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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 48
BY SENATOR LONG
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To provide for legislative approval of and to express support to the Board of Supervisors of
Louisiana State University for the strategic collaboration with the state relating to the
closure of Huey P. Long Medical Center to facilitate a new model of health care
delivery in the Alexandria and Pineville area.
WHEREAS, a sudden reduction in federal funding for the Louisiana Medicaid
program was included in a sweeping transportation bill passed by the United States Congress
and signed into law on July 6, 2012, and resulted in a net decrease of over eight hundred fifty
million dollars in the Medicaid budget for the current state fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to this dramatic cut to Medicaid funding, the Department of
Health and Hospitals (DHH) is addressing the shortfall by eliminating funding for state
hospitals operated by the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College (LSU); and
WHEREAS, DHH has led the development of public-private partnerships for the
delivery of health services at LSU hospital facilities operated by private healthcare
enterprises, with the terms and conditions for such service delivery to be set forth in
cooperative endeavor agreements among the state, LSU, and private providers; and
WHEREAS, the state, LSU, CHRISTUS St. Francis Cabrini Hospital and Rapides
Regional Medical Center have entered into a cooperative endeavor agreement to formalize
a collaboration to improve access to health care for citizens in the Alexandria and Pineville
area; and
WHEREAS, the legislature recognizes the need to maintain and continue proper
health care in the Alexandria and Pineville area, including inpatient, emergency, and
outpatient care; and
WHEREAS, the legislature recognizes that maintaining the existing graduate medical SCR NO. 48 ENROLLED
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education programs in central Louisiana is critically important to that region, and it is the
legislature's express desire that the parties to the cooperative endeavor agreement work
together to maintain graduate medical education programs in central Louisiana and maintain
or obtain funding for those programs when possible; and
WHEREAS, the Huey P. Long Medical Center currently maintains and operates
hospital beds for inpatient care and an active emergency department; and
WHEREAS, the cooperative endeavor agreement includes a provision to cease
inpatient care and emergency department services at the Huey P. Long Medical Center in
Pineville, Louisiana, which is currently operated by LSU; and
WHEREAS, the legislature recognizes, and the cooperative endeavor agreement
provides, that the inpatient and emergency department care currently provided at the Huey
P. Long Medical Center are available at CHRISTUS St. Francis Cabrini Hospital and
Rapides Regional Medical Center; and
WHEREAS, the legislature recognizes, and the cooperative endeavor agreement
provides, that the outpatient services currently provided at the Huey P. Long Medical Center
are being provided at new outpatient clinics operated by CHRISTUS St. Francis Cabrini
Hospital and Rapides Regional Medical Center; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the cooperative endeavor agreement, CHRISTUS
St. Frances Cabrini Hospital and Rapides Regional Medical Center have increased access
to healthcare services available at their facilities in the Alexandria and Pineville region since
December 2013; and
WHEREAS, in December 2013, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital opened
a new medical clinic, coumadin clinic, cardiology clinic and pharmacy in Alexandria to meet
regional outpatient clinical needs; and
WHEREAS, in December 2013, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital opened
a new eighteen bed inpatient psychiatric patient unit in Alexandria to meet the needs of the
Alexandria and Pineville region; and
WHEREAS, in December 2013, Rapides Regional Medical Center opened an urgent
care and pharmacy services clinic in Alexandria; and
WHEREAS, in January 2014, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital opened a SCR NO. 48 ENROLLED
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gynecology clinic, a pediatric clinic, and a general surgery/orthopedic clinic in Alexandria;
and
WHEREAS, in January 2014, Rapides Regional Medical Center opened an urgent
care and multi specialty clinic on the current Pineville Huey P. Long Medical Center
campus; and
WHEREAS, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital, Rapides Regional Medical
Center, and Huey P. Long Medical Center leadership have worked in collaboration since
October 2013 to ensure patient healthcare needs are met during this transition and in the
future; and
WHEREAS, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital, Rapides Regional Medical
Center, and Huey P. Long Medical Center leadership have provided coordinated community
outreach through multiple patient notification letters, resource map guides which are updated
monthly, community HELP line, and several community meetings; and
WHEREAS, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital and Rapides Regional Medical
Center have committed to operating transitional clinics, which are currently open, and
building three permanent outpatient clinics, on which construction has already begun; and
WHEREAS, the legislature recognizes that the closure of the inpatient beds and the
emergency department services at Huey P. Long Medical Center requires authorization by
the legislature through a concurrent resolution, pursuant to R.S. 17:1518.1(F).
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express its approval of and support for the actions of the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana
State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College with regard to the delivery of
healthcare services in the Alexandria and Pineville region.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the continuing interest of patient safety, the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express its approval of and support for the closure of
the inpatient beds and the emergency department at the Huey P. Long Medical Center.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature expresses its appreciation for the
physicians, healthcare professionals, and staff of the Huey P. Long Medical Center who have
served the residents of the Alexandria and Pineville communities with dignity and caring
since 1938. SCR NO. 48 ENROLLED
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LSU Board of Supervisors and the division
of administration continue to work with the central Louisiana legislative delegation to find
the appropriate future use for the Huey P. Long facility.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution constitutes legislative approval,
in accordance with the requirements of R.S. 17:1518.1(F), for the closure of the inpatient
beds and the emergency department at the Huey P. Long Medical Center.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
endorse and express support that the parties to the cooperative endeavor agreement work
together to maintain graduate medical education programs in central Louisiana and maintain
or obtain funding for those programs when possible.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
governor, the commissioner of administration, the secretary of the Department of Health and
Hospitals, and the chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES