Hospital Commended for Post-Ida Efforts
Mayor Cantrell was joined today (Friday, Sept. 17) by U.S. HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, Gov. John Bel Edwards, and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter to tour the New Orleans East Hospital and to recognize its success in saving lives while enduring Hurricane Ida.
The hospital’s CEO, Dr. Takeisha Davis and CFO, Danielle Willis were on hand to guide a tour of the facility.
New Orleans East Hospital was built with generators that could run for at least eleven days without refueling. For Hurricane Ida, the hospital operated for five days at full capacity with no disruption of patient care. The hospital’s emergency room even remained open and accepted patients who arrived via police units.
The event also highlighted the partnership between the City, State, and the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that helped New Orleans rebuild following Hurricane Katrina and in prioritizing vaccination distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today we acknowledge the New Orleans East Hospital for always leaning in to move progress forward, and for embracing the notion that public health touches everything in our community,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “HUD’s investment in this facility and in New Orleans has been extraordinary in bringing life and real care to this community because they are not just about housing, they are about making a difference and meeting our people where they are and in expanding homeownership opportunities. The future of the East is strong, long, and vibrant because of the investments that we are making and showing our people that they matter every step of the way.”
HUD has been a significant partner in providing funding to build affordable housing across New Orleans and throughout Louisiana and was instrumental in bringing adequate hospital care to New Orleans East. In 2012, HUD issued a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) firm commitment of over $97 million to build a state-of-the-art community hospital that was hardened to withstand Category 4 winds, tornadoes, flooding and remain operational during a severe hurricane event and its aftermath.
New Orleans East Hospital was also the first in the nation to partner with public housing authorities and FHA low-income developments to begin COVID outreach vaccinations in mobile units and contributed to the city’s success in prioritizing vaccinations. The Housing Authority of New Orleans led the effort of bringing vaccines to the community – aiding in vaccinating more than 800 residents in partnership with the New Orleans East Hospital and other healthcare entities.
