JENNINGS, La. (KLFY)-- A groundbreaking was held Thursday to kick off the expansion and renovation of the Oschner American Legion Hospital in Jennings, which will bring state-of-the-art technology and medicine to rural communities.

Dana Williams, the CEO of Oschner American Legion Hospital says the merger between Oschner and Jennings American Legion Hospital is a $23 million investment in rural community and health care system. Williams said it's exciting to see this investment come to life as it will give patients in rural areas access to a state of the art facility.

"We're really excited about the additions that are going to be made to our facility. Technology is one of the things that most of our employees have named as the they're the greatest thing to aid in their care of our patients," Williams said.

In addition to better medicine and technology, Williams said they are creating a frictionless experience for patient registration, relocating their OBGYN rural health clinic, and relocating their retail pharmacy to add a drive-thru option.

"We believe that health care is best delivered close to home, and this is an investment in allowing us to continue to enhance the services that we provide to this community and its investment in Jennings and an investment that will that'll be here for the long term. It's a commitment to our community," Williams said.

The expansion will also bring new jobs.

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