Health Officials Work on Broad System Overhaul in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS–With the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on
Tuesday, Gov. Kathleen Blanco has announced a comprehensive plan to
redesign Louisiana’s battered health care system.

Created by the state’s legislature this year, the “Louisiana
Health Care Redesign Collaborative” includes state public health
officials, members of the state legislature and representatives
from health care associations, hospitals and other health
organizations.

Initially, the collaborative will focus on the greater New
Orleans area to develop a blueprint for redesign of the state’s
health care system, mainly through a proposal for a large-scale
Medicaid waiver and Medicare demonstration program. The plan is to
be submitted to HHS by Oct. 20.

Officials said they are aiming for a system with high-quality,
accessible, patient-centered care delivered by ambulatory and
community-based centers. Designed to take advantage of
opportunities for sharing electronic health information, the plan
will also aim to reward quality outcomes and patients’ involvement
in their health care.

“What we do … will lead to a better health care system for the
New Orleans area that can be expanded and adapted for all parts of
Louisiana for statewide health care improvement,” Gov. Blanco said.
“We need to do it differently, and we will do it better.”

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt called the effort “the opportunity
to