The battered health care system of Louisiana is the focus of a comprehensive redesign effort by state and local stakeholders. Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, and the members of the effort -- the Louisiana Healthcare Redesign Collaborative, chaired by Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Dr. Fred Cerise -- committed to the process at a Charter Signing ceremony recently.

The collaborative, which will initially focus on the greater New Orleans area, is committed to developing a blueprint for the redesign of the state's health care system through a proposal for a large-scale Medicaid waiver and Medicare demonstration program, to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by October 20. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt encouraged establishment of the collaborative and agreed to support its efforts by removing impediments to progress and rapidly reviewing the proposals it develops.

"We are supporting the collaborative's work to build a system that meets the needs and embraces the challenges of the 21st Century; the opportunity to transform a storm-wrecked system into a shining model of care," Secretary Leavitt said. "None of us here will ever again have such an opportunity. As the charter recognizes, this is an opportunity to design and implement fundamental change in the financing and delivery of health care in Louisiana that could serve as a model for the nation."


The charter calls for the collaborative to adhere to guiding principles, outlines the work required and promises results. The end result should be a health care system with high-quality, accessible, patient-centered care, delivered by ambulatory and community-based centers. It should take advantage of opportunities for effectively sharing electronic health information through system-wide use of interoperable health information technology. It should reward quality outcomes and patients' involvement in their health care. The collaborative, made up of Louisiana public health officials, members of the state legislature and health care associations, and representatives of area hospitals and other health care organizations, was created by the Louisiana Legislature during its 2006 session.

The Federal Government has committed nearly $90 billion for relief, recovery and rebuilding in the Gulf Coast Region. HHS has provided help through the declaration of a public health emergency, Medicaid waivers of $2 billion through the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, special provisions for short-term, non-recurrent cash benefits to low-income families through the temporary assistance for needy families program, $550 million in social service block grant funds and $90 million to cover the costs of replacing or repairing Head Start facilities damaged or destroyed by the hurricanes.

To learn more about the Louisiana Health Care Redesign Collaborative, please visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/?ID=288.

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