SLS 19RS-2002 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 161
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
COMMENDAT IONS. Commends Kenneth Joseph Cochran, CEO of Opelousas General
Health System upon being recognized by the National Rural Health Association, American
Hospital Association, and HIMSS.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Kenneth Joseph Cochran, president and chief executive officer of Opelousas
3 General Health System in Opelousas, Louisiana, upon being recognized by the
4 National Rural Health Association (NRHA), the American Hospital Association
5 (AHA), and Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) for his
6 leadership at the hospital and the entire health system.
7 WHEREAS, Dr. Kenneth Cochran holds a doctor of science degree in healthcare
8 leadership (DSc.), is clinically trained as a registered nurse (RN), is a fellow of the American
9 College of Health Executives (FACHE), and is, since July 1, 2015, the president and chief
10 executive officer (CEO) of Opelousas General Health System; and
11 WHEREAS, Kenneth Cochran's more than twenty years of healthcare leadership
12 experience includes fifteen years of hospital leadership as president and CEO of
13 River Valley Health Partners in East Liverpool, Ohio, and, prior to that, he was CEO of
14 Cibola General Hospital in Grants, New Mexico; and
15 WHEREAS, in Louisiana, Dr. Cochran is one of only two healthcare leaders who
16 were recognized by these national healthcare leadership organizations and only sixty
17 individuals were recognized nationally; and
18 WHEREAS, the recognition highlights leaders who possess extensive experience in
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1 healthcare management, demonstrating their commitment to providing high quality,
2 accessible care to rural populations, but also who involve themselves in economic nonprofit
3 organizations and community and state organizations; and
4 WHEREAS, the NRHA, AHA, and HIMSS look beyond the leadership of the
5 hospital where these healthcare executives are employed, and require attention to the
6 surrounding community and state by involving themselves in chambers of commerce and
7 state hospital associations, exhibiting a broader scope of influence than that indicated by the
8 mere leadership of a rural hospital; and
9 WHEREAS, Dr. Cochran is deeply involved in his community and his parish, serving
10 as the president of the Rotary Club of Opelousas Sunrise and chairman of the St. Landry
11 Chamber of Commerce; he is a committee member of the St. Landry Parish Strategic
12 Planning Committee, a member of Vision St. Landry, and the Louisiana State University at
13 Eunice advisory board; and
14 WHEREAS, at the state level, Dr. Cochran was recently appointed to the Louisiana
15 Hospital Association (LHA) board of directors, is a trustee of the LHA's research and
16 education foundation, and is a member of the legislative review and policy committee; he
17 has been recognized nationally by the American College of Healthcare Executives with their
18 Regent's Award and Early Career Healthcare Executives; and
19 WHEREAS, Dr. Cochran has led Opelousas General's two hundred nine bed,
20 two-campus facility at a time when all the indicators signaled a dubious future for the
21 facility, with negative revenue and fewer admissions; however, he reshaped the system such
22 that revenues grew significantly and he expanded the health system by building an eleven
23 thousand square foot cancer center, bringing twenty new physicians into the healthcare
24 system as a whole; and
25 WHEREAS, since 1957, Opelousas General Health System has been dedicated to
26 providing quality healthcare through its high standards and strong commitment to serving
27 the rural area surrounding Opelousas, and while serving as the area's referral medical center,
28 advanced its commitment to state-of-the-art technology; and
29 WHEREAS, Kenneth Cochran, DSc., RN, FACHE brought experience in the rural
30 hospital industry to his leadership at Opelousas General Health System; his expertise gained
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1 through both education and experience, but, perhaps most importantly, he brought a
2 commitment to providing exceptional rural healthcare and a belief that investing in people
3 and technology would best serve the people who expect and depend on exceptional and
4 accessible healthcare.
5 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
6 does hereby commend Kenneth Joseph Cochran, president and CEO of Opelousas General
7 Health System in Opelousas, Louisiana, upon being recognized by the NRHA, the AHA, and
8 HIMSS for his leadership at Opelousas General Health System and hospital.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
10 Kenneth Cochran, DSc., RN, FACHE, and president and CEO of Opelousas General Health
11 System.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
SR 161 Original 2019 Regular Session Boudreaux
Commends Kenneth Joseph Cochran, president and CEO of Opelousas General Hospital in
Opelousas, Louisiana, upon being recognized by the NRHA, the AHA, and HIMSS for his
leadership at the health system, as a whole, and at the hospital.
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