Larry Meese, chief executive officer of Lane Regional Medical Center for the past eight years, has announced he will retire October 31, 2024.
“A national search for my replacement is underway, and I am confident our Board of Commissioners will find a great candidate to lead Lane in future growth opportunities an exceptional service,” says Meese. “It has been an absolute honor for me to work at the hospital and support all the people that make Lane such a successful family. I thank each and every staff member, physician, and board member for their hard work and dedication to Lane, the communities we serve, and our patients. I am proud of their individual and organizational achievements.”
During his tenure at Lane, Meese has been responsible for charting a course of aggressive growth and expansion for the organization and investing in the communities it serves by:
- Spearheading Lane’s new $90M expansion project focused entirely on patient care, including all new patient rooms, surgical floor, and patient registration areas upon its completion
- Adding new service lines – Medical Oncology, Pediatrics, Audiology, Gastroenterology, Outpatient Therapy (PT/OT/ST), Dermatology, Weight Loss Surgery, Allergy/Asthma/Immunology, Nutritional Services, Lactation Consultation, Chronic Care Management, and two retail Pharmacies (one located inside the hospital and the other a free-standing building in front of the hospital)
- Adding 24 employed physicians and nine mid-level providers to Lane’s medical staff
- Expanding technology with a new electronic medical record system for staff and MyChart for patients, creating a nationwide linking of patient data to improve care
- Invested resources to implement industry leading quality, staffing, accounting, and materials management software
- Expanding services – heart catherization lab, pediatrics, and OB/GYN areas, centralized scheduling, occupational medicine services, and hospital medicine coverage
- Opening – Lane Gastroenterology, Lane Pediatrics, Lane Dermatology, Lane Outpatient Therapy, Lane Rx, and Lane Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Today, the 131-bed hospital employs more than 850 team members and holds top accreditations from:
- The Joint Commission as at Top Performer on Key Quality Measures
- Society of Chest Pain Centers as a Cycle V Chest Pain Accreditation Center
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana as a Blue Distinction+ Center for Maternity Care
- Louisiana Department of Health as a Gift Shining Star hospital for breastfeeding
- Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative a Birth Ready + facility perinatal health
Under Meese’s leadership, the hospital also garnered numerous awards and recognitions, including:
- Acute Care Hospital of the Year for 2021 (61-160 beds) from Louisiana Nurses Foundation / Louisiana State Nurses Association
- Large Business of the Year Award from Zachary Chamber of Commerce
- Platinum level Workplace Partner for Life award from Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency
- A total of six Celebrate Nursing Awards from the Baton Rouge District Nursing Association
- Clinical Nurse Educator of the Year and Clinical Practice Nurse of the Year from Louisiana State Nurses Association
- People’s Choice Award 2023 for Best in Healthcare Services from Zachary Chamber of Commerce
- Best Marketing Team award from Louisiana Hospital Association
- Increasing Lane’s CMS customer service and quality rankings by two stars, and more than doubling Lane’s Google star rating
A Pittsburg, PA native, Meese has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. He is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives and a 10-year veteran of the United States Army. Meese currently serves on the board for the Zachary and Baker Chambers’ of Commerce.
