Longtime Moosa Memorial Hospital administrator Douglas C. Longman Sr. died on Sept. 4. He was 90 years old.
Longman began work at the hospital in 1962 and retired in December 1992 after serving 20 years as administrator. He had started as assistant administrator.
Longman was a graduate of St. Edmund High School and the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now University of Louisiana Lafayette.
When he retired he said, “I never thought it would be 30 years. I don’t think anyone can truthfully say when they start a new job that they’re definitely going to be there for 30 years. I never imagined I would retire here.”
Longman led the hospital through a period of growth. When he started the budget was about $500,000 and the 1993 budget was almost $13 million.
The staff had grown from about 75 to 200.
When he started in 1962, Medicare and Medicaid did not exist.
Longman saw the development of out-patient care, intensive care unit, a CAT scan unit, mobile MRI, ultrasound, day care center and a second floor to the hospital.
In an interview with The Eunice News in December 1992, he said the biggest change was the shift to out-patient care.
And, he saw the need the for more change in health care.
“I think it needs a change. We need a nationwide health care program. We need it to keep in touch with our mobile society,” he said.
Longman said the Board of Directors when he started included Wilson Moosa as chairman and members, John Clark, Murphy Guillory Jr., J.B. Lewis and George Ray Stagg.
Craig Ortego succeeded Longman as administrator.
Longman was active in community groups including serving as president of the Rotary Club and as a member of the LSUE Advisory Board.
A full obituary is on Page 5.