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Robin Rudowitz, Diane Rowland, and Adele Shartzer Health Care In New Orleans Before And After Hurricane Katrina Health Affairs, September/October 2006; 25(5): w393-w406. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Reprints & Permissions]

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New Orleans Hospitals -- One Year After Katrina

Mustafa Z. Younis   ( 28 November 2006 )

New Orleans Hospitals -- One Year After Katrina 28 November 2006
Mustafa Z. Younis, Chair, Dept. of Health Policy & Management School of Public Health, Florida International University Send comment to journal: Re: New Orleans Hospitals -- One Year After Katrina younis99{at}gmail.com Mustafa Z. Younis	On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Louisiana, and other areas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the United States. At least 80% of New Orleans flooded, and much of the infrastructure of the city and surrounding areas was destroyed. Many of the city residents evacuated and did not return. Furthermore, many of hospitals closed, and remained closed due to logistic and financial issues. While over 50% of hospitals in New Orleans closed since Katrina and the numbers of hospitals, physicians, nurses, and other health care providers in the surrounding metro area declined, the residents of New Orleans have suffered higher incidence rates of mental and physical illnesses. Therefore, we could not conclude that the number of beds available per populations is appropriate post-Katrina. Due to the close of safety-net hospitals (such as Charity Hospitals, which had over 700 beds) and other health care services, we conclude that the city is in desperate need for help from the federal, state, and local governments to maintain the hospital safety net. Furthermore, due to the mental effect and financial impact on the city residents, many individuals are delaying needed preventive and primary health care visits.