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LDH News

• December 09, 2009

  DHH and LDOE Announce Increased H1N1 Vaccine Availability at School-Based Events Statewide

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and the Louisiana Department of Education today announced increased availability of the H1N1 vaccine for K-12 students at school-based vaccination events across the state. State Health Officer Jimmy Guidry also announced the availability of H1N1 vaccine at qualified pharmacies statewide and for additional target groups, and emphasized the results of a recent CDC study showing the H1N1 vaccine to be as safe as the seasonal flu vaccine.

• December 03, 2009

  DHH Secretary Testifies Before U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

  Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today in Washington, D.C. Secretary Levine testified as part of a hearing entitled, ““Post-Katrina Recovery: Restoring Health Care in the New Orleans Region.”

• December 02, 2009

  DHH Secretary Levine to Testify before U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Tomorrow

  Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine will testify December 3, 2009, before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform at a hearing entitled "Post-Katrina Recovery: Restoring Health Care in the New Orleans Region."

• November 24, 2009

  DHH Encourages Travelers to Take Steps to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today issued safety tips to help families prevent the spread of flu and stay healthy while traveling this holiday season.

• November 20, 2009

  Louisiana Medicaid Recognized as a National Best Practice for Administrative Efficiency

  Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine today announced that the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has recognized Louisiana’s Medicaid program as a national best practice for its efforts to simplify and streamline the state’s Medicaid eligibility processes. Louisiana’s Medicaid program, which includes the Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program (LaCHIP), also shows significantly lower error rates overall than the national average, according to reports released by CMS.

• November 17, 2009

  Statement from LDH Secretary Alan Levine on Louisiana’s Improvement in the America’s Health Rankings

  DHH Secretary Alan Levine released the following statement today regarding Louisiana’s improvement in United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings. The state increased from 50th to 47th, marking the state’s highest ranking in the 19 years the study has been published.

• November 11, 2009

  DHH Announces Expanded H1N1 Vaccine Availability for All Target Populations in Louisiana

  Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine and State Health Officer Jimmy Guidry, M.D., announced today that the 2009 H1N1 vaccine is now available by appointment in Louisiana for all groups recommended to receive the vaccine (target groups) through more than 350 health care providers statewide, including parish health units. For the first time, people aged 25 through 64 years who have chronic health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza can now get the H1N1 vaccine. DHH has also launched a revamped www.FightTheFluLA.com Web site and a H1N1 flu shot locator that allows target group residents across the state to find locations offering the H1N1 vaccine.

• November 09, 2009

  Health Department Warns of Flooding Dangers

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals advises people to avoid contact with floodwaters following Tropical Storm Ida. Residents of areas affected by Ida are advised to keep the following tips in mind if flooding has occurred in their area:

• November 02, 2009

  DHH Releases Projected FY 2010 Medicaid Expenditure Forecast Report and Plan for Reductions and Fund Shifts

  The Department of Health and Hospitals released today its Louisiana Medicaid Expenditure Forecast Report, as well as the Department’s plan for reductions and fund shifts. DHH officials will address the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget at the State Capitol tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m.

• October 29, 2009

  DHH Announces New Effort to Combat Medicaid Fraud

  The Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) today announced a first-ever, aggressive fraud initiative designed to identify fraudulent providers of in-home services for people in Medicaid. This effort is part of a partnership with Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell. DHH will also work with the appropriate federal authorities.

• October 27, 2009

  DHH, LDWF Officials Express Concerns Over Proposed FDA Action on Oyster Industry

  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.

• October 09, 2009

  DHH Officials to Discuss H1N1 Vaccine Availability, Ordering, and Distribution Process

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today confirmed three deaths in the state from H1N1: an adult female from DHH Region I, the Greater New Orleans area, an adult male from DHH Region III, the seven-parish area including Houma and Thibodaux, and an adult female from DHH Region IV, consisting of the seven-parish area surrounding Lafayette. There have been a total of 14 H1N1-related deaths statewide.