Three years after the storm, the people of New Orleans are still waiting...

Even though flooding only occurred in the basement, which was cleaned up and ready to reopen in October of 2005, the famous Charity Hospital in New Orleans remains closed in 2008 as the Louisiana State University (LSU) systems office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) squabble over plans to build a newer, prettier hospital—a project which would take years and millions of dollars to complete while Charity stands empty.

Meanwhile, the people of NOLA rely heavily on free health clinics, or wait in long lines to be seen at smaller remaining hospitals while their health deteriorates. Charity is the second-largest hospital in the nation, and had been serving as the primary trauma center for all of southern Louisiana. Dr. James Moises highlights in the video that there is a national trend to close public hospitals like Charity and Cooke County in Chicago, marking the end of our public health safety net as we know it.

Will America be ready for the next disaster?

"We're still not prepared," says Kim Lange, a New Orleans native and nurse practitioner featured in the video. "We need a national healthcare system that has the capability of stepping in at the time of impact and providing the healthcare services needed."

TAKE ACTION at: GuaranteedHealthcare.org

* Sign the online petition for HR 676

* Donate to NOLA's free health clinics

* Join the RNRN Disaster Relief Network

* Tell your own healthcare story

A CNA/NNOC Presentation:
Colette Washington, Producer / Director; Jay Johnson, Cinematographer / Editor