June 4, 2009
Dear Tulane Alumni and Friends,
I want to thank you for your strong response to last week’s Call To Action regarding House Bill 830, a measure that aims to bring financial oversight and an independent governing board to New Orleans’ planned academic medical center. Many of you visited all4nola.com and wrote letters to your state senators urging them to support the bill.
Since then, several new developments have occurred. Three of the city’s universities – Tulane, Xavier and Dillard – placed a full-page ad in newspapers in New Orleans and Baton Rouge outlining why this bill is so important to public health care and medical training programs in the community. You can read the ad here. Also, the topic has been the subject of several newspaper columns and letters to the editor, which you can review here.
While the bill unanimously passed the state House, it awaits action in the Senate, where the political process has begun. In addition, at the request of the Legislature and the Administration, a Tulane team (including me) has been meeting with LSU officials to see if we can agree on how the new academic medical center should be managed and operated for the fullest benefit to the community and the state. Alan Levine, secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, is moderating this ongoing process.
I’ll continue to keep you updated on HB 830’s progress. Meanwhile, please continue to talk about this important issue with your friends and neighbors and urge them to add their voice to help preserve the legacy and ensure fair governance of the public hospital in New Orleans.
Sincerely,
Scott S. Cowen
President