Downtown Claims Giant Victory In Securing Medical Center of Louisiana-New Orleans Academic Teaching Hospital

In a monumental announcement made late this afternoon, Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine said he will recommend that the state build a 424-bed, $1.2 billion academic teaching hospital in Downtown New Orleans that will serve as the hub of a rebuilt medical corridor.

Referring to the DHH proposal, the head of Louisiana State University's health care division, Dr. Fred Cerise, said, "They revised the business plan a bit based on population and some shift in the makeup of the population, but overall (they) agreed that if we're going to change the model to more of an academic medical center then we're going to need the capacity to not only fulfill the charitable mission but also have space for our faculty to see their private pay patients there as well."

The new hospital will be instrumental in the revitalization of not only the health care industry, but also the entire medical district and Downtown New Orleans. It will serve as the main teaching hub for medical students, nurses, post-graduate residents and other allied health students from LSU and Tulane University. The new facility will be instrumental in developing the DDD's "industries of the mind" initiative. Attracting members of the creative class, such as leading medical researchers, technicians, and practitioners, is critical for shaping Downtown's economic future.

"I honestly believe that this day may prove to be one of the most momentous in Louisiana's history. The Governor has laid the groundwork for leading edge patient care, research, and medical education that can compete with the best in the world. In doing so, he has breathed life into the budding biomedical industry Downtown -- an industry that has the potential to transform the economic and social fabric of New Orleans," says DDD President & CEO Kurt Weigle.

Mayor C. Ray Nagin, along with New Orleans City Councilmembers Arnie Fielkow and Jackie Clarkson and Recovery Czar Dr. Ed Blakely, were among those present at today's announcement.

For more information or to see a copy of the DDD commissioned business plan review for the MCLNO, visit www.neworleansdowntown.com .