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With this weekend marking the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ comeback battle has been in the national spotlight. On the healthcare front, efforts to improve access to primary care for those underserved has been a major focus, especially as the greater New Orleans area experienced a sharp decrease in primary care physicians in Katrina’s aftermath. Further compounding the problem, Charity Hospital — the primary access point to healthcare for the uninsured — closed permanently after being hit by severe flooding during the disaster. One way the city has been addressing this care delivery gap is by investing in a community-based primary care delivery model — with health centers based inside schools an integral part of this model. Today, the GE Foundation, which is the company’s philanthropic arm, announced a $2 million grant to the Louisiana Public Health Institute as part of GE’s Developing Health program. The funds will underwrite the work led by School Health Connection — a partnership formed after Katrina by local and state governments, universities, hospitals and others — in Orleans Parish, LA.

Back to school: Developing Health is a 3-year, $25 million, GE program that aims to improve access to primary care in targeted underserved communities across the U.S. The grant announced today will be used to grow enrollment in New Orleans’ school-based health centers and extend those health services to neighboring schools, family members and nearby residents. From left to right at today’s ceremony in New Orleans were Keith Singleton, Kyla Davis, Ronesha Turner and Felica Ennis — all Students at Walter J. Cohen High School.

In the third part of our deeper dive into GE’s sixth annual Citizenship Report — which was launched on Tuesday — we turn to the tough issue of maternal mortality in the 14 “orphaned countries” of sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on an array of non-GE voices represented in the report, Part 1 of our series focused on water use in the mining industry while Part 2 put the spotlight on environmental, health and safety training in China. Today we hear from Leslie Mancuso, president and CEO of Jhpiego, an international health non-profit affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. As Leslie writes in her essay: “No woman should die giving life. Unfortunately, it happens every day in the developing world.”

Yesterday, GE issued its sixth annual Citizenship Report, and as part of the rollout, we’re taking a closer look at critical corporate responsibility issues as seen through non-GE eyes. In Part 1 of our series, we highlighted the experience of mining giant Rio Tinto’s Andrew Jenkin — one of more than 20 global thought leaders, customers and GE employees whose essays are published, unedited, in the online report. Andrew cited the work being done to reduce the energy footprint of their mines in Australia, especially in the area of water use. Today, we spotlight an essay by Robert Harrison, CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative, who writes about plans to launch a second Environment, Health, and Safety Academy in China and to add clean energy and climate issues to the EHS certification process.

Today, GE issued its sixth annual Citizenship Report, which charts GE’s progress and efforts — and includes in-depth analysis and discussion — in areas such as water, human rights, energy use and emissions, labor practices, education and healthcare. As former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, who’s on GE’s Board of Directors, writes in the report, GE’s goal is a business strategy that creates “a positive human impact” as well as long-term business success. “Citizenship is not a spectator sport,” says Nunn. “Companies with global reach and impact like GE must set commercial priorities to increase shareholder value while recognizing that our business foundation rests on forward progress on public policy imperatives.”

GE’s 2010 annual shareholders meeting is getting underway this morning at 11 a.m. ET in Houston, Texas, which is home to an array of GE’s energy businesses. The theme of the meeting is “Renewal,” and it’s an opportunity for Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt to underscore that the business environment for GE continues to improve and that the 2010 framework outlined for the company remains achievable with upside potential. It’s also a chance for GE’s leadership and board members to hear directly from shareowners and get direct feedback about the company’s direction, business performance, and opportunities for growth. Click here to see a live webcast of the remarks made by Jeff and Keith Sherin, Vice Chairman and CFO. A rebroadcast will also be available later in the day.