Charity Hospital, long a New Orleans institution, will not reopen in the ravaged city.
Don Smithburg, chief executive officer of LSU’s Health Care Services Division, said during Wednesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting more than 60 percent of the hospital was damaged.
“FEMA has a rule,” Smithburg said. “If 50 percent of the structure is damaged, it should be replaced.”
As a result of Charity’s damage, there is only one remaining level-one trauma center in the state – and it is located in Shreveport. Level-one trauma centers are those equipped to handle the most severe and life-threatening emergency medical situations.
“Right now, the [U.S.S.] Comfort is serving as our level-one trauma center [in New Orleans],” he said.
The Comfort is the military’s sea-based mobile hospital. The Navy activated it Aug. 31 to aid in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
“There were two level-one trauma centers in the state and now we have one in Shreveport,” said board chairman Bernard Boudreaux. “We need three.”
The board and Smithburg agreed two new hospitals will be built in the next five to six years, one in New Orleans to replace Charity and one in Baton Rouge to replace Earl K. Long medical center.
A new Baton Rouge hospital is needed because of the population explosion in the city following hurricane evacuations.
“We were already faced with needing a new facility before the population shift,” Smithburg said.
Many members of the board stressed they will do everything in their power to help rebuild New Orleans and compensate for the population changes in Baton Rouge.
“To make New Orleans successful and to make Baton Rouge successful, we’re going to need to bring these [hospitals] up simultaneously,” said board member Stuart Slack.
Smithburg estimated a new hospital in New Orleans would cost in excess of $560 million, adding to an already dire financial situation for the health system. He said without federal aid, the health system can only pay its employees though October. They are actively seeking both FEMA support and charitable donations.
“If we are unsuccessful, we’re going to have to take some major personnel actions,” he said. “Federal relief is the answer.”
Charity Hospital and Earl K. Long Medical Center both serve as training hospitals for LSU Health Sciences.
Contact Mathew Sanders at [email protected]