The Hospital, the Neighbors and the Party Bus

Pre-Katrina New Orleans VA Medical Center

For almost two years, federal, state and city authorities disagreed on the fate of the New Orleans VA hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One of the proposals would bring a new VA hospital to Florida, while others would keep the hospital in the New Orleans area. For the Mid City neighborhood in New Orleans, the uncertainty helped curb investment in the area. Residents there say that's the major reason their neighborhood is hobbled by blight and crime.