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Rural Health
The majority of Louisiana parishes are designated as rural. Rural residents tend to be older and in poorer health than their urban counterparts, and rural communities often face challenges with access to care.
- Medicaid
- For Medicaid Partners
- Quality Initiatives
- Public University Partnership Program
Public University Partnership Program
Overview
More information, including how to apply, click on the menu.
The Louisiana Public University Partnership Program (PUPP) is an innovative funding program between Louisiana Medicaid and Louisiana public universities and colleges to support research within Medicaid services. Drawing upon its educational knowledge and vast expertise across multiple disciplines, universities can support program development and policy analysis through research proposals that address the many challenges facing Medicaid programs today. Research can consist of a new project or an expansion of existing efforts. Successful proposals will demonstrate how its findings will promote delivery of evidence-based, high-quality, accessible, and cost-effective care to Louisiana Medicaid members. LDH can only support projects that directly further the proper and efficient administration of the Louisiana Medicaid program.
PUPP is particularly interested in submissions that address the following Special Areas of Interest. The purpose of identifying these is to encourage but not limit submissions to these topics. PUPP will provide competitive preference for submissions that align with any of the Special Areas of Interest topics. Submissions will be given additional scoring consideration dependent upon the extent that the submission addresses the identified research topic. This will complement any points the proposal earns under the selection criteria. Note: Addressing the competitive preference areas is one of many factors that PUPP considers in making funding decisions. Receiving the competitive preference scoring does not guarantee an award.
This opportunity also encompasses a range of topics across multiple areas of the Louisiana Medicaid program to include care for adolescents and children; reproductive care and during pregnancy; effective care in appropriate settings; preventive care for adults; experience of care and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (CAHPS).
Special Areas of Interest
Maternal Health and Neonatal Health
Louisiana has some of the lowest ranked outcomes related to maternal morbidity and mortality. Maternal age and chronic conditions, such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes are risk factors for poor maternal health outcomes. The health and wellbeing of mothers directly impacts that of their newborns, which can manifest at birth through increased care needs.
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder
Medicaid is generally the largest and most important insurer for people with mental health and substance use disorders. Screening, diagnosis, and effective treatment of mental health and substance use disorders improves functioning, quality of life, and has been correlated to improved health outcomes.
Cost-Quality Relationship
Ensuring that Louisiana Medicaid members receive high-value, evidence-based care (e.g., services, drugs, and devices), and do not receive low-value care, is a key component in value-based care delivery models that reduce costs while improving quality of care.
Value Proposition to the University or College
PUPP is a funding opportunity for cross-disciplinary university research from medicine, social and behavioral science, public health, public policy, health economics, data science and other disciplines. Partnerships with public colleges and universities provide an opportunity to leverage innovation that can inform Medicaid program development and operations and guide decisions about allocation of scarce resources.
PUPP funding is offered as cost-sharing with the university designating up to 50% of their research budget as public expenditures for the Medicaid administrative match. The university must contribute the same amount from non-federal sources as the university has been awarded.
This allows for addition of new or expanding current research dollars at the universities or colleges.
Eligible Organizations
Any public institution of postsecondary education in Louisiana governed by the Board of Regents, the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, or the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges that is engaged in health sciences research.
Private non-profit and private for-profit colleges and universities are not eligible for this opportunity.
Full details of this opportunity, along with application submission requirements, are outlined in the current Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Awardee Announcements & Quarterly Summaries
First Year Awardee Announcement
Third Year Awardee Announcement
Fourth Year Awardee Announcement
Current Recipients
Mapping Behavioral and Social Determinants of Health to Inform Louisiana Medicaid Delivery - Senlin Chen, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Louisiana State University and A&M College
Dr. Chen’s interdisciplinary collaborative research project will assess and map out the disparities of key behavioral and social determinants of health among Louisiana children across disadvantaged communities. The project features synergistic efforts from LSU, PBRC, and the Medicaid Managed Care Organization Louisiana Health Care Connections (LHCC), to gather both first-hand and secondary data to illuminate health disparities in Louisiana. The findings will bear significant implications to policy and practice related to resource allocation and identification of high-risk populations and areas that would most benefit from Louisiana Medicaid prevention and treatment services.
