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Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee praised the Louisiana State Senate for its passage of SB 254, a bill that would require Louisiana employers to pay men and women the same wage for the same work. Women in Louisiana earn just 65 cents on the dollar compared to men when performing similar work, according to a widely cited 2014 study performed by the American Association of University Women.
DHH Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee today urged mothers across Louisiana to live healthily and to ensure that they get regular health checks, including annual mammograms and other cancer screenings when appropriate. Gee, a mother of five, cited the loss of her own mother as one reason why she makes sure to always get her own annual physicals and has begun to get an annual mammogram.
Dr. Rebekah Gee, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, is traveling to Washington, D.C. today, where she will meet with several officials with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Today, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and a group of Baton Rouge-area hospitals announced changes to expand access to urgent and emergency room (ER) care for individuals in the Baton Rouge Community. Those changes include increasing and aligning access hours and capacity for urgent care visits at the LSU Health Baton Rouge urgent care clnic on North Foster Drive (effective March 23), other clinic service expansions and efforts by Baton Rouge-area hospitals to increase emergency department (ED) capacity.
Today, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Secretary Kliebert announced the appointment of Hugh Eley as deputy secretary upon the departure of Courtney Phillips.
This afternoon, Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Secretary Kathy Kliebert took the “Ice Bucket Challenge.” ALS Association Louisiana-Mississippi Chapter Director Kelly Viator challenged Secretary Kliebert, and this afternoon Viator soaked Kliebert with four gallons of frigid ice water.
Late this afternoon, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) was notified by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that the remaining state plan amendments (SPAs) for the public-private partnerships have been denied. This is an unprecedented step by the federal government that contradicts earlier approval actions by CMS. The Department will appeal the decision by CMS through an administrative appeal. There is no short-term budget impact as a result of the CMS decision.
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Secretary Kathy Kliebert announced today the appointment of Louisiana Medicaid Deputy Director Jeff Reynolds to succeed Jerry Phillips as undersecretary of the Department. Reynolds will assume his new responsibilities following Phillips’ retirement on March 10, 2014 from the state after 25 years of service at DHH and a 30-year career in the United States Marine Corps. Phillips was instrumental in the successful creation of nine public-private partnerships aimed at improving access and availability to care for generations of Louisiana residents to come. Following his retirement, Phillips will pursue other employment options with the State in order to ensure the continuity of those partnerships.
The [Best Fed Beginnings] program’s major goal is to increase the number of breastfed babies. The $6 million initiative began last year and will conclude in September 2014. The 89 participating hospitals must complete the American Academy of Pediatrics-endorsed Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding program. By doing so, they will receive a “baby-friendly” designation from the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund.
Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Chief Compliance Officer William Root was honored yesterday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for his dedicated service with the Career Achievement Award. Root retired from HHS earlier in 2013 as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Investigations before joining DHH to head up the Louisiana Medicaid Program Integrity Office.
The Department of Health and Hospitals announced today the appointment of two new interim assistant secretaries. Dr. Rochelle Head-Dunham will serve as Interim Assistant Secretary for the Office of Behavioral Health and Mark Thomas will assume the role of Interim Assistant Secretary for the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities. Searches will be conducted to fill both roles permanently by early 2014.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today formally notified the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office and the Office of the District Attorney for East Baton Rouge Parish that staff have gathered evidence that leads them to believe a DHH employee has misappropriated public funds intended for the department and used these funds for personal activities.