[StBernard] ST. BERNARD PARISH HOSPITAL MOVING FULL STEAM AHEAD!!

[Westley Annis]

I don't know who the "author" was. It was a press release sent out by the
Clerk of Council's office. Draw your own conclusions from that.

Westley

-----Original Message-----
Any info on who the author of this article was and where it was published?

JY




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	ST. BERNARD PARISH HOSPITAL MOVING FULL STEAM AHEAD!!
	
	
	
	It has been nearly 5 years with no hospital in St. Bernard since
Hurricane
	Katrina.  The proposed project has floundered for years.  However,
today
	marks one of the last ingredients for the construction of the new
hospital
	to become a reality.  After less than one year since leadership
change came
	to the Hospital Board, financing of the project was finally
solidified, and
	all the technical legal hurdles associated with building a
healthcare
	facility for public use have been overcome.  It has taken legal
fights,
	special legislation, and tenuous negotiations with the proposed land
donor
	to finally bring the project together.
	
	
	
	Today, Hospital Board Chairman Wayne J. Landry has executed the
documents
	that secure the land for the construction of St. Bernard Parish's
new
	hospital.  There were alternate land sites that many believed to be
more
	suitable for the Hospital site.  However, the Archdiocese of New
Orleans was
	unwilling to provide the former Prince of Peace site and St.
Bernard's HRQL
	board, ran by Parish President Craig Taffaro, ended the possibility
of
	locating the hospital on what would have been a totally cleared
Village
	Square land site by a heavily contested split decision in which
President
	Taffaro cast the tie-breaking "nay" vote.
	
	
	
	"We were very disappointed in the HRQL's decision, because the
cleared
	Village Square tract of land would have brought another $12 million
to the
	Hospital Project," Landry said.
	
	
	
	Alternate sites were heavily explored by members of the Hospital
Board who
	had continuous concerns of protecting the new hospital from outside
	influences and competition which would have harmed its financial
viability.
	Just one week ago, the Meraux Foundation finally agreed to meet
face-to-face
	with Hospital Chairman Landry, and a full half-day of negotiations
ensued.
	
	
	
	Chairman Landry stated, "When two parties negotiate, they of course
fight
	hard for their own interests.  In the end, compromise was achieved
for the
	Hospital Board, and we were able to eliminate any outside influences
on
	hospital operating decisions in the land donation documents.  This
cleared
	the way for the Board's agreement to accept the donation of the
hospital
	site from the Meraux Foundation."
	
	
	
	With the signing of the land donation documents, which took place at
11 a.m.
	this morning, the Hospital Board now only awaits State approval to
advertise
	for bids and to select contractors to be able to break ground and
deliver
	this new state-of-the-art hospital facility to the people of St.
Bernard
	Parish.