Live Blogging 7.5 - Musician's Clinic

Bethany Bultman with New Orleans' Musician's Clinic

Where do you get your healthcare? That is the key point. While NOLA was the birthplace of American music, it is usually a place where musicians go to an early grave because of lack of healthcare services.

Thanks to Phish, the keyboard player's father was a doctor, Dr. Jack McConnell, was brought to the stage at Jazzfest one year, and was inspired to help found a clinic. Met Sybil Morial, sister to the mayor of New Orleans. Met chancellor of LSU, Daughters of Charity, and Jazz and Heritage Foundation.

Before Katrina, clinic was underwhelmed. Usually seeing musicians who never received healthcare over the whole course of their lives. Clinic was lost after Katrina.

Clinic was reestablished, now sees 2700 patients, and is expecting Federal designation as a live in clinic in the coming year.

What is going on in healthcare in Louisiana is absolutely worse than any 3rd world country. Don't hear anything about it because the governor is very secretive, has replaced everyone on board of governors of LSU, not one department head at LSU medical center can speak out because they all work for the state. Bultman can speak out because she isn't worried about credentials or career, she's not a doctor.

Part of what Musician's Clinic does is help people look at their lifestyles and what damage that could do to health. Another part is helping individuals navigate byzantine health care system in Louisiana.

New billion dollar public LSU hospital is currently being privatized. Currently, Medicare can help pay for treatment, but with governor not participating in Obamacare, clinic may not be able to keep patients on their rolls due to the state not taking advantage of the Federal funding. Clinic is "gathering nuts for the winter" because they do not know what they are going to be able to do. Will not be losing staff, and will still do what can be done to treat patients, but so many public clinics that New Orleans depends on may not be able to continue operating.

Looking to partner with Daughters of Charity to create Musician's Clinic "Jr" to provide more assistance, so they can treat minors.

Youth Orchestra families participate in Musicians Clinic and are able to take advantage of the wealth of services available. Looking forward to Clinic being able to provide service for minors.

If you have friends who are eligible: audio engineers, writers, actors, if they would like to be patient, tell them it is now or never.

Rising Tide Nola Katrina NOLA New Orleans Hurricane Katrina Think New Orleans Louisiana FEMA levees flooding Corps of Engineers We Are Not OK wetlands news rebirth Debrisville Federal Flood 8-29