[StBernard] Moving our Health Care System Forward

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends,

Last week I was joined by LSU System President John Lombardi, Tulane
President Scott Cowen, and other state and local officials to announce that
Tulane and LSU have, after more than a year, reached an agreement on the
governance structure for the new Academic Medical Center in New Orleans.
Improving our state's health care system is of great importance, and this is
a huge step forward. 

Not only will the new medical center provide an opportunity to ensure
Louisianians receive first class medical care, attract new medical research,
and train our future doctors and nurses, but, as written by the New Orleans
Times-Picayune
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=31QtCNX3BOl1gs7WdFvCSPR
cbV0b2215lqczKUDnmSk%3d&digest=%2b63bk2YSRrHjRVMeqm5JbA> , the new medical
corridor "is the most promising engine for economic growth on the.horizon."

The new hospital was also one topic I covered in meeting with members of
Louisiana's Congressional delegation one the eve of the fourth anniversary
of Hurricane Katrina, as well as coastal restoration and finding a fix for
the federal FMAP formula that could cost our state hundreds of millions of
dollars in health care funding within the next two years. As the Baton Rouge
Advocate
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=R2Iz%2fX4iANIDb7Aj1N%2f
E9zU3foxy5XfHf4LMVKDpFs8%3d&digest=wOmaKa9N8xFcNtPXIi%2fRPg> reported, I am
sure that "there [will] be a bipartisan effort between the state and the
congressional delegation with Louisiana's needs put first."

We continued the Louisiana Working Tour in the past week by visiting
Abbeville and St. Joseph, in addition to stopping in New Orleans to
celebrate the opening of the Crescent City's first newly constructed public
school since Katrina, the Langston Hughes Academy.
 
I also traveled to Columbia, Covington, Thibodaux, and Minden to award many
of our state's veterans with the Louisiana Veterans Honor Medal. It is
always a humbling experience to meet with our veterans, because, as written
by the Thibodaux Daily Comet
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=JU79a0OYrtVzWdOYrcwEd1L
RSPaGkc64Vqq5hMXQvZk%3d&digest=v8MuHUCtFNVntzllpysrtg> , "Our freedoms exist
only because they were and are willing to put their lives on the line in our
defense." I look forward to meeting more of our state's veterans and
residents in the coming week!

Sincerely,
Governor Bobby Jindal