With her 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 and blues and zydeco. Louisiana covers 43,562 square miles, with a 2008 estimated population of 4,410,796 people – with 1,133,982 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, 65.1% of the state’s population is white, 31.9% is Black/African-American, and 3.2% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 132 hospitals in Louisiana, 53 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 27 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 107 Rural Health Clinics in Louisiana (CMS, 2009), and 22 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 99 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2008). 20.2% of Louisiana residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Louisiana residents in 2007 was $35,100, although rural per-capita income lagged at $27,121. Estimates from 2008 indicate a poverty rate of 21.6% exists in rural Louisiana, compared to 16.2% in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 32.6% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 22.7% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Louisiana is 5.3%, while in urban Louisiana, it is 4.4% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
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
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center (CLAHEC)
State/regional organization
Dedicated to increasing the number of primary health care professionals and improving access to quality health care in Central Louisiana.
Community Resource Group (CRG)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works in rural areas to expand the opportunities for families to build assets, improve their lives, and strengthen their communities.
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 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 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 Office of Family Support (OFS)
State government
Works to support families and children in 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.
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.
North Louisiana Area Health Education Center
State/regional organization
Works to bring healthcare education and resources to rural and underserved communities throughout North Louisiana.
Southeast Louisiana Area Health Education Center
State/regional organization
Strives to improve the supply and distribution of health care professionals within the state through community/academic educational partnerships, in an effort to increase access to quality health care for all Louisiana residents.
Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center
State/regional organization
Works to improve health status through access to information, education, and health services.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Louisiana
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 Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compiled 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
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 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
This state funded program provides recruitment services to rural and underserved entities throughout the state.
Medical 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.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Louisiana
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
State Profiles- Louisiana: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
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 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
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
Hurricane Katrina: Health Impacts in Louisiana and the Federal Response to the Loss of Health Coverage
Author(s): Marsha Lillie-Blanton
Discusses Hurricane Katrina's impact on health and human services.
Date: 02 / 2006
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
Louisiana Long-term Care: A Survey of AARP Members
Author(s): Joanne Binette
Sponsoring organization: AARP
Explores AARP members' opinions and concerns about having enough long-term care options and being able to stay in their own homes and communities as they age.
Date: 12 / 2005
Louisiana’s Proposed Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Project: Estimating the Numbers of Uninsured and Projected Medicaid Costs
Author(s): Stephen Zuckerman, Jack Hadley
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Analyzes the composition and medical costs of the uninsured in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
Date: 07 / 2007
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 wholistic approaches to overcome barriers and improve the mental wellness of individuals, and thus, better community wellness. Information is based on data from 2006-2009.
Rural Low-income Families Speak: Living in Rural Louisiana
Author(s): Frances C. Lawrence, Vicky Tiller, Jennifer J. Burczyk-Brown, Ann A. Berry
Describes some of the challenges to meet basic needs facing rural, low-income families in the Louisiana parishes of East Feliciana and Iberville.
Date: 06 / 2004
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: 2008
State Profiles - Louisiana: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
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.
Farmworkers Health Initiative
The Farmworker Health Initiative was designed as an
educational and screening outreach program targeting African
American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic men, women, and teenagers
who worked in agriculture-related jobs. The program focused on
preventing and treating occupational and medical health problems.
Dubach Health Outreach Project
The purpose of this health outreach project was to access a multidisciplinary community-based
intervention to combat obesity and related chronic diseases in Dubach and the neighboring communities.
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