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DOCUMENT RESUME
05986 - [B1386412]
The New Orleans Naval Hospital Should Be Closed and Alternative
Uses Evaluated. HRD-78-71; B-133044. flay 15, 1978. 19 pp. + 3
appendices (14 pp.).
Report to the Congre:.s; by Robert F. Keller, Acting Comptroller
General.
Issue Area: Health Programs (1200); Hoalth Programs: Early
Diagnosis and Disease Ccntrol (1201).
Contact: Human Resources Div.
Budget Function: National Defense: Department of Defense -
Military (except procurement & contracts) (051); Health:
Health Planning and Construct4on (554).
Organization Concerned: Department of Defense; Department of the
Navy; Office of Management and Budget; Veterans
Administration; Public Health Service.
Congressional Relevance: House Committee on Armed Services;
Senate Committee on Armed Services; Congress.
Authority: 10 U.S.C. 1074. 10 U.S.C. 1076. 42 O.S.C. 249. 42
U.S.C. 153. 38 U.S.C. 610. 38 U.S.C. 613.
The Naval Regional Medical Center in New Orlcans,
Louisiana, is a 250-bed general medical and surgical hospital
which was built to serve the health care needs of active duty
personnel and other military beneficiaries in the area. Nev
Orleans also has two other Federal hospitals -- the Public
Health Service IPHS) hospital and the Veterans Administration
hospital. The Rev Orleans metropolitan area also has two medical
schools and several regional, national, and international
medical referral centers. In all, the area has 30 non-Federal
hospitals and a total of 7,650 beds. Findings/Conclusions: The
New Orleans naval hospital is greatly underused. Although it was
constrtcted to accommodate 250 patients, its average daily
patient load in 1977 was about 23, less than 10% of its
capacity. The potential for increasing the hospital*a military
workload is virtually nonexistent. The Navy plans to discontinue
inpatient services at the hospital. It should discontinue both
inpatient and untpatient services; Ruch action vculd save annual
operating costs of about $4 million and permit transfer of
military physicians and support personnel whose Fay totals $3.1
million. The Navy could continue to provide outpatient care at
its New Orleans Naval 3iir Station dispensary. Neither the
Department of Defense nor the Veterans Administration could
identify any inpatient medical needs that could be filled by the
facility. The disadvantages of transferrin4 the operations of
the Public Health Service hospital to the Naval hospital would
outweigh the advantages. The hospital could be used for two
non-Feieral activities: the Louisiana Department of Haalth and
Human Resources could use it as an adolescent mental health care
facility, or a lease could be negotiated with a private
for-profit hospital. Recommendations: The Secretary of Defense](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobaaxhh0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)