"Broken Levees, Broken Lives"...the Post-Katrina Focus on Health

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

"Broken Levees, Broken Lives"...the Post-Katrina Focus on Health

Three years after Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans are still waiting...

Even though flooding only occurred in the basement, which was cleaned up and ready to reopen in October of 2005, the famous Charity Hospital in New Orleans remains closed in 2008 as the Louisiana State University (LSU) systems office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) squabble over plans to build a newer, prettier hospital--a project which would take years and millions of dollars to complete while Charity stands empty.

Meanwhile, the people of NOLA rely heavily on free health clinics, or wait in long lines to be seen at smaller remaining hospitals while their health deteriorates. Many Americans are unaware that Charity is the second-largest hospital in the nation, and had been serving as the primary trauma center for all of southern Louisiana. They also may be unaware, as Dr. James Moises highlights in the video, that there is a national trend to close public hospitals like Charity, marking the end of our public health safety net as we know it.

Will America be ready for the next disaster?

"We're still not prepared," says Kim Lange, a New Orleans native and nurse practitioner featured in the video. "We need a national healthcare system that has the capability of stepping in at the time of impact and providing the healthcare services needed."

Regardless of age, socioeconomic status, religion, cultural background, or race, we all must face the fears of illness, aging, and death. Guaranteed universal healthcare for everyone in America is the only compassionate solution!

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/TRAUMA/ECMO/BURN/PACU/.
"Broken Levees, Broken Lives"...the Post-Katrina Focus on Health

Three years after Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans are still waiting...

Even though flooding only occurred in the basement, which was cleaned up and ready to reopen in October of 2005, the famous Charity Hospital in New Orleans remains closed in 2008 as the Louisiana State University (LSU) systems office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) squabble over plans to build a newer, prettier hospital--a project which would take years and millions of dollars to complete while Charity stands empty.

Meanwhile, the people of NOLA rely heavily on free health clinics, or wait in long lines to be seen at smaller remaining hospitals while their health deteriorates. Many Americans are unaware that Charity is the second-largest hospital in the nation, and had been serving as the primary trauma center for all of southern Louisiana. They also may be unaware, as Dr. James Moises highlights in the video, that there is a national trend to close public hospitals like Charity, marking the end of our public health safety net as we know it.

Will America be ready for the next disaster?

"We're still not prepared," says Kim Lange, a New Orleans native and nurse practitioner featured in the video. "We need a national healthcare system that has the capability of stepping in at the time of impact and providing the healthcare services needed."

Regardless of age, socioeconomic status, religion, cultural background, or race, we all must face the fears of illness, aging, and death. Guaranteed universal healthcare for everyone in America is the only compassionate solution!

This is a very moving documentary video, well done. Although it tells a shameful :(story about the decimation of our public health care system, it's a story of hope:nurse: and courage and action. It's a testimony to the fact that there's something very wrong with health care in America and it's a wake-up call. We need to pass HR 676, the universal health care legislation, and hold our government accountable for providing health care security to all:up:. Thanks for posting it, herring_RN.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

[color=#752222]fixing charity is the faster, cheaper option, study says

but state supporting brand-new hospital

baton rouge -- the shuttered charity hospital can be gutted and rebuilt into a state-of-the-art teaching hospital for less money and in shorter time than it would take the state to build a new hospital, according to a structural assessment of the building unveiled wednesday. ...

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1219297056241410.xml&coll=1

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

what katrina revealed

from the harvard law and policy review.

http://www.hlpronline.com/quigley_hlpr.pdf

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No, it shows there is something very wrong with New Orleans and the Democratic thievery that has been going on for decades. The levees were never correctly built in the 1970's the money miappropriated and given as kickbacks and self serving politicians. The U.S. Government has already dumped billions of dollars into New Orleans and what is the end result? The fact is New Orleans will always be dommed sitting below sea level and Louisianna losing coastal ground on a daily basis. Ray Nagin is an absolute joke but the people vote him right back in. I have little sympathy for people who reelect a man that has already given them the shaft so many times.

This is a very moving documentary video, well done. Although it tells a shameful :(story about the decimation of our public health care system, it's a story of hope:nurse: and courage and action. It's a testimony to the fact that there's something very wrong with health care in America and it's a wake-up call. We need to pass HR 676, the universal health care legislation, and hold our government accountable for providing health care security to all:up:. Thanks for posting it, herring_RN.
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