[StBernard] Jindal eases hiring freeze at hospitals

[Westley Annis]

Jindal eases hiring freeze at hospitals
by The Times-Picayune 
Saturday January 26, 2008, 1:02 PM
The administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal has granted an exception to its
government hiring freeze for vacant positions related to direct patient care
at the state's Charity hospitals, the governor's finance office said
Saturday. 

The decision will let the public medical institution in New Orleans proceed
more quickly to meet an ambitious hiring plan designed to keep up with a
growing demand for services. 

On Jan. 15, Jindal froze hiring at all state agencies unless special
permission was granted by Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis. The
state public hospital system, which has vacancies for 109 registered nurses
and more than 200 other positions in New Orleans, complained that the
process would impair its effort to rebuild services lost after Hurricane
Katrina. 

Davis, in a letter sent Friday, gave authority to Louisiana State University
System President John Lombardi to fill any vacant position for direct
patient care at the 10 state public hospitals he oversees. The finance
office released the letter Saturday.