BATON ROUGE -- The state's last Medical Special Needs Shelter (MSNS) at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans closed Wednesday, after the shelter's final patient was discharged.

During the height of Hurricane Isaac, Louisiana operated five special needs shelters at LSU, Alexandria, Bossier, Southeastern Louisiana University and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The special needs shelters provided care to more than 400 Louisiana residents with complex medical needs during Hurricane Isaac.

These shelters provide refuge for individuals who may not be eligible for a general shelter because of their medical needs, but do not require hospitalization. The shelters are a last resort, temporary living arrangement, providing care until the emergency is over and the parish of residence is safe.

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