Largest Public Hospital in New Orleans Remains Closed Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005

Charity Hospital, the largest public hospital in New Orleans, has remained closed since 2005 as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and has "become perhaps the most notable symbol here of the languid pace of government efforts to rebuild or replace billions of dollars worth of public works wrecked" by the hurricane, USA Today reports. As a result, New Orleans lacks a hospital with the ability to handle the most severe trauma cases or teach new physicians, Kevin Stephens, health director for the city, said. Stephens added that the continued closure of Charity will result in a further loss of physicians and increased strain on the New Orleans health care system.

Louisiana has requested $492 million in federal disaster relief to help finance the conversion of Charity into a $1.2 billion teaching hospital and medical complex. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has said much of the damage at Charity resulted from years of neglect before the hurricane and has offered only $150 million. According to a report from FEMA engineers, the hurricane caused only $99 million in damages to Charity. FEMA added an additional $51 million in part because of "a desire to accelerate the recovery of the health care system in New Orleans," according to the report. FEMA spokesperson Bob Josephson said that the additional funds are for "disputed damages that could not be conclusively determined as disaster-related" (Jervis/Heath, USA Today, 2/9).

In related news, USA Today on Monday also examined how a "massive effort to fix public works destroyed more than three years ago by the Gulf Coast hurricanes remains largely stalled, leaving more than $3.9 billion in federal aid unspent and key repairs far from complete" (Heath, USA Today, 2/9).