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A Letter From Denis Cortese, M.D., President and CEO

The devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region have touched us all. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.

At Mayo Clinic we are responding in two ways. First, with medical care. Mayo Clinic is in close contact with regional and national medical relief agencies, emergency officials and with the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which provides coordination to Mayo Clinic and many other health care centers in emergencies.

We are prepared to care for patients transported from the affected areas to our facilities. We are also prepared to send medical staff to the disaster scene when requested. Mayo Clinic's three sites in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and our satellite clinics stand ready to help.

Secondly, we are responding with monetary support. Mayo Clinic will make a $1 million donation to help the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region recover from the untold destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Mayo Clinic has always been a place of hope. Our staff members are united in our deep sympathy for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and in our hope and confidence in their recovery.