In the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina, LSUHSC-NO suffered drastically lowered capacity at its two teaching hospitals, Charity Hospital and University Hospital. LSUHSC-NO went 15 months without the use of either facility, and was forced to set up a trauma center in a vacant shopping center.
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina severely impacted LSUHSC-NO, leading to a prolonged closure of its two main teaching hospitals (Charity Hospital and University Hospital) for 15 months.  To address this crisis, they established a temporary trauma center within a vacant shopping mall.