Or those of you who enjoy music. Got the following info from the kid via a friend in New Orleans. This is important to the lives of the muscians that give us such pleasure. Donate, it is still not over.
THE NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS CLINIC- IN - EXILE
LAFAYETTE, Louisiana September 8, 2005
The New Orleans Musicians' Clinic (NOMC) is an innovative not-for-profit occupational medicine and wellness partnership offering comprehensive healthcare to our community's most precious resource: our musicians. Our sponsors are the Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, and the LSU Health Care Network. Dedicated on May 2, 1998, NOMC became the first such health initiative in the United States, addressing the health care needs of musicians and their families, an under-served segment of the population. To date our dedicated consortium of service providers has treated more than 1000 local musicians.
Our Lafayette iniative is not limited to our prior NOMC patients. It is open to all New Orleans musicians and their families. We are blessed that our partners at SWALHEC and H4M already had a wonderful health care system in place to serve musicians (utilize both FQHC clinics and the LSU residency program at UMC). Catherine Lasparges, NOMC nurse practioner, has relocated to Lafayette. A home health agency has offered her all monitoring equipment so that she can monitor and triage all New Orleans musicians into the well estbalished health system in the Acadian region of southwest Louisiana.
As you know, New Orleans music transcends all cultural barriers. Not only do we strive to affect an agenda of wellness in our musician patient population, we encourage our musicians to become advocates for early detection, prevention, and treatment for others facing the same catastrophic risks. Our hometown musicians travel the world, making them the coolest people in their neighborhoods. By targeting a group of thought leaders and cultural icons, we hope to influence a larger portion of society and begin to influence the healthcare seeking patterns of our population at large.
WHERE TO DONATE:
We are still have no access to our NOMC bank accounts in N.O. so we must start from scratch raising money:
Please make donations to the SWALHEC/ NOMC Relief Fund ( a 501 c3 under the Foundation for the LSU Health Sciences Center 72-1115391)
Iberia Bank
acct 170 700 9057
200 West Congress
Lafayette, La. 70501
( bank phone 337 521-4616)
This fund goes directly to sustain our NOMC-in-Exile operations until January 2006 and to provide direct assistance to musicians ( from purchasing gasoline to school uniforms for their children and everything in between.)
There is a second fund ( simulatenously) which we are in the process of establishing: As soon as possible we want to begin paying musicians to perform in the schools and shelters throughout La.. At the moment I can not provide firm details, but I can assure you that by Monday, September 12 we will have a firm system in place.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR IDEAS, PLEASE CONTACT:
Marsha Broussard ( 504 491-4420), the director of the Rural Health Iniative, has volunteered to be the Executive Director for the NOMC-in -Exile and to assist in fascilitating the goals of the coalition of those working to provide services for our musicians.
Johann Bultman, Chairman of the NOMC ( 504 899-3066/ 504 388-4396) remains in New Orleans where his immediate goal is to return to the NOMC/DOC clinic as soon as the water goes down to retrieve vital records and to begin rebuikding the actual clinic site.
He is also insuring that all donations we receive will be appropriately processed, acknowledged, and spent effectively. Many of you know that the NOMC has a formula for aid-- for every $1 we raise we provide $12 worth of services. We strive to weave together existing services and rally donated services and goods whenever possible.
Bethany (me), the NOMC Outreach Chair, struggles with spotty telecommunications in Natchez, Mississippi. I am conducting fundraising and serving as laison with the NOMC staff in Lafayette.
337 200 1707 or 601 442-6776 (I can rarely call out, but seem to be able to receive calls.)
Each of us from New Orleans faces uncertainity, each of us shares the determination to sustain our beloved culture. And each of us is committed to this mission for the long hall. We not only will settle the musicians and their families in the Lafayette community, but we will resettle them in New Orleans.
We appreciate your advice, your prayers and your support to aid us in keeping the music alive in Louisiana!
Bethany Bultman
NOMC co-founder and Outreach Chair
337 200 1707
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