About Us
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Bureau of Community Partnerships and Health Equity (BCPHE) was established in January of 2019. BCPHE is focused on promoting health equity within LDH and ensuring that LDH’s services are equitably accessible and informed by the people, populations and communities served.
BCPHE works with LDH Offices, Bureaus, Programs and Sections to promote and implement health equity and community engagement principles and action items throughout the department, and develops relationships with external organizations to foster cooperation and connections between LDH and the broader Louisiana community.
BCPHE spearheaded the development and implementation of LDH’s first agency-wide health equity strategy, titled the LDH Health Equity Roadmap Phase 1 (Roadmap). The Roadmap guides and operationalizes health equity practices and protocols affecting all LDH agencies, offices and bureaus.
Phase 2 of the Health Equity Roadmap was built on the foundation and principles laid out in Phase 1 and will further operationalize health equity practices within the fabric of LDH’s policies, programs and culture through the next generation of health equity activities. The philosophy of Phase 2 is: “Nothing About Us Without Us”. Emphasizing BCPHE’s commitment to intentionally engage with our community members, fostering meaningful relationships and communication pathways.
Vision: To elevate and advance health equity through collaboration with those who serve and are served by the Louisiana Department of Health
Mission: We envision thriving communities where every person in Louisiana has equitable access to respectful and inclusive healthcare, providing the opportunity to attain their full health potential
Guided by the theme “Nothing About Us Without Us,” BCPHE engages in several tactics to promote community partnerships for LDH. BCPHE is currently working to broaden our network of partnering organizations across the state, with an emphasis on organizations focused on marginalized populations.
To supplement the work of building community partnerships, BCPHE created the Community Engagement Toolkit which guides LDH offices in their community engagement activities. The creation of the toolkit by BCPHE supports Initiative 11 of the LDH Fiscal Year 2022 Business Plan, which is to “Leverage Community Partnerships to Improve Participation in LDH Programs and Improve Program Design.” The toolkit ensures that LDH delivers efficient, effective and equitable services to the communities they serve through cultural acknowledgment and meaningful communication.