CEO Patti Ellish: Letter to the Editor

Re: St. Tammany Parish Hospital dealings with Reed family call for investigation

St. Tammany Parish Hospital prides itself on the quality of patient care and services. These services are provided by dedicated employees who work tirelessly to deliver world-class healthcare each and every day. On behalf of the organization, I want to address a few things which have not been accurately reported in the media in recent weeks.

Our priority is quality patient care, and in advancing that mission, St. Tammany Parish Hospital retained legal services from the St. Tammany District Attorney‘s office, including legal counsel in the course of conducting hospital business and attending meetings of the Board of Commissioners.

Our culture is one of family, and our 1,800 team members deserve the right to privacy, to the extent available, regarding personnel records, compensation, performance and employment history. This is true for every employee, as we treat all according to our policies, including former employee Richard Reed.

St. Tammany Parish Hospital is a self-supporting, not-for-profit community hospital. We don’t receive millages, property tax or other taxes. Like hospitals nationwide, we accept private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and other plans. In addition to the tradition of providing world-class patient care, St. Tammany Parish Hospital is proud of our long history of fiscal stewardship.

We welcome the community to learn more by visiting, STPH.org/learnmore.

Most sincerely,

Patti M. Ellish, FACHE
President and CEO
St. Tammany Parish Hospital