Touro Infirmary is a non-profit

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

 in New Orleans, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

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Organization.

Touro Infirmary is affiliated with the Louisiana State University Health Science Center

Louisiana State University School of Medicine

Louisiana State University School of Medicine refers to two separate medical schools in Louisiana: LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport.-See also:* LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans...

 and Tulane University School of Medicine

Tulane University School of Medicine

The Tulane University School of Medicine is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA and is a part of Tulane University. The school is located in the Medical District of the New Orleans Central Business District.-History:...

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The hospital is located in Uptown New Orleans

Uptown New Orleans

Uptown is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana on the East Bank of the Mississippi River encompassing a number of neighborhoods between the French Quarter and the Jefferson Parish line. It remains an area of mixed residential and small commercial properties, with a wealth of 19th century architecture...

, near the Garden District

Garden District, New Orleans

The Garden District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: St. Charles Avenue to the north, 1st Street to the east, Magazine Street to the south and Toledano Street to the...

. It is near the intersection of Louisiana Avenue and Prytania Street. The address is 1401 Foucher Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115. Phone: (504) 897.7011.

History.

Touro Hospital was founded in 1854 by an endowment from Judah Touro

Judah Touro

Judah Touro was an American businessman and philanthropist.-Early life and career:...

. Touro is best known for its Family Birthing Center

Neonatology

Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn infant. It is a hospital-based specialty, and is usually practiced in neonatal intensive care units...

 and neonatal intensive care unit

Neonatal intensive care unit

A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit —also called a Special Care Nursery, newborn intensive care unit, intensive care nursery , and special care baby unit —is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.The problem of premature and congenitally ill infants is not a...

. It is also known for its cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and rehabilitation programs. Its Neuroscience Center is one of the most advanced in the city.

Notable physicians who worked at Touro included Dr. Alton Ochsner

Alton Ochsner

Alton Ochsner was a surgeon and medical researcher who worked at Tulane University and other New Orleans hospitals before he established his own world-renowned The Ochsner Clinic, now known as Ochsner Foundation Hospital...

 and Edgar Hull

Edgar Hull

Edgar Hull, Jr. , was a physician from Louisiana and in 1931 a founding faculty member of the Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. In 1966, he became the first Dean of the Louisiana State University School of Medicine at Shreveport...

. Notable patients have included jazz musician Muggsy Spanier

Muggsy Spanier

Francis Joseph Julian "Muggsy" Spanier was a prominent cornet player based in Chicago. He was renowned as the best trumpet/cornet in Chicago until Bix Beiderbecke entered the scene....

, who composed his tune "Relaxin' at the Touro" while recovering from an operation there. Touro was also the birthplace of writer Truman Capote

Truman Capote

Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...

, on September 30, 1924.

It was also notable for being the only full-service, adult hospital open in Orleans Parish in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

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