Last week LSU Bogalusa Medical Center CEO Kurt Scott said LSU intends to issue a press release on the status of the hospital “within the next week or so,” and he added that “planning work” was under way “in anticipation of an agreement being finalized in the next few weeks.”

Since then, a takeover of the medical center by the Baton Rouge-based system that runs St. Elizabeth Hospital of Gonzales became apparent by that hospital’s website, steh.com, which last week posted job openings for more than 100 positions in Bogalusa.

The jobs include 29 in administrative support, 12 in allied support, two in information systems and tech support, five in nursing, five in nursing support, 37 in professional and 14 in services and trades.

St. Elizabeth Hospital is part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, which was organized in 1984. It serves patients across the state through a network of hospitals, clinics, physicians, elderly housing and integrated information systems and currently employs more than 9,000 people.

The four listed FMOLHS-sponsored hospitals are Our Lady Of The Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Our Lady Of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales and St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Monroe.

There is no mention of a LSUBMC takeover on the site, but Scott said a takeover is in the works.

“We are moving forward in anticipation of an agreement with St. Elizabeth Hospital to take over operations and management of BMC,” he said. “The contracts and agreements are very complex. They involve (the Department of Health and Hospitals), St. Elizabeth and LSU. They are not finalized yet, but the agreement is expected to be finalized before mid-June.”

Scott said St. Elizabeth’s job listing was set up for the current LSUBMC employees.

“They are not new jobs,” he said.

“We had Town Hall meetings last week to let them know the process.”

Additional information will be released when the deal is finalized, Scott said.

LSUBMC is one of the largest employers in Bogalusa, and the city’s primary health care provider.