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BATON ROUGE— Louisiana has moved from being among the lowest-ranked states in the nation in child immunizations in 2006 to an all-time-high ranking in 2008, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rising in just two years from 44th to 2nd, Louisiana has made enormous strides in immunizing children aged 19-35 months.
BATON ROUGE— The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today confirmed that two additional Louisiana residents have died from complications from H1N1 flu. Both individuals were adult males, one from central Louisiana and one from southwest Louisiana.
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Deputy Secretary Sybil Richard announced today her decision to return to her private sector career after six years in public service. Since January 2008, Richard has overseen the state's programs in mental health, addictive disorders, aging services, developmental disabilities and public health, among other major responsibilities. Her letter of resignation is attached.
BATON ROUGE— The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today confirmed one Louisiana resident has died from complications from H1N1 flu (swine flu). The individual was identified as a 21-year-old woman from the Greater New Orleans area.
Baton Rouge – The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today announced it is publishing licensing rules creating a new type of facility in Louisiana that will offer a new option for services to Louisiana’s medically fragile children and their families.
MARRERO—State health and emergency preparedness officials and their regional and parish partners today shared experiences from the spring “swine flu” outbreak and offered new guidance for local community planners to prepare for an expected fall resurgence of the novel H1N1 flu pandemic.
BATON ROUGE– The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has reported the state’s first case of West Nile virus in a human in 2009. The case was confirmed July 16 in St. Tammany Parish, and was a neuroinvasive illness.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two top state officials are in Washington, D.C. today working with health care and emergency preparedness leaders from the federal government and other states on continued planning for H1N1 influenza preparedness.
BATON ROUGE— The Department of Health and Hospitals’ Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health is offering grants to medically underserved, rural and urban areas to expand access to primary care services.
BATON ROUGE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced that he signed HB 879 into law to compensate the state’s hospitals for hurricane-related losses over the last few years and to cover costs for treating uninsured patients, also called “uncompensated care.” The Governor officially signed the bill yesterday.
BATON ROUGE—The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals will close its Medicaid Office in Allen Parish when the lease expires in July 2009. All Medicaid staff currently at the office will be placed in local public agencies or use a telecommuting program to process applications. The office closure is expected to have little impact on Medicaid applicants and enrollees in the area, as the overwhelming majority of interaction with the public is by phone, by mail, or through outreach and out stationing.