The Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Healthcare Access within the Louisiana Department of Health is known in the community as Well-Ahead Louisiana. This organization works with community leaders to improve our state’s health statistics in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, tobacco use and other chronic diseases. In addition, Well-Ahead Louisiana works to expand our community health systems’ capacity to provide integrated, efficient and effective healthcare services to all Louisiana residents.
Well-Ahead drives collaboration throughout the state and connects communities to tools and resources that can improve the health of Louisiana residents where they live, work, learn, play and pray. Healthcare providers can connect with Well-Ahead by joining the Provider Education Network. Louisiana organizations can get involved by becoming a WellSpot and voluntarily implement healthy changes for their communities.
Through policy, system and environmental changes, Well-Ahead’s chronic disease prevention programs empower providers, organizations and communities to make the healthy choice the easy choice for all Louisiana residents.
Learn more about Well-Ahead’s chronic disease prevention programming.
- Diabetes Management and Prevention: expands access to diabetes prevention and management programs.
- Early Childhood Education: equips child care centers with strategies to model healthy behaviors for children.
- Heart Disease Management and Prevention: improves health outcomes for heart disease.
- Obesity Management and Prevention: works to prevent obesity to combat the leading cause of many health conditions for Louisiana residents.
- Oral Health Promotion: educates Louisiana residents on the importance of oral health and its direct impact on other chronic conditions.
- School Health Promotion: supports schools in building a foundation of healthy habits for Louisiana students.
- Tobacco Cessation and Prevention: works towards a tobacco-free Louisiana.
In Louisiana, 98% of our residents live in a health professional shortage area. Well-Ahead works with providers and clinics to expand community health systems to provide integrated, efficient and effective care services to all residents and to achieve health equity for Louisiana.
Learn more about Well-Ahead’s healthcare access programming.
- Health Professional Shortage Areas: Well-Ahead provides extra services and support to areas in Louisiana with too few primary care, dental health and mental health providers and services.
- State Office of Rural Health: provides rural health clinics and hospitals information and innovative approaches to health service delivery, educational resources and technical assistance.
- Louisiana Primary Care Office: works to reduce health disparities in Louisiana through community partnerships, integrated primary healthcare services, and healthcare workforce recruitment and retention programs such as the State Loan Repayment Program and Louisiana Conrad 30/J-1 Visa Waiver Program.
Well-Ahead works with leaders in the community to move Louisiana’s health forward. Learn more about how your organization can take the lead.
- Child Care Centers
- Colleges and Universities
- Faith-Based Organizations
- Healthcare Facilities
- Restaurants
- Schools
- Worksites & Retailers
Join the Network! Healthcare professionals who join the Provider Education Network receive tools, training and technical assistance to help provide the best possible care to your patients and make every angle of your practice more effective.
Become a WellSpot! WellSpots are Louisiana organizations that voluntarily implement healthy changes in their environment to help their employees and community live well. By following our health and wellness benchmarks, your organization will be putting the health and wellness of Louisiana residents first.
Build a Healthy Community! Leaders in a Healthy Community work together to create conditions that allow for easy access to things like safe neighborhoods, a quality education, good jobs, healthy foods and healthcare resources.