SLS 16RS-4099 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 191
BY SENATOR BARROW
HEALTH CARE. Requests a study of ways to enhance access to health care services in
health professional shortage areas.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to study ways to enhance
3 access to health care services in health professional shortage areas.
4 WHEREAS, the United States Department of Health and Human Services designates
5 geographic areas with a critical shortage of primary medical care, dental services, mental
6 health providers, or any combination of these as health professional shortage areas; and
7 WHEREAS, geographic and access barriers are also considered in designating a
8 location as a health professional shortage area; and
9 WHEREAS, Louisiana has one of the most extensive health professional shortage
10 area designations of all states, with such designation being attributed to both rural and urban
11 areas; and
12 WHEREAS, access to health care services is an important issue to study, especially
13 as the state expands Medicaid and more individuals will be seeking access to preventive and
14 primary care; and
15 WHEREAS, the office of public health of the Department of Health and Hospitals
16 is the appropriate governmental entity to study ways to enhance access to health care
17 services in Louisiana's health professional shortage areas.
18 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
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SLS 16RS-4099 ORIGINAL
1 does hereby urge and request the office of public health of the Department of Health and
2 Hospitals to coordinate a study effort to identify ways to enhance access to health care
3 services in the health professional shortage areas of this state.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study shall include an assessment of the
5 impact of Medicaid expansion in Louisiana on overall access to health services as well as
6 means by which to deliver health care to the newly eligible Medicaid population, currently
7 estimated to be approximately three hundred thousand persons, in the most efficient and
8 effective manner.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting the study, the office of public
10 health may collaborate with organizations with expertise in health care workforce
11 development including but not limited to the following:
12 (1) The Louisiana Workforce Commission.
13 (2) The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans.
14 (3) The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport.
15 (4) The Southern University School of Nursing.
16 (5) The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
17 (6) The Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
18 (7) The Louisiana Primary Care Association.
19 (8) The Louisiana Public Health Institute.
20 (9) The Louisiana Hospital Association.
21 (10) The Rural Hospital Coalition.
22 (11) The Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners.
23 (12) The Louisiana State Medical Society.
24 (13) The Community Provider Association.
25 (14) The Louisiana Nursing Home Association.
26 (15) AARP Louisiana.
27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall submit a report of its
28 findings and recommendations to the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare no later than
29 thirty days prior to the convening of the 2017 Regular Session of the Legislature.
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
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SLS 16RS-4099 ORIGINAL
1 secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, the executive director of Louisiana
2 Workforce Commission, the chancellor of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences
3 Center at New Orleans, the chancellor of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences
4 Center at Shreveport, the dean of the Southern University School of Nursing, the executive
5 director of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, the executive director of the
6 Louisiana State Board of Nursing, the executive director of the Louisiana Primary Care
7 Association, the chief executive officer of the Louisiana Public Health Institute, the president
8 of the Louisiana Hospital Association, the executive director of the Rural Hospital Coalition,
9 the president of Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners, the chief executive officer of
10 the Louisiana State Medical Society, the executive director of the Community Provider
11 Association, the executive director of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association, and the state
12 director of AARP Louisiana.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christine Arbo Peck.
DIGEST
SR 191 Original 2016 Regular Session Barrow
Requests the Department of Health and Hospitals to study ways to enhance access to health
care services in health professional shortage areas and submit a report of its findings and
recommendations thirty days prior to the convening of the 2017 Regular Session of the
Legislature.
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