Senator Lydia Jackson today announced the membership of the Region 7 Health Care Consortium in Northwest Louisiana.  Of the more than 100 applicants, 55 people were chosen to serve.  The consortium membership consists of health care providers (hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, pharmacies, clinics, etc.), local government, business leaders, civic groups, faith-based organizations and medical educators.  Members were elected by majority vote of the regional legislative delegation.

During the 2004 Regular Session, the Legislature adopted legislation (Senate Concurrent Resolution 95), which formalized these regional consortia.  The nine regional groups correspond with the Department of Health regions.  The Shreveport area (Region 7) includes Bossier, Caddo, DeSoto, Sabine, Natchitoches, Red River, Webster, Claiborne and Bienville parishes.

Senator Jackson, coordinating legislator for Region 7, said the first meeting of the group would be held on September 8th at 2:00 p.m. at the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce at 400 Edwards Street.  The purpose of this meeting will be organizational in nature.  At this meeting a consortium chair will be elected, roles and responsibilities of the consortium will be outlined as well as dates and times for subsequent meetings will be established.  A second meeting will focus on developing and understanding the of the state of the state of health care within the region and the state, and strategic planning in order to prioritize focus areas to be discussed at future meetings, which will be more issue specific in nature.   All meetings are open to the public and input is encouraged.

“We are very pleased with the number of people interested in this initiative,” Jackson said.  “This shows just how important health care is to our citizens, and this area’s economy.  This response proves that there is much interest in participating in the process to seek meaningful reform.”

The main goal of the consortium meetings is to offer a forum for open discussion for solutions to the health care challenges the region faces.  The consortium is meant to be a grass roots initiative whose members offer recommendations on such key issues as delivery and access to health care. 

“I look forward to meeting with these concerned citizens and working with them to reach the common goal of finding solutions to our health care concerns,” Jackson said.

Region 7 Health Care Consortium:

Lindora Baker, Caddo Parish Commissioner
Dr. Darrell S. Barnett, Pediatrician
Ken Betzing, Director-Physician Assistant Program-LSUHSC
Linda Brooks, Director-OB/GYN Northwest Louisiana Coalition for Women   and Children/Northwestern State University
Ruby Brown, Chair, Department of Nursing-Louisiana Technical College-Shreveport/Bossier
Representative Roy Burrell, District 2
Carolyn Burroughs, Chair, Natural Science & Allied Health-BPCC
Njeri Camara, President, BTW PTA/Alliance for Education
Rosemary Chamberlain, Registered Nurse
Senator Sherri Smith Cheek, District 38
Dr. Wyche Coleman, Christus Coushatta
Sarah Collier, Executive Vice President-Collier Investments
Dr. Larry C. Daniels, Physician-Daniels Family Medicine
Dr. Andrew Dentino, Geriatrics
Dr. Norm Dolch, Director, Institute of Human Services and Public Policy, LSUS
Dr. Arthur Fort, Dept of Family Medicine & Comprehensive Care, LSUHSC
Keith Gamble, Guest Care Management
Dr. Johnathan Glass, Director-Fiest-Weiller Cancer Center
Sue Gruber, President, Minden-South Webster Chamber of Commerce
Dr. William Hall, President-Louisiana Medical Society
Sammy Halphen, Chief-Bossier City Fire Department
Don Hebert, Administrator-Willis Knighton Bossier
Connie Herring, Hospice of Shreveport/Bossier
Frances Hilburn, Statewide Coordinator-Families Helping Families
Senator Lydia P. Jackson, District 39
Dr. Charles Knight, President-Shreveport Medical Society
Murray Lloyd-Citizen Advocate
Michael Lowe, Pharmaceutical Representative
Dan Madden, Bienville General Hospital
Janet Martin, Executive Director-NWLA Interfaith
James McClung, Administrator-Homer Memorial Hospital
Karen McCoy, Louisiana Adult Day Services
Joe Miciotto, Administrator, LSUHSC
Susan Moreland, North Louisiana Area Health Education Center
Janet Moss, Assistant Professor-Grambling State University
Ray Norwood-Citizen Advocate
Dr. Rodney Pendleton, Dentist
Jerre Perry, Office of Public Health
Joe Pierce, Executive Director-United Way of Northwest Louisiana
John Ponthie, Administrator, Springhill Medical Services, Inc. Christus Shumpert
Representative Mike Powell, District 6
Dr. Phillip Rozeman, Alliance for Education
Rusty Semon, Department of Health and Hospitals
Dr. Mildred Scott, Executive Director-The Resource Center, Inc.
Mary Smith, CEO-IMA of Louisiana
J. Scott Stafford, President-DeSoto Regional Health System
Dr. Stephen Taylor, Mayor of Vivian
Lloyd Thompson, Owner-Thompson Transportation
Dr. Sandra Tucker, Chair, Allied Health and Nursing Department-SUSLA
James Wagley, Social Worker
Dr. Bernard Wagner, Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries
Mary Wailes, Executive Director-Red River Council on Aging
Christola Walton, Citizen Advocate
Denise Washburn, Christus Schumpert
Willie White, Executive Director-David Raines Community Health Center