The Louisiana State Medical Society Educational and Research Foundation (LSMS ERF) has undertaken this project to document lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

Three and one half years post disaster, south Louisiana and the other impacted Gulf Coast states continue their struggle to recover from the storms and restore vibrant communities that were literally washed away. 

The report documents the major breakdowns and failures of emergency preparedness plans and responses related to health care in an effort to educate physicians and the health care community on the need to reassess their emergency preparedness plans in light of the lessons Louisiana learned. 

This is an important story, not because it happened in Louisiana, but because of the real probability that other communities face catastrophic events as well. 

The Physicians Foundation for Health Systems Excellence (PFHSE) funded the work that has gone into this report because of its belief that the LSMS is in an unfortunate and distinctive position to share lessons learned with other states.