Service Results for Rural Health

Programs Authorized under the Health Centers Consolidation Act include : Community Health Centers (CHC) - section 330(e), Migrant Health Centers (MHC) - section 330(g), Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) - section 330(h), Public Housing Primary Care (PHPC) -- section 330(i) and School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) - section 330(e)

The Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health (the Bureau) within the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Office of Public Health, is dedicated to improving the health status of Louisiana residents in rural and underserved areas. The Bureau works proactively to build the capacity of community health systems to provide integrated, efficient and effective health care services. Technical assistance is also provided by the Bureau to communities, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), physician practices, rural health clinics (RHCs), and small rural hospitals (SRHs).

The role of the Office of Public Health's Adolescent School Health Program (ASHP) is to establish and monitor compliance with standards, policies, and guidelines for school health center operation; provide technical and financial assistance to School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs); and provide and encourage collaboration with other agencies and other potential funding sources. Funding opportunities are closed at this time.

The purpose of the Louisiana Conrad State 30 (J-1 Visa Waiver) Program is to recruit needed primary care and specialty physicians, both allopathic and osteopathic, into federally-designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Physicians should apply to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) for a predetermination of eligibility and also a letter of support for the placement of a J-1 visa waiver. LDH will support the physician's request for a waiver through the Louisiana Conrad State 30 program, once all of the following criteria are met.

The Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Program was included in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA). The BBA had a severe financial impact on hospitals around the country.  To help alleviate the impact on small, rural hospitals, the BBA created the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, which allows rural hospitals to receive a higher reimbursement rate and have greater flexibility from federal rules and regulations. Across the United States, over 700 rural hospitals have converted to CAH status since 1999.

Federally Qualified Health Center Fact Sheet provides information about Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation; covered FQHC services; FQHC preventive primary services that are not covered; FQHC payments; and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Visit the Federally Qualified Health Centers Provider Center for more information.

The Louisiana Department of Health Office of Public Health's Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health (the Bureau) offers health systems development services to health care facilities, organizations and other providers across the State. These services are offered to communities within health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) for the purpose of expanding or sustaining access to primary and preventive health care services.

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) wishes our partners a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! Thank you for your dedication to working with the NHSC to help provide primary care services to communities with limited access to health care.

The Primary Care and Health Care Workforce Development Program offers a number of services to help communities recruit and retain primary care health professionals to serve the medically underserved areas in Louisiana. The program also serves as the State Office of Primary Care and works closely with the Louisiana Primary Care Association, a Louisiana trade association for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).