The U.S. House of Representatives has begun a hearing on the still-unmet healthcare needs of New Orleans residents this week.
At the hearing, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) said since Hurricane Katrina the system faces critical shortages of medical professionals and a fragmented system. Not only that, he noted, the two new hospitals scheduled to be rebuilt in the city are still at the drawing-board stage.
Meanwhile, federal assistance has been spotty, said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.). While HHS has committed $100 million to jumpstart primary care in the city, it has done less than it could to help graduate medical education programs stay on their feet.
To learn more about the New Orleans hearings:
- read this Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report piece
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