BRF, formerly Biomedical Research Foundation, will continue to own and operate North Louisiana’s safety net hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe under a new collaborative partnership agreement we have reached with the State and LSU.

We are very pleased that through negotiations we were able to reach an agreement similar to those executed with the other private partners, leading to a more balanced and sustainable financial model for the hospitals and LSU.

We are also optimistic that the Memorandum of Understanding will serve as a platform in working collaboratively with LSU and the State to reach our highest and best potential.

Under the new agreement, BRF strongly renews its commitment to the LSU School of Medicine Shreveport and the shared mission of meeting the public purpose by advancing healthcare delivery and medical education, optimizing resources, and improving access to a full range of clinical care services for the citizens of North Louisiana.

In delivering on our public purpose over the first three years of partnership, BRF has vastly improved the quality of care offered at the region’s safety net hospitals while saving the state’s taxpayers more than $100 million.

Through these negotiations, we have achieved what we believe will be adequate funding to strengthen support for the LSU school of Medicine Shreveport, which will assist the school in realizing a more sustainable future. We know the community wants to secure the future for the school and move beyond the status quo.

We believe this new agreement heralds a new era of cooperation and collaboration among all parties.

I thank Governor John Bel Edwards and his staff for their contribution to the process leading to this agreement. We all are grateful to our North Louisiana legislative advocates who have been instrumental in University Health’s success since the early stages of its transition into a private hospital.

I also thank University Health’s employees and our physician partners at the LSU School of Medicine Shreveport for their dedicated service.

BRF remains committed to supporting a competitive local healthcare marketplace, which lowers healthcare costs and drives quality healthcare improvements in this region.

We look forward to working together with the State and LSU to build our region’s future through better healthcare in North Louisiana.

-Stephen F. Skrivanos

University Health Chairman