ATLANTA and Lafayette, LA – (September 15, 2020) Cox and Lafayette General Health System (LGH) have announced a partnership that will aid in innovating new technology to meet the demands of a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.

This initial collaboration is a first step in a multi-year effort to develop new solutions that help improve hospital operations, patient experiences, and move more healthcare to the home. Future initiatives may include deploying and testing additional telemedicine, digital health, and patient monitoring solutions, in partnership with Cox’s New Growth and Development organization and Lafayette General Health’s Innovation Fund.

The collaboration will allow for joint product and service creation through the combined efforts of both organizations. “We’ve always been impressed with the amount of innovation coming out of LGH, and we’re thrilled to partner with them on this new initiative,” explained Leigh King, Cox Business Louisiana vice president. Lafayette General Health will serve as a sandbox beta site to test and improve novel healthcare solutions to be used at LGH and other healthcare systems around the country.

“Restoring, maintaining and improving health in the people and communities we serve is at the core of everything we do. Partnering with Cox on this initiative to enhance our operations further underscores this mission,” said Mike Dozier, chief information officer, Lafayette General Health. “Cox is spearheading the call to transform healthcare, and we’re proud to align with them to future-proof our organization.”

“Health systems are operating in a difficult environment and are looking for innovative partners with new ideas, technologies, and approaches,” said George Valentine, executive director, new growth & development, Cox Communications. “We are excited to work with LGH to make the experience of healthcare easy, effective, and personalized by improving the connection between people and their care provider.”

Cox’s southeast region senior vice president and region manager Anthony Pope said, “We’re always excited to partner with innovators, and LGH is a shining example of innovation in Acadiana. During your average day at the clinic or in the midst of a pandemic, they continue to find ways to leverage technology to create healthy communities and improve patient outcomes. We salute their work.”

Lafayette General Health and Cox Communications’ relationship is well-established and has grown positively through the years. Recently, for example, Cox provided all Southwest Louisiana residents with a specific video on-demand channel that included local telemedicine options, including Health Anywhere, information from LGH, all news programs and sources related to COVID-19, newest updates from the Centers for Disease Control, the newest updates from the World Health Organization and live and previously recorded programing regarding the Coronavirus Pandemic. Additionally, LGH and Cox Business’ Trapollo telehealth unit have submitted multiple telemedicine and telehealth grant applications. “More and more, the provision of healthcare occurs outside the walls of the hospital and doctor’s office. Having the ability to reach our patients in their homes and via the device/technology platform they choose will be essential. Through our partnership with Cox, we will be able to focus on the patient, providing them the right care, at the right time and the right place. We look forward to building upon our prior work with Cox to innovate the care we provide to our patients. Truly, the future of healthcare is bright when two partners like Lafayette General Health and Cox come together to navigate and create the future,” explained Cian Robinson, executive director of research, innovation and real estate investments for LGH.  

For more information on the Cox Communications and LGH smart hospital, visit https://coxbusiness.com/healthcare or https://www.lafayettegeneral.com/healthcare-innovation-fund.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through broadband applications and services. The largest private telecom company in America, we proudly serve six million homes and businesses across 18 states. We're dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that makes each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.

About Lafayette General Health

Lafayette General Health (LGH) is a non-profit health system committed to delivering excellent care to Southwest Louisiana across a 10-parish area known as Acadiana. The system’s flagship hospital is Lafayette General Medical Center, founded in 1911, which serves as the Level II Trauma Center for southwest Louisiana. LGH also owns or manages Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, Lafayette General Orthopaedic Hospital, St. Martin Hospital, University Hospital & Clinics, Acadia General Hospital and Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital. Both Lafayette General Medical Center and University Hospital & Clinics are major teaching hospitals, providing graduate medical education across many disciplines. Lafayette General Health is a founding member of the Ochsner Health Network, a collaboration of leading health systems across the greater Gulf South region. LGMC ranked #17 in Top 100 Consumer Loyalty by NRC Health. Lafayette General Health has been named “Most Wired” by CHIME Healthcare’s Most Wired since 2012. And for the last four years, LGH entities have been named among Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work. For more information about Lafayette General Health and its affiliates, visit LafayetteGeneral.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.