6,000 Physicians Displaced by Katrina

The Washingington Post reports that nearly 6,000 doctors along the Gulf Coast were uprooted by Hurricane Katrina in the largest displacement of physicians in U.S. history.

How many of those doctors will set up shop permanently in other cities, or decide to retire instead of reopening their practices, remains as unclear as New Orleans's future.

Read the Washington Post article

And in a related story, the Chicago Tribune reports that Charity Hospital in New Orleans has been declared "uninhabitable for health-care purposes" and will be permanently closed.  Officials are seeking a new location to rebuild the hospital while several temporary locations, including tents, are being used to treat patients.  Called "Big Charity," the 647 bed facility is the longest continuously operating hospital in the United States, and was the region's only Level I trauma service.

Read the Chicago Tribune article