Slidell Memorial Hospital

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

We were honored to welcome St. Tammany Parish Public School System allied health educators participating in the Focus on the Future of Health Science group to the Slidell Regional Cancer Center.

During their visit, our administration team provided a tour of the facility, allowing participants to meet our team members and learn more about the specialized care and services available to patients in our community.

Helping educators understand the many career paths available in healthcare is an important part of preparing students for future success. When teachers have firsthand knowledge of healthcare careers and workplace environments, they can better connect students with opportunities that match their interests and goals.

At SMH, we believe investing in healthcare education is an investment in the future of Slidell. We are proud to work with local schools and community partners, including Northshore Technical Community College, to provide students with opportunities for training, hands-on experience and employment. Together, we are helping develop the next generation of healthcare professionals who will care for our community for years to come.

Our partnership with Ochsner Health plays an important role in this mission. By working together, we can provide expanded educational opportunities, strengthen workforce development efforts and help ensure students have access to the resources and experiences needed to pursue careers in healthcare close to home.

Thank you to the educators who joined us and to all of our partners who support healthcare education and workforce development in our region. 💙

Learn more about Slidell Regional Cancer Center https://ow.ly/wjxK50Z7PEa

06/04/2026

Save the date for Business After Hours hosted by SMH/Ochsner at the Slidell Memorial Hospital Imaging Center on Thursday, June 18.

Join fellow Chamber members and employees as we celebrate the imaging center’s newly renovated space and addition of two MRI machines. Guests will enjoy food, drinks and networking in a relaxed atmosphere. We hope you'll join us: 1495 Gause Blvd. in Slidell. https://bit.ly/4eaz10U

06/02/2026

What started as a simple day of service project became something much larger.

Members of our Northshore and Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Leadership Team recently volunteered at Florida Avenue Elementary School, a neighbor of Slidell Memorial Hospital, with plans to help refresh a classroom through painting and improvements. As the project evolved, so did the opportunity to make an even greater impact.

Working alongside school leaders, our team helped transform the space into a dedicated sensory room designed to support students with special needs. The room is now officially open, providing children with a welcoming environment where they can engage in activities that support sensory regulation, including compression, spinning, hopping and other sensory experiences.

Jason Wilson, COO of Slidell Memorial Hospital said "This is a portion of healthcare and being a part of a good community. It was so exciting to see the reaction of the children, it just takes your breath away."

Seeing the smiles on students' faces as they experienced the new space for the first time was a powerful reminder that caring for a community extends far beyond hospital walls. We are honored to support opportunities that help local children learn, grow and thrive.

06/01/2026

The 17th annual Fit as a Firefighter Camp is officially underway at Camp Villere, bringing together local organizations to educate, inspire and empower young members of our community.

This fun-filled week is packed with activities that not only teach participants valuable life skills, but also get them outside and meeting new friends.

On the first day of camp participants received a welcome from Chief Chris Kaufmann, learned about sun safety with the Slidell Regional Cancer Center, witnessed how the firefighters extricate passengers from a burning car, made delicious yogurt parfaits and learned about oral hygiene with our friends at Smile Doctors.

SMH is proud to host this camp every year with Ochsner Health and St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1. By introducing children to healthy lifestyles, safety awareness, teamwork and community service, Fit as a Firefighter Camp helps build stronger connections between local families, first responders, healthcare professionals and the greater Slidell community.

05/22/2026

A week before he was scheduled to take a cruise to the Western Caribbean with his wife, Rickie M. scheduled a calcium score screening at the advice of his primary care doctor, Stephen Lambert, MD.

He felt perfectly healthy and had no symptoms, so hearing he was at high risk for a heart attack was completely unexpected.

Dr. Lambert referred Rickie to Vasanth Bethala, MD, an interventional cardiologist at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute at Slidell Memorial Hospital. Dr. Bethala performed an angiogram, which showed multiple blockages in Rickie's heart.

“This checkup, this imaging that I had done, it saved my life,” Rickie said. “I firmly believe that I would not still be here had it not been for the medical assistance that I had.”

Gregory Eckholdt, MD, a cardiac surgeon at Ochsner Health Center – Gause, recommended emergency bypass surgery.

“I said, ‘Can this wait until I get back?’” Rickie said. “He looked at me – I could remember his look – he said, ‘You need surgery now.’”

After a successful surgery and recovery, Rickie has continued playing jazz piano at churches and in bands in and around New Orleans, including at Preservation Hall. He said he feels great and is thankful to the doctors and his care team at Slidell Memorial and Ochsner.

“The care team was just on the ball, out of sight,” he said. “I recommend (them) to anybody.”

Learn more about Rickie and the life-saving care he received at Ochsner Health and Slidell Memorial Hospital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vivAsU-pa8

05/13/2026

Spots are still available for this year's Fit as a Firefighter Summer Camp!

To register your camper, please make an appointment with one of our community outreach team members by calling (985) 280-8529.

For more information about Fit as a Firefighter Summer Camp, please visit https://www.slidellmemorial.org/community-outreach

05/10/2026

Happy National Nurses Week to our amazing team of dedicated nurses at Slidell Memorial Hospital! 💙
Today, we're recognizing the emergency department team. Join us in wishing them a Happy Nurses Week!

05/09/2026

Happy National Nurses Week to our amazing team of dedicated nurses at Slidell Memorial Hospital! 💙

Join us in wishing the perioperative services team a Happy Nurses Week! The endoscopy, post anesthesia care, ambulatory surgery, and surgery and sterile processing teams are pictured here.

02/12/2026

February is Heart Month, a time to focus on heart health and its impact on the body. A healthy heart plays a vital role in wound healing by supporting proper circulation, which delivers the oxygen and nutrients needed for healing.

For individuals living with heart disease such as coronary artery disease or peripheral arterial disease (PAD), specialized wound care can make a meaningful difference.

Call the Wound Center at 985.646.5751 or visit https://ow.ly/Qqpp50YctTO to learn more about wound care and support healing this Heart Month.