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For more than a year, a debate has raged over the sites for new hospitals for Louisiana State University (LSU) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Currently, two different plans are being discussed and as recently as last week, Louisiana Secretary of Health and Hospitals Alan Levine — the state’s point person on the hospital issue — said that no decisions have been made and both plans were still on the table.

At a press conference on Wednesday, March 25th, 2009, The Urban Conservancy joined with more than forty-five local, regional and national organizations to call on Louisiana Governor Jindal to order an independent, third-party comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the two leading plans — LSU’s proposed new construction in Lower Mid-City and the alternative proposal to gut Charity Hospital and rebuild a new 21st century hospital inside the shell. The groups argue that a rigorous, side-by-side financial analysis will both clear up contradictory claims about construction costs of the two plans and will also measure the impact of different timelines on job creation, related economic development and health care delivery to the community.

The proposed medical centers represent the single largest facilities project that will be undertaken in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They will involve massive federal spending, a major appropriation of state funding and should be a critical component to the rebirth of New Orleans. With so many different entities involved and so much at stake, it falls to the Governor to step in and bring impartial evaluation and clarity to the process.

ADD YOUR VOICE TO OURS - TAKE ACTION TODAY! Urge Governor Jindal to step in and order an independent cost-benefit analysis of the competing plans by filling out and sending a message to the Governor today at this link.

Filed under: Rebuilding New Orleans