by Brianna Crandall — January 23, 2013—As a major step forward in the long process of recovering from Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and much of the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, New Orleans city officials and the Orleans Parish Hospital Service District A (HSD) Board broke ground on the New Orleans East Hospital on January 11. When open, the full-service hospital will support many New Orleans residents and will provide economic revitalization to the New Orleans East community. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says the facility “will resist damages from future storms through mitigation efforts.”
Since taking office, New Orleans Mayor Mitchel J. Landrieu has worked aggressively to open a full-service hospital at the former Pendleton Memorial Methodist Hospital site, with help from numerous other city and state officials and various organizations. The $130 million project will restore full-service healthcare to residents in New Orleans East and will serve as a catalyst to help rebuild the economy of the area, bringing construction, healthcare and other ancillary forms of employment to the community.
The 16+ acre site owned by the Hospital Service District is being redeveloped with renovation of the existing six-story East Tower. The new construction will include a 71,700 square foot Patient Care Pavilion that will accommodate an emergency department, imaging and surgical suites and laboratory. The renovated 133,640 square foot existing East Tower will accommodate the hospital’s lobby, cafeteria, chapel, and administrative offices. Patient rooms will also be located in the renovated East Tower along with the intensive care unit, diagnostic testing, pre and post operating and recovery, clinical lab and the hospital’s pharmacy.
Major progress has been made towards the building of the new hospital. In November of 2012, the demolition and removal of portions of the existing hospital complex began. DURR Heavy Construction, LLC, is performing the demolition of the existing structure, which primarily includes low-rise buildings located on the west side of the complex built in 1967. The demolition scope also includes removal of interior components in the East Tower. The General Contractor on the project is the Lemoine Company. Design drawings for the facility have been completed and construction documents have been developed.
New Orleans East Hospital funding sources include: community development block grants, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HUD 242 Loan Guaranty, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FHA 242 Insured Loan, capital outlay, Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Daughters of Charity, and the City of New Orleans.
