On Wednesday, February 4, the Kaiser Family Foundation will host a Washington, DC lunch briefing to provide an update about the ongoing recovery of New Orleans from the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina.

With President Barack Obama taking office, there are signs that a renewed effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast may occur. On the first full day of the new administration, Katrina was among the issues listed as part of the president’s agenda on the White House Web site.

How are New Orleans and its people doing today? What parts of the recovery could be considered successful? What challenges remain? What is the state of the health care system in the city? How has the national economic recession impacted recovery efforts? These questions and many more will be explored with a diverse panel of speakers who have worked on New Orleans’ recovery and brought attention to the many related public policy issues. The briefing will include a screening of an excerpt from the Frontline documentary, The Old Man and the Storm, which follows an African-American family for 18 months as they confront many challenges to rebuild their homes and their lives.

WHAT:

Briefing and panel discussion on the recovery of New Orleans three and one-half years after Hurricane Katrina

WHEN:

Wednesday, February 4, 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Eastern Time (registration at noon)

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WHO:

June Cross , Correspondent and Filmmaker, Frontline’s The Old Man and the Storm
Diane Rowland, ScD , Executive Vice President, Kaiser Family Foundation
Kim Boyle, JD , former member, Louisiana Recovery Authority and Bring New Orleans Back Commission; partner, Phelps Dunbar LLP
Jed Horne, former metro editor, The Times-Picayune; and author, "Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City"

Moderated by Jackie Judd, Vice President and Senior Advisor for Communications, Kaiser Family Foundation

WHERE:

Barbara Jordan Conference Center (Kaiser Family Foundation Office)
1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC (one block west of Metro Center)

RSVP:

If you wish to attend, please RSVP to Brandi Silverbook at bsilverbook@kff.org or (202) 347-5270.

The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible information, research and analysis on health issues.