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Added on May 28, 2007 | Filed Under:

"Surviving the Storm" shows exclusive footage of hospital operations during storm

NEW ORLEANS, LA Louisiana Public Broadcasting will air never-before-seen footage of a hospital experiencing the wrath of Hurricane Katrina in a documentary about Ochsner Medical Center, one of just three hospitals that remained open in the greater New Orleans area in August 2005. Surviving the Storm will air on the following dates: " Louisiana Public Broadcasting - Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 8pm. " WLAE TV: in New Orleans - Saturday, June 9, 2007 at 8pm & Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 12am. Surviving the Storm was produced by LPBs Dorothy Kendrick and narrated by New Orleans resident and award-winning actor John Goodman. The one-hour program tells the story of how Ochsner Hospital remained open during Hurricane Katrina and continued to see patients despite the subsequent flooding and devastation. The documentary includes video shot by Ochsner Videographer Jackson Ellisor, who initially recorded the hospital images for archival and insurance purposes. LPB discovered Ochsners tapes while developing the LPB story Katrina's Smallest Victims, explains Dorothy Kendrick. We felt the Ochsner footage could help hospitals worldwide understand the challenges of surviving a disaster. Ochsner relinquished the tapes and editorial control to LPB. This story shows how Ochsner spent years preparing for this catastrophic event by soliciting advice from hospitals in Houston and Pensacola who had previously suffered serious damage from hurricanes, explains Beth Courtney, President and CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Through interviews, the staff explains the benefits to having stockpiled supplies like extra generators, toothbrushes and portable toilets and how it allowed them to continue treating patients and provide care for first responders. The story unfolds day by day, with footage of the hospital staff rallying and shows how their attitude and spirit kept them going and caring for patients without knowing whether their own loved ones had survived the storm. Among the challenges faced by Ochsner employees was keeping the only operational pharmacy in the city open for the first three days after Hurricane Katrina so that patients with chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes could continue receiving their life-saving drugs. In addition, workers worked tirelessly to protect the blood supply and other lab supplies safe and sterile. Ochsner Pathologist Dr. Gregory Henderson was in the French Quarter when the storm hit. His heroic efforts included treating New Orleans police officers who needed medical attention and being the only doctor in the Convention Center surrounded by thousands of desperate people. In addition to providing for the citys healthcare needs, Ochsner hospital administrators were also challenged to issue paychecks without electricity to over 8,000 employees and to find ways to get its employees back into the city. One of the most important lessons from Katrina was having an effective disaster plan for our employees, says Warner Thomas, President of Ochsner Health System. We sent half our staff out of town before the storm so they could return and relieve essential personnel right after the storm. I hope that the lessons we learned, which are highlighted in this documentary, will help other hospitals and healthcare facilities better prepare for a disaster of any kind. About Louisiana Public Broadcasting: Louisiana Public Broadcasting is a state network of six non-commercial television stations licensed to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA), established in 1971 by the Louisiana Legislature. About 90 staff members at the LPB Telecommunications Center in Baton Rouge direct network program acquisition and scheduling, production, promotion, broadcast and technical operations, educational services, development, and revenue producing activities. About Ochsner: Ochsner Health System (www.ochsner.org) is a non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system dedicated to patient care, research and education. The system includes a total of seven hospitals, a sub-acute facility, and 33 health centers located throughout Southeast Louisiana. Through our unique coordinated system, Ochsner provides healthcare with peace of mind because we put the needs of all patients first. Ochsner employs over 600 physicians in 80 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 700 ongoing clinical research trials annually. Ochsner was ranked #1Best Place to Work by New Orleans CityBusiness Magazine in 2005 and 2006 and received the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 12 consecutive years. About John Goodman: A native of Missouri who now lives in New Orleans, Goodman is best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Dan Conner on the hit series Roseanne, but he has also had a distinguished career in feature films like the Coen Brothers Raising Arizona, O Brother Where Art Thou, and The Big Lebowski. He has also worked in a number of Louisiana-based movies including The Big Easy and Everybodys All-American. Goodman has also hosted Saturday Night Live 11 times.

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