Business phone system for physician practices in Louisiana
2,994 physician practices operated in Louisiana in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.
- Establishments
- 2,994CBP 2023
- Employees
- 36,426mid-March 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 65.1U.S. 60.2
- State rank
- 20th of 51by count
Physician practices in Louisiana by the numbers
County Business Patterns counts 2,994 establishments in Louisiana classified as Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (NAICS 621111) for 2023. They employed 36,426 people in mid-March and reported $3.6 billion in annual payroll. That is the 20th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Physician practices make up 2.8% of the 108,561 business establishments in the state.
Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Louisiana has 65.1 physician practices, 8.2% above the national rate of 60.2. The average establishment has 12.2 employees against 13.2 nationally. Payroll per employee is $98,804, 6.5% below the U.S. figure of $105,652.
| Measure | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 2,994 | 204,617 |
| Mid-March employees | 36,426 | 2,706,297 |
| Annual payroll | $3,599,045,000 | $285,925,593,000 |
| Employees per establishment | 12.2 | 13.2 |
| Payroll per employee | $98,804 | $105,652 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 65.1 | 60.2 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Where physician practices in Louisiana are concentrated
Census published medical practice counts for 19 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Louisiana. The largest is New Orleans, LA, with 604 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 97% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.
| Area | Establishments | Employees | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 604 | 7,942 | 62.5 |
| Lafayette, LA | 437 | 3,266 | 104.1 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 369 | 7,572 | 41.8 |
| Shreveport, LA | 341 | 3,411 | 89.0 |
| Slidell, LA | 245 | 2,856 | 88.3 |
| Monroe, LA | 196 | 1,955 | 88.3 |
| Alexandria, LA | 159 | 1,510 | 107.4 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 145 | 1,740 | 59.7 |
| Houma, LA | 118 | 1,682 | 59.2 |
| Opelousas, LA | 68 | 763 | 84.1 |
| Hammond, LA | 55 | 1,014 | 39.3 |
| New Iberia, LA | 52 | 324 | 77.0 |
| Natchez, MS-LA | 29 | 198 | 54.3 |
| Ruston, LA | 25 | 228 | 51.8 |
| Morgan City, LA | 20 | 172 | 42.7 |
| Minden, LA | 19 | 264 | 54.0 |
| Natchitoches, LA | 17 | 91 | 47.2 |
| DeRidder, LA | 14 | 49 | 38.2 |
| Bogalusa, LA | 12 | — | 26.6 |
Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023; population from Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Team sizes at physician practices in Louisiana
55.1% of Louisiana's physician practices with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 52.7% nationally. 74.2% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 1,651 | 55.1% | 52.7% |
| 5–9 employees | 571 | 19.1% | 18.7% |
| 10–19 employees | 411 | 13.7% | 14.7% |
| 20–49 employees | 236 | 7.9% | 9.8% |
| 50 or more employees | 125 | 4.2% | 4.2% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
What physician practices in Louisiana use the phone for
Physician offices field a steady stream of scheduling, prescription refill and test-result calls, and the same few staff members usually answer all of them. Routing calls to the right person and capturing clear messages keeps the waiting room and the phone lines moving.
Typical inbound and outbound calls for physician practices in Louisiana:
- A patient calls to request a prescription refill.
- A patient calls asking whether lab results have arrived.
- A pharmacy calls to clarify a medication order.
Calls after closing time
After-hours callers need to hear clearly what to do in an emergency, and non-urgent messages need to be waiting, transcribed, for staff the next morning.
Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.
Callata vs. per-seat pricing for physician practices in Louisiana
Physician practices in Louisiana average 12.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 12-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $299.40 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $360.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 12 people cost $239.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,452. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $239.00 | $2,868.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $228.00 | $2,736.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $276.00 | $3,312.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $299.40 | $3,592.80 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $324.00 | $3,888.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $360.00 | $4,320.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Area codes in Louisiana
Louisiana has 6 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your patients know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 318 | 764 | Central | 1957 | 457 |
| 337 | 599 | Central | 1999 | none |
| 504 | 563 | Central | 1947 | none |
| 225 | 501 | Central | 1998 | none |
| 985 | 447 | Central | 2001 | none |
| 457 | 0 | Central | 2025 | 318 |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
How Callata works for physician practices in Louisiana
Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.
If you already have a number in Louisiana, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.
Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.
Frequently asked questions
How many physician practices are in Louisiana?
2,994 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 36,426 people in mid-March.
Which Louisiana metro area has the most physician practices?
New Orleans, LA, with 604 establishments in 2023.
What does a phone system cost a 12-person medical practice?
$360.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $299.40 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $239.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).
Do I need to register to text customers from a Louisiana number?
Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.