Universal Health Systems is drawing heavy fire for its plan to shut three hospitals in the New Orleans area and lay off workers. Health care workers at Chalmette Medical Centers stayed with patients for nearly a week during Hurricane Katrina. They've now been told by administrators that they will receive pay for two weeks and will receive health benefits through the end of the month. Nearly 3,000 health care workers at three hospitals in the area are affected. Dr Lee Domangue, the hospital's director of emergency medicine says he urged higher-ups to evacuate in the days before the storm but was overruled by the company's Pennsylvania headquarters.
- see this story from the Los Angeles Times