Gulf coast healthcare still in bad shape

A report in Modern Healthcare paints a grim picture of the healthcare system in the Gulf region, post Hurricane Katrina. Since being devastated by the storm last year, $100 billion in government aid has been sent to the affected areas. But little of that money has found its way into the area's ruined health system. "Seven of the 15 hospitals that shut down in the flooding remain closed, and the feds won't pay to rebuild them. Overcrowded clinics in trailers and a converted department store have replaced fully functioning hospitals. Even the facilities that survived the worst of the flooding are stressed from taking care of the uninsured, now 40 percent of the region's population," the magazine reports. Many doctors, whose businesses were destroyed by the hurricane, have moved out of the area entirely. Mental health workers and nursing staff are in short supply and nursing homes are struggling. Due to the overwhelming lack of healthcare providers, another important aspect of health has been overlooked--the mental health of hurricane victims and first responders alike.

It's difficult to imagine that such a serious situation exists anywhere in the United States and that the federal government hasn't done more to alleviate the problem. But there is a glimmer of hope. Louisiana governor Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco wants to take this opportunity to start from scratch to redesign and modernize the state's healthcare system. She may even follow in Gov. Mitt Romney's footsteps and propose a universal coverage plan. Let's hope that the upcoming one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina brings more attention to the problem.

To learn more about the Gulf's beleaguered healthcare system:
- read this Modern Healthcare article