The health care industry in Baton Rouge is moving the needle forward in more ways than one. Woman’s Hospital opened a new perinatal mental health unit, Our Lady of the Lake opened a community impact center for nonprofits and Baton Rouge General partnered with Cox Business to make the hospital’s operating rooms more high-tech. In 2024, technology and the use of AI changed the way patients received care while making processes easier for providers. Dr. Leone Elliott, a family medicine physician and owner and medical director of Healthcare Gallery and Wellness Spa, says he started integrating self-check-in kiosks at his medical spa and clinic this year. He uses ambient listening, an AI-driven tool that generates clinical notes from patient and provider conversations so he can focus on the patient instead of taking notes. Elliott also uses an AI-powered fax machine that reads out the fax, recognizes patient information and syncs details to the patient’s chart. In 2025, Elliott plans to implement solely self-service check-in at his front desks. He anticipates that more health care professionals will rely on AI services to reduce provider burnout. With inflation, increasing labor costs and lower physician reimbursement this year, he prioritized working with a smaller team and utilizing technology to help with workflow, which he foresees more physicians doing next year. Medical spas will continue popping up in Baton Rouge, Elliott says. More patients are seeking regenerative medicine and preventive care to assist with antiaging. Lisa Jain, a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist and owner of Kinetic Physical Therapy, says concierge care was more normalized in 2024. She more than doubled her practice in size and staffing to meet the growing demand for physical therapy clients seeking specialized one-on-one care. She also added clinical massage therapy as a service. In 2025, Jain says collaborative care will be a priority for patients and providers. Patients are valuing health care in a new way with an increasing focus on movement, diet and mental health, she says. Next year, she plans to partner with Frost-Barber of Louisiana, a commercial furniture dealer, to offer in-office ergonomic evaluations to local companies and provide employees with office furniture that supports their health. “As health care providers, we need to work together, because it’s not about me or you,” Jain says. “It’s about the patient. Once other providers can get on board with that, it’s going to change the face of health care.” Take Our Poll