KATRINA

“The unit became a safe, cozy place for
women to congregate and tell their stories.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Rosa Bustamante-Forest,
nurse and program manager, March of Dimes
insurance. If the patient had no insurance—and many didn’t—
a clinic and money from the grant paid the costs. “It was very
nice for the patients,” Bustamante-Forest says.
She describes the program as “a truly fabulous opportunity
to do something really special in a state that had one of the
worst perinatal outcomes in the country. It really made a
difference.” Many patients were recent immigrants from
Latino and Hispanic communities who had come to rebuild
the city and found a health-care system in disarray.
“The stars really lined up,” says Bustamante-Forest.
“There were three of us to each van, and we all had to have
multiple skills. The driver was also a medical assistant. She
drew blood, did urine tests, registered people, did the billing,
interpreted.” All the health workers spoke Spanish, like
most of their patients.
“The program was essential at that point,” Bustamante-
Forest says. “The target population contributed so much to
rebuilding New Orleans. We were all bilingual. They got to
trust us, so through word of mouth, we just got more and
more patients.”
It was eye-opening to be on the front lines in a city that
had been “devastated every which way,” as Bustamante-
Forest puts it. “Some of the women lived with 10 men in one
home. They were the only woman, the cook,” she recalls.
“I heard stories that just broke your heart. The unit became
a safe, cozy place for women to congregate and tell their
stories . . . These were poor women facing a lot of challenges,
a lot of depression, they had violence in their lives. I learned
a lot about human suffering—and about women’s inner
strength.”
“I also got to meet the [then] Amir of Qatar!” she adds
excitedly, remembering when His Highness visited the city
in April 2008. When the Amir asked one of the patients about
her experience, she explained that she only spoke Spanish and
hadn’t known where to go for prenatal care because none of
the regular clinics had interpreters, which scared her (and is
medically dangerous). “They were so excited. She explained
how grateful she was for the help she got during her pregnancy,”
Bustamante-Forest recalls. “It was really moving.”
March of Dimes
1938
Founded as National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to
US polio epidemic; renamed March
of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
(1976 ); renamed March of Dimes
Foundation (2007).
51
Chapters across US, including
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
24%
Of Louisiana women are
uninsured at time of pregnancy.
$3 million
Fund Name: March of Dimes Mom & Baby
Mobile Health Centers
Objective: Purchase, equip, and staff three mobile
medical units to provide prenatal and early pediatric
care for mothers and children affected by Katrina.
Results: Supported thousands of mothers and
children forced to relocate to temporary housing or
relief shelters, without access to medical care or
public transportation.
2003
15%
382
Launched Prematurity Campaign Of births in Louisiana are
Research grants given by
in response to rising premature
premature.
March of Dimes in 2013 to help
birth rates.
prevent and treat premature births.
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