Burge named interim CEO of Savoy Medical Center

MAMOU -- Gene Burge was surprised when he was asked to serve as Interim CEO of Savoy Medical Center.
“I was a little surprised when CHRISTUS leadership asked that I assume the role of Interim CEO,” Burge said. “Savoy Medical Center has been in a management agreement with CHRISTUS for a little more than two years, so it is quite a compliment to know that I have their confidence and support.”
The longtime Director of Anesthesia may have been suprised by the promotion but Burge is excited about what he will bring to the position.
“I am excited about being named to this position, it brings new challenges but my clinical perspective has given me insight into some of the issues our patients, physicians and associates face. From working on an ambulance and bringing patients to the ER, to floor nursing, critical care nursing, anesthesia, Department director, Senior Leadership Team, Chairman of the Board and now CEO.”
The Lake Charles native and Basile High graduate (Class of 1975) began his medical career in 1979 when he worked for Acadian Ambulance as he enrolled in the first EMT-Parademic class in the state. During that time, Burge learned management and intubations with a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in Lafayette.
“That exposure raised my interest in anesthesia and this interest quickly developed into a life plan for me,” said Burge, who is married to Celeste Fournerat Burge and have two children together, Lindsay and Jordan.
Burge went on to graduate from LSU-E Nursing School in 1983 and went to work for Savoy Medical Center that same year, while also still working for Acadian Ambulance. In 1986, Burge enrolled at Durham Regional Hospital School of Anesthesia in Durham, NC and completed that training in August of 1989.
Burge returned home to Savoy Medical Center that fall and has remained with the hospital ever since.
“Often people look for a career and maybe search a lifetime not knowing what they want to do in life,” Burge said. “I was fortunate that I knew early in my anesthesia career that this was what I wanted to do without hesitation.”
Burge is most proud of what he and his colleagues have been able to do when it comes to sharing knowledge, and his favorite memory at Savoy.
“One memory in particular stands out, there was an anesthesia student from the Lake training with us and we had at that time a robust orthopedic program so doing regional or post op pain blocks were not uncommon for us so this student became pretty proficient with femoral and sciatic blocks for total knee replacements,” Burge said.
“After he returned to Baton Rouge, an attending anesthesiologist was demonstrating a femoral-sciatic block and offered the students to try, well our student did the block and responded to the anesthesiologist question “Where did you learn to do this block” with a resounding “In Mamou at Savoy Medical Center”. When his classmate called to tell me the story, I was proud.”
As interim CEO, Burge, who obtained his undergraduate degree from Ottawa University in 1998 and MBA in 2012, has short term and long term goals for Savoy Medical Center.
Burge said the immediate goal is to “continue improvement of finances, continued improvement within the physical plant and equipment updates, continued improvement of patient and associate satisfaction.”
As for long-term goals, Burge said “strengthen the collaboration between Savoy Medical Center and CHRISTUS, succession planning involving providers (recruitment and retention of physicians) and hospital leadership, grow existing services in particular our Rural Health Clinics, operate Savoy Medical Center in a manner that inspires community trust and loyalty and develop effective partnerships with other local and regional health care systems using the community’s needs as a guide.”