WE ARE OMEGA
Karla LeBlanc Lucas
Meet Karla, the Director of Nursing over Perioperative Services, which include the Pre-Admit Testing Center, Pre/Post-Op Unit and PACU (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit) at Omega Hospital. On paper, her daily responsibilities include overseeing the nursing staff and ensuring all operations run smoothly in all of her areas (among a long list of other things). But to Karla, her role at Omega is so more than that.
“My ultimate goal is to make sure patients have the best experience possible during what could be a very nerve-wracking time in their life,” she says. “People have a choice these days and they come to Omega expecting us to exceed their expectations. My goal is to make sure we really deliver on that.”
Before joining Omega in October of 2023, like many others, Karla was on the search for a higher sense of purpose, for something more than just a job title. Not only did she have over 37 years of experience, but also a genuine desire to help create a safe, trusting working environment – something she hadn’t found anywhere else.
When she first interviewed at Omega, she said “I knew immediately that our visions perfectly aligned. That really sparked a flame in me that I had lost.”
Since then, Karla’s main goal at Omega is to help foster a unified, family-like atmosphere outside the corporate mold. “I feel fortunate to be able to recruit team members who not only possess great work ethics, but are here for the right reasons – to deliver quality, patient centered care you cannot find anywhere else in New Orleans,” she says. “Watching my team grow and evolve into exceptional nurses and leaders truly touches my heart every day. It’s an honor to help build Omega and the future of nursing in this way.”
Karla credits Omega’s boutique atmosphere and collaborative spirit for enabling the nursing staff to perform their duties exceptionally well. “When you remove all the unnecessary, corporate obstacles and simply focus on finetuning the processes that do work, you’re then able to focus on what’s most important – giving patients the top-notch care they need and deserve.”
“One day, I hope to leave behind a legacy that will continue to shape future generations of nurses here to come at Omega. But that day is not today,” she laughs. “Until then, I will continue to do all I can to help build Omega as the best place to be – as either an employee or a patient.”
When Karla isn’t at Omega taking care of our staff and patients, you can find her following her talented son in the musical theater scene in NYC or London’s West End. Karla is also actively involved in supporting her daughter as a 3rd year Graphic Design student at Loyola, who also serves as the VP of Programming for Theta Phi Alpha. She also enjoys spending time with the newest members of the family, her 2 mini golden doodles, Roux and Nola Mae.