Hearing Of The House Committee On Oversight And Government Reform - "Post- Katrina Recovery: Restoring Health Care In The New Orleans Region"

Statement

Good morning Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this exceedingly important hearing on the restoration of health care in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. When the levees broke, streets, homes, and lives were flooded with seemingly insurmountable devastation that continues to this day for far too many. Over four years later it is critical that we continue to hold hearings such as today's to assess what has been done so far and where to go from here.

Today we will hear from a select panel of individuals who have taken action to improve the lives of those affected by Hurricane Katrina. It is a testament to what President Obama would refer to as "the character of our nation." In the face of the largest natural disaster in our history, individuals and communities have come together to rebuild the infrastructure of the region's health care system despite numerous challenges.

Through various public and private partnerships over 90 primary care clinics now operate to fill the void left by the closure of the state-run Charity Hospital. However, their future remains unclear as the funding from the Primary Care Access Stabilization Grants many rely on will no longer be available in about nine months. As we confront this deadline it is crucial that all the stakeholders work together to develop a strategy that will ensure New Orleans has a medical system that is effective, affordable, and sustainable.

I would like to thank all of today's witnesses for their testimony, and the work they have done to provide health care to the people of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina threatened our faith in our nation's ability to live up to its own standards and provide for its citizens basic human rights, but we have the ability now to ensure we do not perpetuate past failures into the future.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. I hope this Committee will continue to aggressively pursue these issues, and I yield back.

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