In a leaked memo from Baton Rouge’s Our Lady of the Lake hospital system, President and CEO K. Scott Wester, warned that there was a campaign to pressure legislators to sign a petition to revoke John Bel Edwards emergency health declaration for COVID-19, writing that it would, “have devastating impacts on our health system and our pandemic response.”
According to his memo, which borrows wording from a petition by Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, which his hospital is part of, the impact to the healthcare system would include, but not be limited to: “Our health system would no longer be able to coordinate with federal and authorities on our assessment, mitigation, and response to COVID-19.” And, “Louisiana could lose future COVID-related federal assistance, which could then also have a significant impact on the finances of our healthcare system.”
Under that petition, he encouraged hospital staff to sign, writing that, “Legislators must hear from healthcare workers.”
When reached out for comment, President Wester was unable to get back to Big Easy Magazine before time of publication.
If you are a healthcare worker, who would like to send a message to Louisiana legislators about the damage revoking Governor Edwards’ emergency health declaration for COVID-19 would cause, please add your name to the petition here:
https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=9215
The spread of COVID-19 has devastated Louisiana and the entire country. Governor Edwards Proclamation, which has helped to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, has been under fire from some of those in the legislature for a while, now, particularly Republicans. To read his full proclamation clink the link here.
COVID-19 in Louisiana has been confirmed for over 82,000 people and has killed over 3,000. In the United states, it has now been contracted by over 3.4 million, and killed 138,000, more than twice those who died in Vietnam.
