LCMC Health providing $7 million in emergency relief funds to employees in an expression of gratitude for their dedication in the face of Hurricane Ida

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders from LCMC Health are creating an employee assistance fund for those that were impacted by Hurricane Ida. Making landfall along the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 hurricane, Ida caused devastation to homes across Southeast Louisiana – the footprint of LCMC Health and its family of hospitals and healthcare services.

Dubbed "Operation HOME" (Helping Our Medical Employees), the assistance will come via two separate components. In the initial phase employees at the manager-level position and below with losses of $1,500 or greater are eligible for $500 (full-time) and $250 (part-time employees) of immediate financial assistance for help in recovery and rebuilding from the storm.

"Our employees are the heart of our organization, as they cared for our patients, community, and each other through the storm," said LCMC Health CEO Greg Feirn. "LCMC Health responded quickly, providing essentials like water, gasoline, housing, and now financial assistance to help our amazing, one-of-a-kind people respond, recover, and rebuild from the impacts of Hurricane Ida."

To date, more than 3,375 of LCMC Health's 12,000 employees have received assistance with a value currently reaching $2 million. The system anticipates providing approximately $4.3 million in this initial phase.

One such team member who immediately benefited from Operation Home is "Ms. Lynette" Hamilton, a long-time and much-beloved mailroom employee at Touro. Hurricane Ida caused severe damage to her home, preventing her from returning to the city without a place to stay. LCMC Health provided her with temporary housing in a local hotel and other forms of relief.

"My experience from the moment I called Human Resources was so wonderful and accommodating," said Lynette. "I was so relieved and could not have asked for better support from my hospital and LCMC Health." 

LCMC Health is also developing a $2.5 million fund to provide additional financial support for employees who sustained catastrophic losses from the storm and will invite businesses and individuals to support the effort. Administration of this fund will be administered and managed by the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) and have an application process. This fund will provide team members up to $5,000 for help in recovery and rebuilding from the storm due to devastating damage.

"The Greater New Orleans Foundation is proud to support LCMC Health's efforts to come to the aid of their employees who have suffered catastrophic losses from Hurricane Ida," said Andy Kopplin, President and CEO of the GNOF. "These are true healthcare heroes who have cared for our community and region, especially during the pandemic. To play a small role in their recovery is humbling."

LCMC Health offered additional support programs for its employees including:

• Providing gasoline
  LCMC Health has provided a way for team members to fill up their gas tank at a discounted rate on site at some of the hospitals. Also, working with the Retif Oil Chevron station to provide gasoline exclusively to healthcare workers in the area.
• Housing at local hotels
  LCMC Health has partnered with hotels across New Orleans – the Hotel Saint Vincent, the Windsor Court, and Sheraton New Orleans – to provide essential housing for team members with the most significant needs. LCMC Health staff worked to get the hotels up and running on generator power so that employees would have an immediate solution for housing close to work. To date some 300 hotel rooms have been secured for LCMC team members.
• Recovery essentials donation
  LCMC Health secured donations of generators, gas cans, box fans, extension cords, and air conditioning units from Send Relief and Home Depot for team members in need. LCMC Health also provided ice, a critically needed item, to its employees after the storm.

LCMC Health employees can learn more about this relief program and more at www.lcmchealth.org/emergency-preparedness/resources/.

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SOURCE LCMC Health