Earl K. Long Hospital Baton Rouge LA Closes ~ farewell to Louisiana's charity hospitals :-(

As I start my blogging adventure. I feel part of my purpose as a storyteller is to record the times I am living in, barring all political affiliations, and the experiences of those of us living now, thus this will be part of my eclectic blogs but not the entire focus. Thank you for reading.

So long Earl K. Long Hospital you will be missed!
Photo ©Joanna Ballard all rights reserved

Earl K Long hospital as of 7am this morning Sunday, April 14, 2013 is officially closed. Another facility of the country's oldest charity health care system is gone and now in Louisiana if you do not have medicaid, medicare, or insurance your plain out of luck. Tho at the moment they cannot legally turn you away the ER but, as has already happened with friends of mine, they can slap a band-aid on you and say go see the primary care doctor you do not have, so long and good luck.

This hospital bracelet will now longer be seen or used again.
Photo ©Joanna Ballard all rights reserved

I am personally without, in this now,  insurance, medicaid, or medicare, and in the moment too old for many programs, and too young for many others and as of this writing I am in disability limbo, awaiting my hearing, so with many chronic conditions I am in the charity clinic system but will not in this now be hospitalized even if I need to be.

But sadder to me is a 4 year old friend whose family had to move back to Florida, a move they could barely afford, to get him the health care he desperately needs after breaking his skull in a fall. Unfortunately, many Louisianians cannot afford this option, and cannot afford to be poor in the times we now live in.

Nearly empty parking lot by Earl K Long now permanently bare.
Photo ©Joanna Ballard all rights reserved

All politics aside I am getting the message that if you are poor, even the working poor, working homeless, homeless or disabled, even tho a registered and active voter, in this now, in this country, this state, you are disposable, and basically off the radar as for as the powers that be are concerned. All I do know is the system we had was not working but it was better than the non existing one we have as of 7am this morning.

So we have another abandoned hospital in this state, like the former Doctor's Hospital in Shreveport Louisiana, that could be used for a homeless shelter, an independent living center or emergency shelter and probably won't be, and probably will be another empty monument to what was and most likely won't be again.

I don't know what the answers are but I do know what is happening in this state of Louisiana in this moment is NOT working and will most likely put us further up in the lists of this county's worst.

Greetings and Welcome!

 

Joanna Ballard ~ Louisiana Storyteller

Even tho it is April 1st I am not foolin' around and starting one of my goals for the year as both friends and family have been after me for more than a minute to start a blog. Thanks for stopping by and being part of a whole new adventure. Over time this site will include besides my humble opinion on many topics, reviews of books, possibly cd's, stories poetry spoken word by myself and others, as well as works in those mediums. I plan to showcase some of my art, mainly, but not limited to, digital art photography, my folk art jewelry created on hemp and leather with vintage beads (also including rosaries) and a few stories, poems, and who knows what bits and bytes of my life *wide impish grin and virtual wink* Please take a minute or two to stop by and visit my web site to explore more of many hats and worlds http://ballardsbytes.wix.com/home

Thanks for stopping in and maybe sitting a spell ... new adventures begin! *wide impish grin and virtual wink*