$16.7 million in Primary Care Grants Awarded to New Orleans Health Care Providers

Access to quality health care takes a large step forward in New Orleans with the awarding of $16,721,920 in health care grants. The funds are designed to assist in the stabilization, restoration and expansion of 25 health care service provider organizations in the New Orleans area.

The recipient organizations had to be providing services in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard or Plaquemines parishes. The awards range from $239,950 to $719,849. The largest award, $4 million, went to the City of New Orleans Health Department. The remainder of the grant funds will be distributed throughout the rest of the three-year grant period. A full list of the clinics who will receive grant funding is at the end of this release.

The grants are part of the Primary Care Access and Stabilization Grant program awarded to the Louisiana Department of Health by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Louisiana Public Health Institute is administering the grant as the local partner of DHH.

Public and private nonprofit organizations were eligible for funding through the grant, including primary medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment providers. In addition, critical shortages in the areas of dental and optometric services will be addressed using funds from this grant.  The funds will help health care providers expand their services through such methods as opening satellite clinics, extending hours of operation and hiring additional qualified medical staff.

The three-year, $100 million grant is designed to meet the increasing demand for health care services in the four-parish greater New Orleans area and decrease the reliance on emergency room usage for primary care services by Medicaid and those people without insurance or who are under-insured. 

According to Dr. Roxane Townsend, LDH secretary, the organizations receiving the grants were selected through a rigorous screening process.

“We have identified quality providers who have the experience and staffing and are ready to expand their capacity to provide these vital health care services,” Townsend said.

The process was designed to ensure that applicants met all criteria established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In order to participate, qualified organizations were required to show that they had been providing eligible primary and/or behavioral health care services for at least 20 hours per week since June 18, 2007 to everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

The Primary Care Access and Stabilization Grant program was announced by Secretary Michael Leavitt of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help ensure the capability of the health care infrastructure in New Orleans. The grant was announced in May and LDH received the funds in July.

“Through the partnership with the Louisiana Public Health Institute, qualifying applicants were identified, and the awards have been made,” added Townsend. “This is a great example of a public-private partnership that will work to improve health care for the citizens of the region.”

“We are extremely grateful this funding has been made available to help support the health care providers that have stepped up so ably to fill critical health care needs in the greater New Orleans region,” says Clayton Williams, director of Health Systems Development for LPHI and the grant administrator.

Beyond its role as steward and distributor of grant dollars, the Louisiana Public Health Institute is charged with providing technical assistance to the recipients to give them the tools they need to succeed.

“The people of greater New Orleans will certainly be well served by the development of a strong network of comprehensive, neighborhood-based primary care clinics with links to much-needed behavioral health and other supportive services. This is what we are dedicated to accomplishing over the three-year grant period,” said Williams.

CONTACTS:

Department of Health and Hospitals
Bob Johannessen
225-342-6039

Louisiana Public Health Institute
Rob Anderson
504-301-9854 direct
225-921-0012 mobile

Jason W. Melancon
504-301-9841 direct
504-319-1222 cell

Community-Based Primary Medical Care Provider Organizations
 
Common Ground Health Clinic
 $282,294
 
Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans (MCLNO)
 $719,849
 
NO/AIDS Task Force
 $273,825
 
Children's Hospital Medical Practice Corp
 $719,849
 
Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans
 $719,849
 
St. Thomas Community Health Center
 $719,849
 
Lower 9th Ward Health Clinic
 $310,523
 
New Orleans Musicians' Assistance Foundation
 $289,351
 
Tulane University Adult and Pediatric Clinics at Covenant House
 $719,849
 
EXCELth, Inc.
 $698,677
 
Jefferson Community Health Care Centers, Inc.
 $719,849
 
Leading Edge Services International, Inc./Family Health Center
 $331,695
 
St. Charles Community Health Center - Kenner
 $606,932
 
St. Bernard Health Center, Inc
 $719,849
 
Plaquemines Medical Center
 $437,555
 
LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (School Based Health Centers)
 $275,236
 
City of New Orleans Health Department
 $4,000,000
 
Community-Based Behavioral Health Services Provider Organizations
 
Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority
 $719,849
 
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans
 $290,763
 
Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc.
 $471,078
 
Mercy Family Center
 $493,308
 
Covenant House
 $239,950
 
LSU Healthcare Network Behavioral Science Center
 $642,218
 
New Orleans Adolescent Hospital and Community Services
 $599,874
 
Metropolitan Human Services District
 $719,849
 

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