The long road home: rebuilding public inpatient psychiatric services in post-Katrina New Orleans.
In August 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina, the first acute inpatient public psychiatric unit for adults was opened in New Orleans to serve patients referred from local emergency departments. This article describes the clinical and administrative experiences of providing inpatient care in post-Katrina New Orleans, including the increased demand for programs to treat patients with co-occurring disorders, the expanded scope of practice for psychiatrists to include primary care, and ongoing staff shortages in a traumatized and displaced workforce. Lessons learned in regard to disaster planning and recovery are also discussed.
Calderon-Abbo
Jose
J
Department of Psychiatry, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 210 State St., New Orleans, LA 70118, USA. jcalde@lsuhsc.edu
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010819:Physician's Role; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011570:Psychiatry; D011634:Public Health; D017150:Public Sector; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation