Office of the Secretary

A unilateral proposal by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to depart from an agreed plan to manage oyster safety could be harmful to Louisiana’s oyster industry, which employs more than 3,500 Louisianians, Secretary Alan Levine of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and Secretary Robert Barham of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said today.

Today, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine named Anthony Keck as DHH deputy secretary, effective Oct. 14, 2009. Keck was formerly Governor Bobby Jindal’s health and social services policy advisor.

BATON ROUGE – Today, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine named Anthony Keck as DHH deputy secretary, effective Oct. 14, 2009. Keck was formerly Governor Bobby Jindal’s health and social services policy advisor.

Parishes with the highest rates of asthma will soon receive help to decrease hospitalizations, emergency room and urgent care visits, and missed days of school and work due to asthma.

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine and Children’s Hospital, New Orleans today announced an expansion of available inpatient mental health capacity for children in the Greater New Orleans area.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has opened online registration for health care providers interested in administering the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine, expected to be available initially in limited quantities in October. Also, State Health Officer Jimmy Guidry, M.D., has issued an order and protocol allowing Louisiana Board of Pharmacy-certified pharmacists to join doctors, hospitals, and local health departments in administering both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu vaccines. These important steps will help keep more people healthy, ensure more effective provision of influenza immunizations, and allow the state to better manage the 2009 flu season.

BATON ROUGE— Louisiana has moved from being among the lowest-ranked states in the nation in child immunizations in 2006 to an all-time-high ranking in 2008, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rising in just two years from 44th to 2nd, Louisiana has made enormous strides in immunizing children aged 19-35 months.

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine testified today before the Subcommittee on Health of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce calling for a “systemic reform of health care” and “every American having access to affordable health insurance.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine testified today before the Subcommittee on Health of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce calling for a “systemic reform of health care” and “every American having access to affordable health insurance.”

New Orleans– Clinics throughout the Greater New Orleans area have received recognition as Physician Practice Connections—Patient Centered Medical Homes (PPC-PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). NCQA’s Physician Recognition Programs identify physicians who deliver care using standards firmly rooted in medical evidence. The 37 recognized clinics are under the management of 13 public and private non-profit organizations providing affordable primary and behavioral health care in Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard Parishes.