LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry resumed normal operations on July 26 after repairs were made to its flooded facility.
Heavy rainfall that occurred July 22 flooded the basements of the main buildings on the dental school campus, which took on about one and a half feet of water. Critical electrical infrastructure was affected, and included power for air conditioning, operating dental and x-ray equipment, telephones, and the computer network. Elevators were also affected.
LSU Health Facilities personnel worked with contractors and Entergy to de-water, repair damaged electrical and elevator equipment, and re-energize the buildings. About one million gallons of water were pumped out of the interconnected basements below both the E. E. Jeansonne Clinic Building and the adjacent Administration Building.
The Advanced Clinical Care and Clinical Research Building is under construction on the dental school campus, which will mitigate vulnerability to weather events. Funded entirely by FEMA to replace the space lost in the basements and first floor of the clinic building after Hurricane Katrina, the new building will house the school’s clinical and basic-science research facilities, a state-of-the-art faculty practice, and the mechanical and electrical equipment for operation of all buildings. The building is expected to open in January.
“We are grateful to our patients, faculty, staff, and students for their understanding during the aftermath of this unusual weather event, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience it has caused,” said Dr. Henry Gremillion, Dean of LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry. “That we were able to reopen as soon as we have is a testament to the dedication of our Facilities staff, who have been here around the clock since Saturday working to get us back online.”
The only dental school in Louisiana, LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry educates the vast majority of dental professionals practicing in the state. LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry is the only school in the United States offering degrees in dentistry, dental hygiene, dental laboratory technology, and advanced education in a number of dental specialties. Dental faculty and students also provide a significant amount of oral health patient care. In fiscal year 2015, the school had nearly 10,000 active patients, with more than 90,000 patient visits.