Perspectives

摘要

The feature articles offer useful perspectives on a national catastrophe. Jack Bovender and Bill Carey provide a personal and vivid view of the struggle at Tulane, while Rodriguez and Aguirre provide an analytic approach to the Katrina experience and the larger context of the resilience of healthcare systems in the face of disaster. This catastrophe is more than "the greatest natural disaster in America history," as cited by the authors; it is also the greatest man-made disaster in American history. The catastrophic flooding is now known to be the result of acknowledged failure by the Army Corps of Engineers. The nomenclature is important, for it speaks to culpability, responsibility, and obligation, and the need for clarity concerning how federal obligations will be defined and honored.