Testing the Efficiency and Predictive Value of an Alternative Screener for Head Start Medicaid Recipients - Janna Oetting, PhD, CCC-SLP, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University and A&M College
Dr. Oetting is evaluating the effectiveness of speech and language screening tools that address cultural sensitivity in current standardized screening within Baton Rouge area Head Start clinics. The screening tools are being assessed against current processes to evaluate their use with local patterns of African-American Vernacular English and in communities serving families from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Oetting’s research hopes to ultimately streamline the process of admitting Medicaid children by reducing the fail rate, increasing the validity of screeners, and ultimately shortening the time it takes to initiate services.
A mixed methods analysis of injection-related infections in Louisiana Medicaid Patients - Seth Vignes, MD, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Dr. Vignes’ research will partner with LCMC Health and Louisiana Healthcare Connections to develop an Injection-Related Infection (IRI) registry in People Who Inject Drugs (PWID). The analysis will provide insight into the initiation of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) and the downstream effects of mortality, readmission rates, and lengths of stay, as well as perceived barriers to effective care delivery.
The Impact of Motivation-Based Interventions for Substance Misuse for Medicaid Recipients in Inpatient Hospital Units - Julia Buckner, PhD, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University and A&M College
Dr. Buckner’s research will assess whether motivation-based interventions for substance misuse administered during inpatient hospitalizations are associated with better health-related outcomes and to identify barriers to post-discharge treatment for substance misuse. This project is being conducted with patients who are Medicaid recipients at Our Lady of the Lake Regional (OLOL) Medical Center, the area’s largest provider of Medicaid care.
Improving the Quality of Dental-Medical Integration to Prevent Dental Caries for Medicaid Members - Nicholas Mosca, DDS, DrPH, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University School of Dentistry
This research aims to increase the use of fluoride varnish in primary care settings for Medicaid members between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Dr. Mosca’s research will evaluate and advise on implementation strategies through team-focused, unit-based and/or system-based interventions to improve fluoride delivery in a primary care setting.
Investigating Geographical and Temporal Trends in Mental Health-related Emergency Department Visits in the Louisiana Medicaid Population - Claudia Leonardi, PhD, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Dr. Leonardi’s research will analyze geographical, time and seasonal trends in ED visits for mental health-related visits as compared against non-ED mental health treatment. This has the potential to inform on hotspots, seasonal trends or other health-related gaps to develop strategies to improve access and outcomes for mental health conditions.
Project ED-HOPE: Evidence-driven hospital overdose prevention effort - Bridgette Egan, MD, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Dr. Egan’s study will provide critical analyses to better understand the effectiveness of establishing naloxone (Narcan®) distribution programs at other hospitals and provide insight on how to better support overdose prevention efforts reaching Medicaid members most at risk for opioid overdose.
Enhancing Autism Care and Support through A1-Powered Personalized Behavior Insights in Children with ASD - Shreya Banerjee, PhD, Principal Investigator University of New Orleans
Dr. Banerjee’s research studies the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to better understand an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) child's behavior to improve communication between the 2 - 5 5-year-old child and the parent, caregiver, or therapist.
Optimizing PreP for Underserved Populations in Louisiana - John Vanchiere, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University Health Science Center at Shreveport
Dr. Vanchiere’s study aims to increase the initiation and sustained utilization of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for prevention of HIV in the Louisiana Medicaid population to reduce the rate of new HIV infections in underserved populations of high-risk people.
IMPACT-IBD: Improving Cost-Control and Treatment for IBD - Urska Cvek, ScD, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University Shreveport
This study will investigate the effectiveness of telemedicine interviews in reducing disease severity and hospitalization among Medicaid IBD patients in Louisiana.
RENEW (Redetermination and Enrollment: Evidence at Work) Trial - Stephen Barnes, PhD, Principal Investigator University of Louisiana at Lafayette
This research will assess outreach effectiveness and administrative frictions on the application renewal process to improve understanding of critical gaps of how best to keep Medicaid members from inadvertently losing coverage.
