Governor backs plan for New Orleans hospital

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has given its backing to a 424-bed, $1.2 billion academic teaching hospital in downtown New Orleans designed to treat a majority of the region's uninsured patients and serve as the hub of a revamped medical corridor. The proposed size is smaller than the 484-bed configuration suggested last year in a state-commissioned business plan. But the administration's support helps clear up months of uncertainty about a project that is expected to anchor the state's public healthcare system and train the next generation of medical professionals.