Rural Health Initiative

As a statewide organization since inception, LPHI has focused on extending and enhancing services provided to communities across the state. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health partnered with LPHI following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to provide technical support and resources to communities and to develop access to healthcare services and reduce health disparities. During the 2006-2007 fiscal year, LPHI’s Rural Health Initiative provided ongoing information technology assistance for a rural healthcare network in South Louisiana.

LPHI worked with urban and rural parishes impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita through management of the Health Services Recovery Council (HSRC), a body of healthcare professionals across the state that meet on a bi-monthly basis. The HSRC engaged in an assessment and reporting process which informed state and federal recovery planning and resource allocation decisions.

LPHI provides management services for the Louisiana Health Services Training Corps, a project aimed at addressing allied and front-line healthcare workforce shortages and employee retention in areas impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Health Services Training Corps focuses on the following four objectives: 1) to provide workforce recruitment tailored to the needs of Katrina and Rita impacted parishes; 2) to provide financial support for direct and indirect cost of training of existing frontline workers in the devastated area and displaced residents willing to return; 3) to build upon new strategic partnerships created among educational and health care organizations; and 4) to create a long term training program with ongoing support of program enrollees, retention, training and continued focus on sustainability.

The rural parishes of Plaquemines, St Bernard and Cameron participate in this program.

Finally, LPHI is a participant in the W.K. Kellogg Foundations Rural People Rural Policy program. This is a five-year training and experiential program to develop competencies in effective rural policy development. This will assure the further development of the organizations health policy effectiveness with emphasis on the rural-related health issues of Louisiana.