Population Health and Promoting Positive Health Outcomes with Medicaid: Evaluation Study - Linda Collins, PhD, Principal Investigator Southeastern Louisiana University
The aim of this project is to develop a series of seminars and to conduct an evaluation of the seminar series to explore perceptions, attitudes, and understanding of population health and the impact it may have on health outcomes.
Completed Research
Trends in the incidence of GDM and HDP and their associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes among the Louisiana Medicaid population - Gang Hu, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Dr. Hu’s research will assess the trends in the annual incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among Medicaid pregnant women to examine whether maternal GDM or HDP is associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, e.g., low birth weight, preterm birth, cesarean section, infant death.
“Trends in the Incidence of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Among the Medicaid Population before and during COVID-19,” Woman’s Health Reports, August 2024, Volume 5.1
“Trends in the Incidence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among the Medical Population before and during COVID-19 Pandemic,” Journal of Women’s Health, August 2024, Volume 33, Number 9
Trends in the Incidence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Their Associations with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Among the Louisiana Medicaid Population Research Brief
Health Policy Honors Program Contributions to Promoting Evidence-Based Care to Louisiana Medicaid members – Peggy Honore, DHA, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University, Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Dr. Honore’s study guides medical students through a Meta-analysis of current research for health policies reviewed or adopted for Louisiana Medicaid to determine potential return on investment. The reviewed topics are policies to reduce maternal mortality, health outcomes associated with an expansion of Medicaid post-partum coverage and disparities around medically tailored meals for individuals with complex chronic conditions.
Promoting Resilience Among Medicaid Members with Opioid Use Disorder (PROUD) - Benjamin Springgate, MD, MPH, Principal Investigator Louisiana State University, Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Dr. Springgate’s research team is exploring observations from a variety of stakeholders, including community-based organizations, treatment providers, and Medicaid MAT clients, to learn how environmental stressors such as hurricanes or the COVID-19 pandemic impact clinical services delivery for OUD and determine strategies to ensure continuity of care to reduce overdoses.
A Predictive Mining Approach to Analyze the Impact of COVID-19 on Smoking - Prerna Dua, PhD, RHIA, Principal Investigator Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Dua’s study proposes the development of a predictive model for analyzing the incidence of tobacco use based on patterns of associated factors, such as disparities in population, tobacco characteristics, and the impact on COVID-19 outcomes. Results generated from the study propose to close the loop between established factors of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), tobacco use, and COVID-19 as being covariates along with other unidentified and underlying environmental and socio‐economic factors.
Meeting Technology Needs to Improve Access to High-Value Behavioral Healthcare - Joanna Thompson, PhD, BCBA-D, Principal Investigator McNeese State University
Dr. Thompson’s research study will provide staff training on new technology for behavioral healthcare services and training curricula, incorporate virtual reality simulation, and provide parent/caregiver training in the community. This project will also conduct a cohort study of billing codes within Louisiana Medicaid to identify the value-level (high-low) of care for Autism Spectrum Disorder and other relevant diagnostic codes.
Evaluating the Effects of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device Use on Intermediate Clinical Outcomes in the Louisiana Medicaid Diabetes Population - Ronald Horswell, PhD, Principal Investigator Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Dr. Horswell’s research is a three-phase project to identify approaches to appropriately increase the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices among Louisiana Medicaid enrollees with Type 1 diabetes. The initial phase provides background on the effectiveness of CGM device use on diabetes outcomes, the second phase will investigate the obstacles among patients and providers for initiating and sustaining the device use and the third phase will pilot approaches to increase CGM use.
Assessing Alternative Payment Models for Medicaid Health Providers - Aimee Moles, PhD and Austin Matthews, LCSW, Co-Principal Investigators Louisiana State University and A&M College
Moles'/Matthews’ project will test Measurement-Based Care (MBC) in a Pay-for-Performance model, by evaluating cost-effective methods of improving systems of care and increasing provider reimbursement. Two hundred providers in clinical practice will be recruited to train and implement MBC. This pilot will inform the development of an implementation toolkit, simulate the potential financial costs and client benefits of pay-for-performance, and explore provider willingness to engage in MBC and pay-for-performance models.