Something BIG is coming
For mental health in our community
New Orleans East Hospital is bringing inpatient behavioral health care back to New Orleans East — and making history in the process. New Orleans East Hospital's first-ever in-patient behavioral health unit is now under construction. This is not just a building project. It is a promise to the communities of New Orleans East, Gentilly, and the Lower 9th Ward: the care you deserve is finally coming home.
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September recap
Here is what we have accomplished in September:
- Zone 3 complete: Work in front of patient registration is finished, and the temporary infection-control barriers in that area have been removed. The space is open again.
- Zone 4 underway: Crews have set up infection-control barriers and started work in the Executive Suite on the 1st floor. As a result, the Executive team has temporarily moved to nursing administration during this time.
- Rear elevator hallway: New temporary barrier walls are in place near the rear elevator on the 2nd floor so crews can complete the remaining work in the back hallway.
- New balcony: A temporary exterior wall has been built where the behavioral health unit's new balcony will go.
- Behind the walls: Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installation and ductwork continue throughout the unit.
Progress continues
Construction is now moving into its next phase, which includes the following:
1. Installing window frames
2. Plumbing work above the ceilings in Zones 4 and 5 on the 1st floor
3. Continued mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and ductwork installation
4. Drywall installation in Section A of the behavioral health unit
What we're building
New Orleans East Hospital, a member of LCMC Health, broke walls in June 2026 on New Orleans East Hospital's first-ever in-patient behavioral health unit — bringing inpatient behavioral health care back to New Orleans East.
The unit will provide compassionate, evidence-based care for patients experiencing acute mental health crises — including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other serious mental health conditions. It will be staffed by a dedicated team of behavioral health nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, and support professionals trained to meet patients where they are.
Most importantly, it will be here — in this community — for this community.
The need is real. The time is now.
The behavioral health crisis in New Orleans is urgent, and the data tells the story.
The communities of New Orleans East, Gentilly, and the Lower 9th Ward carry generations of resilience — and generations of unmet need. Post-Katrina trauma, economic stress, and a shortage of nearby mental health resources have made an already difficult situation harder. New Orleans East Hospital is bringing behavioral health care back to the East!
From wall breaking to grand opening
We're counting down to something historic. Here's where we are and where we're headed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is always available: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 NOEH Emergency Department: 5620 Read Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70127
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