IMC, Dauterive deal finally inked

Iberia Medical Center has finalized its purchase of Dauterive Hospital’s assets and medical office buildings Wednesday, and Dauterive is one step closer to being renamed Iberia Medical Center – North Campus.

IMC officials are praising finalizing the deal, but some former employees of Dauterive Hospital, which was operated by Progressive Acute Care based in Mandeville, are still waiting for some money issues to be settled.

All medical office buildings and physician practices will remain open. The IMC-North Campus is poised to open in the spring and will specialize in short-stay and outpatient surgery, behavioral health services, rehabilitation, imaging, lab and other services.

“Our architects and engineers will be submitting the relicensing packet tomorrow (Friday) to state fire marshal and the Department of Health and Hospitals,” CEO and President of IMC Parker Templeton said. “We are still targeting a spring date.”

Templeton said IMC will work on updating the ventilation systems, cleaning, painting, signage and other modifications. Templeton said the updates will be done in phases, and the first phase will be focused on outpatient and short stay surgery, lab and X-ray services.

Some former Dauterive workers formed a Facebook page called Former Dauterive Hospital Employees and has 278 members. Dauterive Hospital reported on its website it had more than 400 physicians, administrative, staff and volunteers in 2014, but it is uncertain how many employees remained at the hospital when it closed its doors in December.

Templeton said IMC has hired about 100 employees since Dauterive closed and more positions will be available.

The former hospital employee Facebook page founder, however, former Dauterive Charge Nurse Kim Plauche Dieudonne, said IMC’s job fair and rehiring process “did not feel like a special effort.” She said some former Dauterive employees have found jobs in area nursing homes and extended care hospitals.

Dieudonne said she formed the Facebook group because the former employees have yet to receive their final payout of vacation time from Progressive Acute Care. She said employees were told they would receive the final payout Jan. 8.

“We haven’t gotten any information,” she said. “The former employees have been kept in the dark about when we can expect our to see final check.”

Dieudonne worked at Dauterive for four-and-a-half years and earned 105 hours of vacation time.

“I made the group so everyone could share information. The only information we have what is what  we’ve managed to dig up ourselves. Calling corporate doesn’t usually help. It’s an exercise in frustration. They haven’t given us concrete facts.”

Attempts to contact Progressive Acute Care officials were unsuccessful before deadline today.