Contact:  W. Keith Simon, VP, PR, 1.800.259.3333; ksimon@acadian.com , 337.291.1584 office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, September 4, 2005

We would like the people of Acadiana, and our neighbors from across the U.S. to know how much we appreciate their offers for help.  We have received so many offers from medical volunteers that all offers for medical help are being organized through the American Red Cross.

While we have evacuated all patients in the New Orleans hospitals, there are still thousands of people in New Orleans that were not hospital patients, but still have critical medical needs.  We continue to triage those with critical medical needs as does the military.  Acadian's air medical evacuations continue with medical patients from across the region affected by Katrina.  We will continue our efforts until every last patient is evacuated.  We also continue our coordination of sending fleets of ambulances to New Orleans for ground transport from the airport triage area.

Acadian is also involved with the medical transports from shelters across the state.

We have received an overwhelming outpouring of support from ambulance companies from across the U.S. We want to express our appreciation to Dr. Ray Authement of UL who so graciously offered 100 dorm rooms to house the medics that came from as far away as Illinois, West Virginia, Minnesota, South Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, and Texas.  We thank all of these states who have offered their help in the aftermath of Katrina.  There is still a need to feed the visiting medics who have come to relieve our own. 

• Supplies for medics such as scrubs, socks, chap stick,  and cases of bottled water can be delivered to Acadian Ambulance at 302 Hopkins between Monday and Friday, 7:30a-5:30p.
• Medical companies wanting to donate medical supplies can deliver to Acadian Ambulance at 302 Hopkins.
• Financial assistance for the Acadian Ambulance medics in the Mississippi and New Orleans Metro area who lost their homes or now have damaged homes can be sent to:
  • Acadian Ambulance Employee Disaster Relief Fund
  • c/o  Community Foundation of Acadiana
  • PO Box 3892, Laf., LA 70502
  • www.cfacadiana.org , 337.266-2145, fax: 337-266-2162
  • Contact: Raymond Hebert

We are not surprised at all by the generosity of our family in Acadiana and throughout our service area, and we thank everyone for their phone calls and emails of support.  Please continue to pray for the victims of Katrina and for those who are assisting in the evacuation efforts.

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