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Louisiana Public Health Institute Announces Community Grant Recipients to Address Systemic Inequities to Reduce Tobacco Use

Through support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) is working to address systemic inequities to reduce tobacco use among African Americans in the South (Project ASIRT). LPHI has selected six community engagement partners and three rural health partners as Project ASIRT grantees.

These organizations will participate in a learning collaborative to build the capacity of Louisiana’s rural communities to reduce tobacco use among African Americans, address and recognize tobacco-related inequities, and influence policy change at the local and state level. Each of the grantees are in one of the Project ASIRT priority locations, which include Ferriday, Jonesville, Lake Providence, Tallulah, Bastrop, Delhi, Opelousas, Kentwood, St. Joseph, and Newellton.

“We’re excited to be working with these nine organizations to address tobacco use and cessation efforts on multiple fronts,” said Tiffany Jeanminette, LPHI’s director of Policy and Equity. “Working with local organizations allows us to better understand each community and create solutions that address tobacco-use, health inequities stemming from tobacco-use, and enact equity-focused policy changes.”

Community engagement partners will each receive $20,000 to increase rural community capacity and engagement to mobilize around tobacco- and tobacco-related issues facing their communities and eliminating tobacco-related health disparities. The recipients are:

  • Opelousas General Health System Foundation (St. Landry Parish)
  • The United Hands Youth Center (Concordia Parish)
  • LaSalle Community Action Association, Inc (Catahoula and Tensas Parishes)
  • Prek-12 and Beyond (Madison Parish)
  • Morehouse General Hospital Healthcare Foundation (Morehouse Parish)
  • Delta Interfaith (East Carroll Parish)

Rural health partners will each receive $7,000 to increase access to tobacco cessation and prevention education, and service and eliminate tobacco-related health disparities.

The rural health partners are:

  • Catahoula Parish Hospital District #2 (Concordia and Catahoula Parishes)
  • Southeast Community Health Systems (Tangipahoa Parish)
  • Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center, Inc. (St. Landry Parish)

Both LaSalle Community Action Association, Inc. and Catahoula Parish Hospital District #2 are receiving more than the stated funding amount since they are serving multiple communities.

In addition to working with community engagement partners and rural health partners, Project ASIRT will engage local community leaders, organizations, and residents in rural communities to work towards building capacity for grassroots policy change to address systemic inequities and increase the use of traditional and non-traditional tobacco cessation programs for tobacco users who want to quit smoking.

For additional information visit the Project ASIRT webpage at lphi.org/asirt.