be responsible for managing the corporation’s legal assets and joint ventures that remain intact after ALHC turns over management control of ALH to Lafayette General Health (LGH).

Osborne will not have any involvement in the day-to-day operations of American Legion Hospital.

As previously announced, LGH is working with ALHC to assume management and operations of the Crowley-based hospital and all of its clinical operations, equipment and staff. LGH is expected to announce details of the upcoming management agreement sometime in mid-to-late April.

ALHC will not pursue potential candidates to replace Osborne, instead, the board of directors has decided to let LGH begin a national search. The goal is to have a new CEO in place prior to the hospital’s transition under Lafayette General Health.

Charmaine Vidrine, ALH’s Chief Financial Officer, will act as interim CEO until the transition with LGH management is completed. Vidrine will be responsible for all hospital operations and reports directly to the board of directors.

About American Legion Hospital

Since its founding in 1928, when the American Legion Acadia Post 15 reopened the shuttered Crowley Sanitarium as “Legion Memorial Hospital,” Crowley’s only hometown hospital has been driven to serve its community.

In 1950, Acadia Post 15 formed a nonprofit to operate the hospital, resulting in a new charter for American Legion Hospital (ALH).

In 1987, American Legion Hospital moved to its modern location on U.S. East Hwy. 90. Today, the hospital staffs 178 beds and employs over 450 people to serve a growing parish population of approximately 62,000.

If ALH were located in Lafayette, it would be just eight licensed beds shy of the second-largest hospital in the city.

American Legion Hospital provides for acute medical and surgical care, obstetric, gynecology, pediatric, orthopedic, otolaryngology, cardiac, psychiatry, nephrology, ophthalmology, oncology, emergency services, vein therapy, wound care and hyperbaric medicine.

In addition to the main campus, the hospital operates a psychiatric hospital in Rayne and two offsite outpatient departments: a Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine in Tower One, and a Cardiac Outpatient Services clinic on Northern Avenue in Crowley.