It's more than possible that you haven't heard about this yet. Unlike the VA, which released its proposed hospital design well in advance of their meeting two weeks ago, LSU had not yet posted the designs the public is expected to provide input on as of 9:00 AM this morning. Unlike the VA hospital design, which was featured in a huge full page spread the day of the meeting in the Times-Picayune, the LSU design will only be available to those with internet access and knowledge of the obscure url to which they will be posted.

Whether the designs were held back due to mere incompetence or as a result of a concerted effort to minimize turnout at tonight's meeting remains unclear.

The designs were finally published just moments ago and can be examined here.

Come out tonight and tell LSU that New Orleans can't afford to wait any longer for  health care. Tell them to embrace less destructive and more sustainable alternatives that would deliver a hospital in less time and for less money.

TONIGHT!

6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Grace Episcopal Church

3700 Canal St.

There's more!

What is clear is that the public has grown increasingly frustrated with LSU's refusal to embrace or even independently evaluate the RMJM alternative proposal that would build a brand new hospital inside the historic Charity facade in order to bring a world-class medical facility online years sooner and for hundreds of millions of dollars less in taxpayer money. Given that LSU does not have secure funding to proceed with their preferred complex, it would seem to be a ridiculous exercise to evaluate design plans for a concept that might have to be scrapped all together should additional appropriations fail to materialize.

Turnout at the public meeting on the VA design two weeks ago was robust and attendees were mostly opposed to the preferred complex plans. However, most of those opposed to the joint facility view LSU and not the VA as the primary body advancing the complex concept and obstructing attempts to evaluate ways to bring new hospitals online sooner and for less money. Thus, it is likely that if LSU had provided the same notice and access that the VA did, turnout would be even more substantial and quite vociferous.