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Planning Equals Access for Louisiana (PEAL) Initiative
| Topics |
Health promotion and disease prevention
Networking and collaboration
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| States served |
Louisiana
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| Description |
The rural composition of Louisiana's delta region is a photograph of health care professional shortage areas, extremely low preventive health compliance rates, high poverty rates, vast geographic boundaries, and above-average geriatric populations.
Through a 2004 ORHP Network Development Planning Grant, the Louisiana Rural Health Association, the Louisiana Health Care Review, Assumption Community Hospital, and Assumption Rural Health Clinic developed a network dedicated to increasing adult immunizations and adult vaccinations. Network partners worked together to form the Planning Equals Access for Louisiana (PEAL) Initiative.
The goals for this project are as follows: 1) To engage partners in making transformational changes that will enhance efficiency, increase access to care, improve service coordination, and improve quality of care; 2) To educate Medicare beneficiaries about their rights and benefits, increase the number of allied health care professionals providing preventive services, expanding the payer network via innovative approaches, and improve the use, distribution, and payment of prescription drugs among Louisiana's rural elderly; and 3) To identify strategies for sustaining PEAL after ORHP funding ceases. |
| Services offered |
With active participation in community forums by community members and natural growth, the initial four network partners expanded to include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Louisiana Department of Insurance Senor Health Insurance and Information Program. It was through this process that PEAL grew from an informal network to an emerging coalition. PEAL members successfully developed a strategic plan with the overarching goal of implementing the comprehensive, mobile strategic plan developed by collaborating partners and existing rural health coalitions. |
| Results |
The end results were major quality improvements, transformational changes, and increased access to care in 30 rural Louisiana parishes. |
| Source |
Rural Health Outreach Grantee Directory, 2006
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| Contact person |
Donna Newchurch
Executive Director
Louisiana Rural Health Association
167 Highway 402
P.O. Box 387
Napoleonville, Louisiana 70390
Phone: (985) 369-3813
E-Mail: newchurch@lrha.org |
| Date added |
January 17, 2007 |
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