LCMC Health, best known for helping hospitals create sustainable futures and enrich the health of their communities, has made a $100,000 investment the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA). The funding will support the further development of the local bioinnovation and health services cluster.
“As New Orleans continues to grow and expand economically, LCMC Health pledges its support to the city of New Orleans and NOLABA to solidify the city and New Orleans as a powerhouse in healthcare and as a national business leader,” said LCMC Health CEO Greg Feirn. “With University Medical Center coming on line in 2015, LCMC has a vested interest in the biomedical corridor and its development. Our team believes that caring for the community occurs beyond the walls of our hospitals and we are pleased to support the development of the New Orleans healthcare industry.”
Earlier this year, NOLABA partnered with the BioDistrict following reports that the organization only had $360 in the bank account. The biomedical corridor is a sort of mysterious yet major project encompassing 1,500 acres of downtown New Orleans and Mid-City. The economic development district was created by the state in 2005 to advance the bioinnovation sector in the city.
Initiated in 2010 by the Landrieu administration, the Business Alliance is a public-private partnership that in 2013 released a five-focus plan designed to drive economic growth, ProsperityNOLA, including a focus on health and bioinnovation. The organization hopes to “build an innovative, sustainable economy and understands that the city’s anchor institutions – those employers that are so well established they will likely never move – are fundamental to the long-term economic strength of New Orleans.”
In August, the New Orleans Business Alliance CEO Rodrick Miller stepped down to take a role with an organization in Detroit. For the time being, Melissa Ehlinger, who previously served as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, will serve as Interim CEO.
“We’re thrilled by LCMC Health’s commitment to the work we do,” Ehlinger wrote in an email announcement. “With their support, we are now better positioned to hone in on the five clusters identified in ProsperityNOLA, including BioInnovation and Health Services.” Ehlinger went on to write that she and the organization are gratified to know that LCMC Health understands the value of a healthy city, both in body and economy.