All residents deserve affordable and accessible health care. That’s why Mitch Landrieu will build a first-rate hospital in New Orleans East and a state-of-the-art biomedical complex in Mid-City. As a parent, Mitch knows New Orleans families shouldn’t have to drive 30 minutes or to a neighboring parish to get medical help. He also recognizes that the health care industry is one of the key sectors that will help rebuild our economy and create good-paying jobs.
Throughout his career, Mitch has been involved in many important health care policy issues that have benefited Louisiana residents and created jobs. He was an early architect of the Louisiana Health Care Authority, and he crafted legislation to fund the Cancer Research Consortium of New Orleans.
One of Mitch’s immediate goals for the city Health Department is to make sure the work it is doing to connect institutions and services to neighborhoods is reaching every New Orleans citizen – especially our children. As Mayor, Mitch will make sure that there is coordination between the Health Department, the business and civic community, the schools and the neighborhood leaders.
As Mayor, Mitch will focus on several key priorities to make health care accessible and affordable for all New Orleans residents. He will work to:
- Build the LSU/VA hospital complex
- Build a first-rate hospital in New Orleans East
- Support community-based clinics
- Restore mental health services
- Address environmental health issues
Build the LSU/VA hospital complex
Mitch will push for a state-of-the-art biomedical complex and will work to ensure that the plan moves forward. He believes there has been enough delay in the planning and securing of funding for new Louisiana State University and Veterans Administration hospitals in lower Mid-City.
Build a first-rate hospital in New Orleans East
More than 80,000 residents in New Orleans East are half an hour from an emergency room. Mitch supports the opening of a first-rate hospital in the east with an emergency and primary care facility so that residents do not have to drive downtown – or to another city – to receive essential medical treatment.
Support community-based clinics
As New Orleans rebuilds every neighborhood and we restore our medical infrastructure, Mitch wants to make sure that every citizen has access to adequate medical services.
After Hurricane Katrina knocked out a large part of our medical infrastructure, civic-minded health care providers opened community clinics to fill the gap. As mayor, Mitch will work to expand these clinics based on documented needs in different sections of the city.
Restore mental health services
There remains a mental health crisis in New Orleans, with mental illness often contributing to episodes of violent crime. Following the closure of New Orleans Adolescent Hospital, the city has less than half the number of mental health beds as it did before Katrina. The New Orleans suicide rate in 2009 nearly doubled the national average.
As Mayor, Mitch will work with state and federal officials to adequately fund mental health services, including school-based programs. Mitch will work to incorporate mental health services into the new LSU/VA complex.
Address environmental health issues
New Orleans has long faced a lead contamination problem in our homes, schools, and playgrounds. Studies link lead poisoning to delays in intellectual development and to violent behavior. Any area with homes built before 1978 has a high level of lead; the historic nature of our city makes us especially vulnerable to lead poisoning.
Many playgrounds in New Orleans contain arsenic levels five times the safe limit. Our children are especially vulnerable to nerve damage caused by arsenic. Mitch will work to ensure that all playgrounds are safe.
As Mayor, Mitch will work to raise awareness of these issues, and his administration will use all available funds to pay for remediation efforts.
