New legislation pleases doctor accused of murder

That was before she was arrested and accused of deliberately murdering four desperately ill patients.

On Monday, Pou (pronounced Poe) credited that experience for new landmark legislation designed to protect medical personnel in Louisiana from civil suits and provide a board of professionals to review criminal charges.

"Throughout the whole ordeal, I talked about wanting something good to come out of it," Pou told the Associated Press. "I was a little naive because I believed that if medical personnel did the best they could during an emergency they wouldn't be sued."

On June 8, Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the last bill in a three-piece package designed to protect medical personnel and patients in future disasters.

In the aftermath of Katrina, Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti accused Pou and two nurses--Cheri Landry and Lori Budo--of killing hospital patients after the Aug. 29, 2005, storm. The Orleans Parish district attorney dropped charges against the nurses, and a grand jury later refused to indict Pou.

Foti accused the women of using morphine and sedatives--which he described as a "lethal cocktail"--to kill four patients, ages 62 to 90, who would have otherwise survived the sweltering, chaotic conditions at Memorial Medical Center.

Pou, a cancer surgeon who pushed for the new laws, said the accusations inspired her to see to it that doctors, nurses and other medical workers would be protected during future disasters.

"I think what happened to the three of us could really hurt volunteering across the nation," Pou said. "People all across the country told me they would worry about stepping in during a disaster, worry about what they might face."

Two of the new laws limit civil lawsuits against medical professionals who work during a declared disaster. The third lets prosecutors use a medical panel to review evidence when a doctor or nurse is suspected of euthanasia or other criminal medical actions during a disaster.