FIND A DOCTOR FIND A LOCATION MYCHART SERVICES MORE ABOUT US ABOUT OUR SPONSORS HEALTH HUB About Our Sponsors Catholic communities of Sisters devoted to caring for the sick were instrumental in developing the hospital system in America. One or more hospitals in every major city in the U.S. can trace its heritage to the efforts of Catholic Sisters. The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady began in 1854 when seven autonomous groups of Franciscan Sisters in France banded together and were named the Franciscan Sisters of Calais. These Sisters soon expanded into Europe, Asia, and North and South America. The United States group, organized and operating solely in Louisiana, began in 1911 when six Franciscan Sisters brought their healing ministry to Louisiana. In 1913, the St. Francis Sanitarium opened in downtown Monroe, where it continues to serve the people of north Louisiana. In 1921, the Franciscan Sisters began plans for a presence in Baton Rouge, and opened Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium, as well as the School of Nursing in 1923 on the banks of Capitol Lake in downtown Baton Rouge. In 1978, envisioning the growth of Baton Rouge, the hospital and School of Nursing was moved to its larger campus off Essen Lane. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette was opened in 1949, and moved to its current campus in 2011. In March 2019, Women's and Children's Hospital was acquired and joined the family of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System was organized in 1984 as a non-profit corporation. In 1989, in a transition to a degree-granting institution of higher education, Our Lady of the Lake College of Nursing and Allied Health was registered with the state. In July 1995, the College was officially renamed Our Lady of the Lake College and underwent another change in October 2016 becoming Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, or FranU. In 1996, Assumption Community Hospital in Napoleonville became a part of system, when the Sisters received word that the community hospital was closing, which would leave this rural bayou region without quality healthcare. In August 2000, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center purchased Riverview Medical Center in Gonzales, which was set to close. The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady saw the promise and need for continued healthcare in the growing Ascension Parish. St Elizabeth Hospital began as a subsidiary of Our Lady of the Lake in 2000 and changed their name to Our Lady of the Lake Ascension in 2019. In March 2014, the Health System assumed the management and operations of the 98-bed LSU Bogalusa Medical Center, renaming the hospital as Our Lady of the Angels. On July 1, 2019, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady completed the transition of sponsorship from the Dominican Sisters for St. Dominic Health Services, a Catholic health system in Mississippi. St. Dominic Health Services, Inc. is the parent company for a large group of subsidiary organizations and programs dedicated to the same mission. These include St. Dominic Hospital, the Community Health Clinic, St. Dominic Medical Associates (physician network), New Directions for Over 55, MEA Clinics, The Club at St. Dominic’s, the School Nurse Program, St. Dominic Health Services Foundation, St. Catherine’s Village and Care-A-Van. Today, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady remains strongly committed to its ministry of health and spiritual wholeness, serving all of God's people through their ministry of healthcare. To read more about the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, please visit their website at www.fmolsisters.com. ABOUT US ANNUAL REPORT AWARDS AND HONORS CORPORATE OFFICE AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT HISTORY MISSION AND VALUES QUALITY CARE ABOUT OUR SPONSORS LEADERSHIP CONNECT WITH US HELPFUL LINKS SITE MAP PRIVACY POLICY DISCLAIMER NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY Copyright © 2021 Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System