CAMERON PARISH, LA -- Presidents George H. W. Bush and William J. Clinton today announced a new $2 million Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund (BCKF) grant to assist the residents of Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
Hurricane Rita, which closely followed Hurricane Katrina, destroyed south Cameron Parish’s only acute care hospital – the South Cameron Memorial Hospital. The BCKF grant will support the workforce of Cameron Parish by paying the salaries of hospital officials such as doctors, nurses and other health care practitioners. Community Foundation of Acadiana will administer the grant.
“During a previous visit to the Gulf to witness the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, I took a detour to Cameron Parish as I use to spend some time here years ago. What I saw was devastating. Other than the courthouse, all the buildings had been wiped off the map including the hospital, and I vowed I would come back with help,” said President Bush. “Through the continued generosity of some of our donors, the hard work of Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund staff, Cameron community leaders and Community Foundation of Acadiana, I’ve returned with help. We are all proud to be part of the rebuilding of the much needed South Cameron Memorial Hospital.”
“A hospital is often the cornerstone of a community and not just in providing healthcare. It is a major employer and it’s a magnet for people looking to move to the area. They need to know they can get healthcare,” said President Clinton. “With this grant, south Cameron is well on it way toward reestablishing this important community facility and I am very happy to join with President Bush in providing assistance to the people of Cameron Parish.”
The BCKF grant to Community Foundation of Acadiana will be used to support the South Cameron Memorial Hospital's workforce development and salaries of those who provide healthcare services to a medically underserved area of rural southern Louisiana. Before the hurricane, South Cameron Memorial Hospital was a 25-bed acute care hospital with a 29-bed geriatric psychiatric facility and a provider based rural health clinic. The facility was completely destroyed, and medical care for the population is absent.
Cameron Parish residents have few medical options and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals designated Cameron Parish as a Health Professional Shortage Area. The hospital also serves as the first point of medical service for all offshore drilling and production facilities off the Gulf coast, and is the 2nd largest employer in the Parish.
“Community Foundation of Acadiana considers itself an extension of the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund in receiving this magnanimous grant. The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and its staff are good and compassionate stewards of generous contributions meant to enhance the quality of life of hurricane-affected residents and communities. Through this grant, Community Foundation of Acadiana will emulate this stewardship in its efforts to enhance the quality of life for Cameron Parish residents,” said Raymond Hebert, Executive Director of Community Foundation of Acadiana.
Hebert continued, “Basic healthcare services are crucial to any community. This grant will support the development of Cameron’s workforce as it provides healthcare accessibility to the residents of lower Cameron Parish. We are really optimistic about the numerous and positive effects of this including re-population of this devastated area.”
“The rebuilding of South Cameron Memorial Hospital is the most important event to date in the recovery of Cameron Parish from Hurricane Rita. After the storm, Cameron Parish was without any form of medical care until January of 2006, when we reopened the Rural Health Clinic in the northern part of the parish, said Greg Fawvor, Secretary/Treasurer of the Lower Cameron Hospital Service District Board.
Fawvor continued, “Even today, we have no medical care except for ambulance service in the southern part of the parish and the nearest emergency room is an hour away. The rebuilding has been made possible by the efforts of Governor Blanco, FEMA, the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and the people of southeast Cameron Parish. We wish to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who is making this possible.”
Community Foundation of Acadiana is a tax-exempt, non-profit, non-sectarian public foundation that provides individuals and families, corporations, other non-profits (including churches and schools) and particular communities/parishes a visionary and rewarding approach to philanthropy – immediately and in perpetuity. The Foundation is the premier charitable organization in Acadiana, primarily servicing the eight-parish area including Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion parishes. The Foundation’s geographic scope is broadened to include the parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis and Terrebonne in its efforts to attract and provide resources for hurricane recovery and redevelopment through its South Louisiana Rural Recovery Fund. To learn more, call 337.266.2145, or visit www.cfacadiana.org.
To date the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund has raised $130 million, the allocation of those funds are as follows:
$30 million has been allocated to 33 institutions of higher education, including universities, colleges, community colleges and technical training institutions;
$40 million has been allocated for funds in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to fill unmet needs in their states;
$25 million has been allocated to religious organizations throughout the region; and
$35 million is allocated for projects focused on health, housing, education, community and infrastructure needs.
The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund seeks to make a distinctive impact on unmet needs in the Gulf region through grants helping to create financial self sufficiency for individuals and communities, foster economic opportunity for the people and organizations in the Gulf, and improve the quality of life for persons impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
For more information on the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund visit: www.bushclintonkatrinafund.org .
Inquiries can also be made directly to the
Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund;
1301 K Street, NW, Suite 800 East; Washington, DC 20005;
phone: 202-289-2732, fax: 202-289-1487.
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