TY - JOUR T1 - Big Charity in New Orleans JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 888 LP - 889 VL - 55 IS - 520 AU - John Frey Y1 - 2005/11/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/55/520/888.abstract N2 - In September 2005, Charity Hospital in New Orleans, the oldest continually operating hospital in the US and the safety net for the poorest patients in one of the poorest cities in America, was closed by a hurricane. It is closed for good. ‘Too far gone’ is the recurring phrase in the news. There is brave talk about rebuilding at another site, but the appetite in this country for public hospitals is non existent. The fantasy of the market solution to health problems is still strong. The likelihood of something like a Charity II is zero to nil. The era of the public hospital is over.When I was looking at internships in 1969, I drove with a classmate all over the US visiting public hospitals. Having done much of my training in the largest public hospital in the US, Cook County in Chicago, I knew I wanted to be at a public hospital for my residency. I visited New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and then ended my trip at Charity in New Orleans. When the woman at the medical education office gave me a meal ticket for lunch, I was escorted to a doctor's dining room that was unlike any I had ever seen before — a white tablecloth and silverware setting with black waiters in short white coats and bow ties and a choice of crawfish etouffee or gumbo with a dessert of warm bread pudding.But, other than the dining room, the hospital … ER -