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Regular Session, 2012
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 113
BY SENATOR HEITMEIER AND REPRESENTATIVE SIMON
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Ms. Debra Ann "Debbie" Gough for her thirty-three
years of dedicated service to the citizens of Louisiana as an employee of the Louisiana
Department of Health and Hospitals.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To commend Ms. Debra Ann "Debbie" Maxwell Gough for thirty-three years of dedicated2
service to the citizens of the state of Louisiana as an employee of the Louisiana3
Department of Health and Hospitals.4
WHEREAS, Ms. Debbie Gough is a native of Memphis, Tennessee; and5
WHEREAS, later Ms. Gough and her family moved to Baton Rouge, and she6
graduated from Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and7
WHEREAS, from 1975 through 1979, while attending Louisiana State University,8
Ms. Gough worked as a student worker for the division of administration; and9
WHEREAS, in 1979 Ms. Gough received her bachelor's degree in accounting from10
Louisiana State University; and11
WHEREAS, following graduation, Ms. Gough began her thirty-three years of12
dedicated service to the state of Louisiana; and13
WHEREAS, in 1980 Ms. Gough began working for the Department of Health and14
Hospitals, then known as the Department of Health and Human Resources; and15
WHEREAS, Ms. Gough has held several positions responsible for the complex16
Medicaid Reimbursement Program for Hospital Services, which duties included navigating17
voluminous state and federal laws and regulations; and18 SCR NO. 113
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WHEREAS, Ms. Gough provided the department with outstanding service in1
overseeing the payment to hospitals in Louisiana of over three billion dollars annually and2
as a result, access to care has been maintained for Louisiana's Medicaid population; and 3
WHEREAS, Ms. Gough's wealth of knowledge and expertise in the area of Medicaid4
hospital payments has allowed her to serve and assist several administrations in the5
intricacies of Medicaid reimbursement, such as uncompensated care payments,6
disproportionate share hospital payments, and the intricacies of a vast program subject to7
both federal and state laws and regulations; and8
WHEREAS, Ms. Gough has been an invaluable resource in the implementation of9
the Rural Hospital Preservation Act and how it impacts health care in the state's rural, and10
often most impoverished areas; and11
WHEREAS, Ms. Gough was instrumental in the development of the historic12
agreement between the department, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, and the13
Louisiana State University health system that will allow Louisiana State University and Our14
Lady of the Lake to partner in the provision of health services and medical education in the15
greater Baton Rouge area; and 16
WHEREAS, Ms. Gough currently serves as Section Chief of the Medicaid17
Supplemental Payments Section at the Department of Health and Hospitals; and18
WHEREAS, upon her retirement, Ms. Gough is looking forward to being able to19
spend more time on the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches and relaxing with her husband,20
Frederick N. "Rick" Gough, and their numerous pets.21
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby22
commend and extend its gratitude to Ms. Debra Ann "Debbie" Maxwell Gough for her23
outstanding service of thirty-three years to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals24
and the citizens of Louisiana and congratulates and wishes her well on the occasion of her25
retirement.26
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Ms.27
Debra Ann "Debbie" Gough.28 SCR NO. 113
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
Heitmeier SCR No. 113
Commends Debbie Maxwell Gough for thirty-three years of dedicated service to the citizens
of the state of Louisiana as an employee of the Louisiana Department of Health and
Hospitals.