LSU and VA Collaborate to Rebuild N.O. Healthcare

On February 23, LSU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, to explore the feasibility of jointly building a teaching hospital and Level One trauma center in downtown New Orleans and advancing the common goal of rebuilding the health care infrastructure all but destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Details of the project are being negotiated, but the aim is to build separate hospitals for LSU and the VA with the idea that both may coordinate "hotel" functions and other services which would be housed in a third building connecting the two hospitals.

"This collaborative venture would establish a mutually benefi cial relationship with the VA, which we hope will provide for more effi cient delivery of medical care as the city recovers from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina," said Dr. William Jenkins, LSU System President.

"Our collaboration with our partners at LSU will create long-term savings for taxpayers in Louisiana and throughout the nation," said Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, the VA under secretary for health.

The collaboration aims to expand upon the pre-Katrina relationship that existed between the LSU and Tulane medical schools and the VA whereby medical students, faculty and postgraduate residents split their time among Charity, University and the VA hospitals.

As part of the agreement, the VA and LSU are working together to study the possible future demographics of the New Orleans as well as carefully researching various other collaborative medical centers nationwide.