[StBernard] A parish hospital & question for Craig

[Westley Annis]

Hey Jim,

thanks for your support-  I don't think there is a need for expropriation as
there is a willingness to sell the land.  It really boils down to getting
past all of these political games that are being played during this election
season.  I believe there will be significant movement shortly after Nov 17.

keep watching.

God Bless,
craig


-----Original Message-----
A hospital service district was created for St. Bernard Parish by the Parish
Council on Tuesday, Nov. 6 and a public hearing will be held at 10:30 a.m.
on Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the Council office as groups start to make proposals
to operate a full service hospital.

The entire parish was designated a hospital service district in a vote by
the Council and a board of commissioners will be appointed from among
recommendations to be made by the St. Bernard Medical Society.

Council members and the Parish President have said reopening a hospital to
replace the privately-owned Chalmette Medical Center - which didn't return
after Hurricane Katrina and has been demolished - is a top priority for full
recovery in St. Bernard.

A hospital would attract specialist doctors and in turn allow for more
elderly residents to move back and nursing homes to open again, along with
helping the parish economy. 

At least two groups are interested in operating a hospital in St. Bernard,
the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady health system - which currently
operates the 22,000 square-foot St. Bernard Health Center in the former
Super Wal-Mart area on West Judge Perez Drive - and the Ochsner hospital
group.

The public is invited to a hearing at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the
Council office in which groups could make presentations about opening a
hospital.

"We have to hear what (groups) have to offer in terms of a time-frame for
building and financing ability,'' said Council Chairman Joseph DiFatta Jr.
after the Council meeting. 

A maximum of up to a 60-bed hospital could be opened, which would serve St.
Bernard's roughly 30,000 or more population and likely residents from the
east bank of Plaquemines.

The Meraux Foundation of St. Bernard has offered land for a hospital in the
old pasture just across from the Chalmette Battlefield.

In the last legislative session, St. Bernard lawmakers pushed through the
creation of a rural hospital designation for St. Bernard Parish, making a
health facility in the parish eligible to get reimbursements for costs of
treating indigent patients and Medicaid patients. The designation was seen
as vital to getting a hospital running in St Bernard.

In the state fiscal year 2007 a rural health pool was funded with some $100
million to be divided among 48 hospitals, of which St. Bernard would qualify
for money for a hospital.

Other sources of money are also available.

****************************************************************************
*
Now...Craig, the article from sbpg.net says the Meraux Foundation has
"offered land".  Does that mean the foundation wants the parish or whatever
to "buy" the land?  If so, and if the pasture area is one of the higher
elevations in the parish and that site would be beneficial for a hospital
and the hospital is designed/elevated properly, then I don't see why the
parish cannot expropriate the land that is needed.  This is for the common
good and I know some laws were changed after a Supreme Court ruling allowing
some expropriations to try to block government expropriations.  

I know this idea will p*ss off some folks, like the Meraux Foundation
powers-that-be, but that's tough.  This issue is too vital to the parish.

Also, I addressed this to you Craig because I assume you *will* be the next
Parish President.  I voted for you via absentee ballot in the first election
and will do so again in the runoff.  I just received my absentee ballot from
Ms. Bourg's office and it will go out tomorrow.

And, if you ask my opinion (and you haven't)  I think I'd go with the
proposal from the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady.  I think Ochsner is
getting too much of a stranglehold on health care in the area.

Jim