NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Touro Foundation is mounting an aggressive fundraising campaign seeking financial gifts and donations to help reopen Touro Infirmary in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Touro Infirmary is the only not-for-profit, faith based, full-service community hospital in New Orleans. Tens of thousands of babies have been born at Touro and more than a million patients have been treated at this historic 152 year-old healthcare institution.
Touro Infirmary, guided by the moral and ethical principles of Judaism, is dedicated to improving the health status and well-being of the diverse people it serves through the provision of effective, efficient and compassionate healthcare services. As the only healthcare facility serving the Jewish population in the Deep South, Touro is a unique and valuable asset to the region. As a private institution, Touro relies on the Touro Foundation to fund ongoing initiatives and to expand services and facilities for patients.
“We are asking people of the Jewish faith and others from around the country and around the world to open their hearts and their pocketbooks as we begin the monumental task of rebuilding Touro,” said Les Hirsch, President and CEO of the Touro Infirmary.
Despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Touro is determined to carry on the long standing history of the institution and its service to the residents of New Orleans. The losses sustained in the Hurricane have dealt a severe blow to Touro’s patients, physicians and employees, but the essence of the institution is alive and thriving.
“The hurricane may have damaged our facilities but it has not affected our commitment to providing quality healthcare services to the community. We will continue the long standing tradition of Touro Infirmary and will not waver in the face of adversity,” stated Hirsch. “While we were very fortunate that our facilities were not totally devastated by Katrina, the work to clean, repair and revitalize Touro so it is operational again will take a significant effort and cost millions of dollars.”
Thousands of men, women, children and senior citizens throughout the New Orleans area depend on Touro for their healthcare needs. While looking toward the future, Touro is aggressively working to fulfill the immediate needs of its patients, physicians and employees.
“Our plan is to relocate temporarily to Baton Rouge and to simultaneously begin the work necessary to reopen our facilities in New Orleans which also include the Touro Rehabilitation Center and Woldenberg Village, a full service retirement community,” explains Hirsch.
Donations to the campaign can be made by credit card at http://www.tourohurricaneinfo.com. Please make checks payable to Touro Foundation, P.O. Box 1117, 22 West Maple Ave., Merchantville, NJ 08109.
About Touro Infirmary
Touro Infirmary is a not-for-profit, community-based hospital, located in New Orleans, LA. The institution is guided by the principles of Judaism and is dedicated to the health status and well-being of the diverse people it serves. Touro Infirmary subsidiaries include Woldenberg Village, Crescent City Physicians and Metro Lab.
The hospital specializes in cardiology, obstetrics, radiation oncology, orthopedics, neuroscience, and rehabilitation medicine. In 1923, Touro was one of only fifteen hospitals in the country approved to use insulin to treat diabetes and was also one of the first hospitals in the United States to have a physical therapy department. Today, Touro Rehabilitation Center is one of the premier rehabilitation centers in the country. Touro was also recognized as one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report.
Touro Infirmary is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. The hospital has academic affiliations with Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Tulane University Health Science Center. To learn more about Touro Infirmary, visit www.touro.com
About Touro Foundation
Touro Foundation is dedicated to promoting the goals of Touro Infirmary by improving the health and well-being of the entire community through the provision of effective, efficient and compassionate healthcare through leadership, resource development and financial stewardship. Philanthropy is the cornerstone of Touro Infirmary and every aspect of Touro Infirmary’s proud heritage -- from outstanding patient care, to health education and community outreach -- has been enhanced by its legacy of support. Funds are used to support ongoing initiatives and to expand services and facilities for patients. Through the efforts of the Foundation, Judah Touro’s vision of community service, begun more than 150 years ago, is still amply evident today. To learn more about Touro Foundation, visit http://www.touro.com
The Touro Foundation
CONTACT: Kelly Banaszak of Star-Rosen Public Relations for The TouroFoundation, +1-856-488-5500 ext. 2105, kbanaszak@stargroup1.com