[00:00:05]
I WANNA WELCOME AND THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THIS IS A LONG TIME COMING AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD AND EXCITED TO START THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR NEW ELEVATED AND RENOVATED MEDICAL CENTER.
IT WAS DEVASTATED BY HURRICANE IDA, ALONG WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER GOVERNMENT FACILITIES.
IT'S BEING RAISED AND TOTALLY RENOVATED AND WILL BE ANOTHER, UM, HEALTHCARE CENTER FOR THE PEOPLE OF FEED BEAR TAR CROWN POINT, PROVIDING CRITICAL CARE.
WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL IS IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF US BUILDING BACK STRONGER AND BETTER.
YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IS THIS THING GONNA GET RENOVATED AND PUT BACK INTO, INTO COMMERCE AND, AND START ACCEPTING PATIENTS, BUT IT'S GONNA BE ELEVATED AND STRENGTHENED.
SO NEXT TIME A HURRICANE OUT IT COMES, OR THE NEXT STORM THAT COMES, THIS COMMUNITY WON'T BE BROUGHT TO THAT KNEES.
THIS COMMUNITY IS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE OF ITS RESILIENCE.
I KNOW EVERY YEAR AROUND THIS TIME YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, NOT AGAIN.
BUT THIS COMMUNITY SAYS IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT COMES OUR WAY, WE'RE GOING TO PERSEVERE AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD BACK EVEN BETTER.
IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL TEAM AND, AND THANK GOD WE, IT ALL COMES TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, THE TOWN COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, THE COUNCILMAN OF JEFFERSON PARISH, UH, HOPEFULLY THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE, BUT WE ALL, WE'RE ALL TOGETHER.
EVERY WIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S SOMETHING TO ADD MORE CONVENIENCE TO A COMMUNITY WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL 25 MINUTES TO GO TO THE DOCTOR.
IT'S A WONDERFUL THING FOR A COMMUNITY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE NEAREST HOSPITAL TO HAVE SOMETHING THEY CAN GO GET CHECKED QUICKLY IN AND OUT, NOT HAVE LONG LINES.
NOT ONLY IS IT PROVIDES A CRITICAL SERVICE, BUT IT'S QUALITY OF LIFE MAKES THE LIVES DOWN HERE FOR, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE TO FEED, BEAR TEAR, CROWN POINT A LITTLE EASIER.