With a rich heritage of Creole, Cajun and French, Louisiana life is spiced up with foods like gumbo, andouille, etouffees, sauce piquantes, cayenne pepper, Tabasco and crawfish. The senses tingle and feet keep tapping with the sounds of jazz, blues and zydeco. Louisiana covers 43,562 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 4,533,372 people – with 1,152,634 people living in rural Louisiana (USDA-ERS). Baton Rouge is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 62.6% of the state’s population is white, 32.0% is Black/African-American, and 4.2% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 132 hospitals in Louisiana, 27 of which are identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (Sept. 2010). There are 112 Rural Health Clinics in Louisiana (Kaiser, 2012) and 24 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 75 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). 18.0% of Louisiana residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2008-2009).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Louisiana residents in 2009 was $37,632, although rural per-capita income lagged at $31,286. Estimates from 2010 indicate a poverty rate of 22.4% exists in rural Louisiana, compared to 17.6% in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 24.8% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 17.0% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Louisiana is 8.7%, while in urban Louisiana, it is 7.1% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Foundation for the Mid-South
Nonprofit/Foundation
Focuses on four regional priorities including Education, Health & Wellness, Wealth Building, and Community Development. Works in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Louisiana
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Louisiana Association of Community Action Partnership (LACAP)
State/regional organization
Aims to establish professional human services organizations which promote economic and social opportunities as well as quality education in the State of Louisiana.
Louisiana Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health
State government
Works to improve the health status of Louisiana residents in rural and underserved areas by working proactively to build community health systems' capacity to provide integrated, efficient and effective health care services. A division of Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals.
Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS)
State government
Works to support families and children in Louisiana.
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (LA DHH)
State government
Strives to protect and promote health and to ensure access to medical, preventive, and rehabilitative services for all citizens of the State of Louisiana.
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals: Bureau of Minority Health Access (BMHA)
State government
Serves as an infrastructure for addressing public health issues related to minority populations.
Louisiana Department of Social Services
State government
Provides social services to residents of Louisiana.
Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum
State/regional organization
Louisiana State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
Louisiana Hospital Association (LHA)
State/regional organization
Representing all types of hospitals and healthcare systems throughout the state. LHA is a not-for-profit association that carries out its mission by supporting its members through advocacy, education and services.
Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD)
State government
Awards and administers federal financial assistance to units of general local government in the state of Louisiana.
Louisiana Primary Care Association (LPCA)
State/regional organization
Strives to achieve health care access for all and to eradicate health disparities to assure every Louisianan has affordable and regular primary health care services.
Louisiana Public Health Institute
State/regional organization
Promotes and helps improve the health and quality of life in Louisiana through public-private partnering at the community, parish and state levels.
Louisiana Rural Health Association (LRHA)
State/regional organization
Serves as a unified voice for the promotion of rural health care through advocacy, education, and leadership.
Louisiana State University Area Health Education Center Program Office (AHEC)
State/regional organization
Through a variety of programs, Louisiana AHECs work to train, recruit and retain health care professionals in rural and underserved areas of the state. Their website provides links to each of the four regional AHECs in the state.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region (NN/LM-SCR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among libraries and information centers that serve health information needs in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Works to strengthen the region's 29 land-grant institutions in addressing rural development issues. Serves a 14 state area in the Southern region which includes TX, LA, AR, OK, AL, MS, GA, FL, KY, SC, NC, VA, and TN.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Louisiana (HUD)
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Louisiana State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Louisiana
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Louisiana Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Louisiana Health Grants Clearinghouse
Web site
The clearinghouse is a searchable database of grant, loan and technical assistance opportunities specific to health matters. The goal of the clearinghouse is to provide users with information on federal, state and foundation funding opportunities that may benefit Louisiana's residents by improving health care quality and access.
Louisiana KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Louisiana QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to parish-level data.
Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange
Web site
Supports Louisiana's health information technology initiatives in rural areas.
Louisiana State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
Med Job Louisiana
Web site
Offers information on the state's employment incentive programs for medical professionals including the Louisiana Rural Loan Fund and the J-1 Visa Waiver Program. Announces upcoming job fairs for physicians and other health professionals to explore practice opportunities in Louisiana. Is part of a partnership between the state Department of Health and Hospitals, the Louisiana Area Health Education Centers and the Louisiana Rural Health Access Program.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Louisiana
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM South Central Region: Louisiana Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Louisiana.
Stay Healthy Louisiana
Web site
Offers interactive features, health expert advice, and the latest health news. Sponsored by DHH and LPHI.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Community Resource Group (CRG) Loan Fund
Loans to help small, rural communities and tribal nations, in select states, for water and wastewater projects.
Entergy Micro Grants
Micro Grants can be used for projects that effectively impact arts & culture, community improvement/enrichment, education & literacy, the environment or healthy families.
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Community action grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
Humana Foundation Community Grants
The Humana Foundation supports charitable activities that promote healthy lives and communities.
Promise of Nursing (PON) Regional Faculty Fellowship Program
Scholarships to prepare registered nurses for the nurse educator role by achieving their degrees.
Rapides Foundation Grants
Provides grants to parishes in Central Louisiana for a variety of healthcare issues.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Demographic and Economic Profile: Louisiana
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 01 / 2009
Housing in the Lower Mississippi Delta
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Discusses the housing needs of the Lower Mississippi Delta that will require multi-level approaches to address the social, political, and economic infrastructure of the region.
Date: 10 / 2010
How to Establish a Rural Health Clinic in Louisiana
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health
Provides information and guidance to organizations interested in becoming Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in the state of Louisiana.
Date: 04 / 2007
Look at the Mid South Delta Region: A Glimpse of Its Assets, Socioeconomic Complexion, and Emerging Opportunities
Author(s): Bo Beaulieu, Marcus Littles
Sponsoring organization: Southern Rural Development Center
Offers a brief overview of the potential that exists to improve the social and economic conditions in the Mid South Delta Region.
Date: 03 / 2009
Louisiana Interagency Task Force on the Future of Family Medicine
Looks at physician workforce needs as related to family physicians in Louisiana. Discusses workforce needs in rural areas.
Date: 10 / 2006
Minds Matter: Making the Connection Between Mental Health and Community Well-Being
Sponsoring organization: Foundation for the Mid-South
Describes the mental health status of people living in both rural and urban Missouri, Louisiana, and Alabama. Summarizes how some of their health centers implement holistic approaches to overcoming barriers and improving the mental wellness of individuals, and thus, better community wellness. Information is based on data from 2006-2009.
Rural Dropout Problem: An Invisible Achievement Gap
Author(s): Jerry Johnson, Marty Strange, Karen Madden
Sponsoring organization: Rural School and Community Trust
Reviews high school dropout rates and related factors in rural high schools throughout 15 Southern and Southwestern states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
Date: 2010
Rural People, Rural Places: The Hidden Costs of Hurricane Katrina
Author(s): Rogelio Saenz, Walter G. Peacock
Sponsoring organization: Rural Sociological Society
Shows how the characteristics of rural Gulf Coast families place them at higher risks during natural disasters and make them far less able to recover from such disasters.
Date: 2006
Small Business Profile: Louisiana
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
Progress Equals Access for Louisiana (PEAL) Initiative
The Progress Equals Access for Louisiana (PEAL) program was designed to provide outreach and
education services in conjunction with the implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
(Medicare Part D).
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker Program
The Vanderbilt Center for Health Services’ Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program provides early intervention services to low income families in Nashville as well as other urban and rural areas in Appalachia and the Mississippi delta, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
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