Prime Highlights
- Ochsner Health and Baton Rouge Community College are launching a mobile healthcare lab, funded by a $472,500 Ochsner Health investment, to expand hands-on training across the Baton Rouge region.
- The lab will travel to campuses and communities, opening career pathways in nursing assistance, medical assistance and patient care technology.
Key Facts
- Baton Rouge Community College Chancellor Willie E. Smith Sr. said the lab will eliminate transportation and scheduling barriers by delivering training directly to dual enrollment partners, clinical sites and rural communities.
- The mobile healthcare lab is set to launch in spring 2027.
Background
Ochsner Health and Baton Rouge Community College have joined hands to bring healthcare training directly to students across the region, removing a longstanding gap between career interest and access to education.
Ochsner Health put up $472,500 to fund the mobile healthcare lab, which will travel to campuses and communities rather than waiting for students to come to a fixed facility. The partnership aims to build a stronger local healthcare workforce by reaching learners who might otherwise miss out.
Students who engage with the lab will get a closer look at careers as certified nursing assistants, medical assistants and patient care technicians. High school students, dual enrollment participants, adult learners, workforce trainees and other community members will all have access to the resource.
Dianne Teal, chief nursing officer for Ochsner Baton Rouge, said the lab represents a direct investment in the next generation of healthcare professionals and an extension of the organization’s commitment to the capital region.
Baton Rouge Community College Chancellor Willie E. Smith Sr. said the mobile format solves a real problem.
By going to students instead of expecting them to travel, the lab makes practical, industry-aligned training reachable for rural communities and dual enrollment partners alike. The mobile healthcare lab is expected to hit the road in spring 2027.
