ENROLLED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 24
BY REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON
A RESOLUTION
To commend Pinecrest Supports and Services Center in Pineville, Louisiana, on the
occasion of its one hundredth anniversary.
WHEREAS, Pinecrest Supports and Services Center's story begins in 1884, nearly
forty years prior to its opening, when one hundred twenty-nine patients were transferred
from New Orleans Asylum and admitted into East Louisiana Hospital; these individuals all
possessed some form of what is now known as an intellectual disability, and asylums did not
provide the care they required; and
WHEREAS, thirty years after the transfer, the superintendent of East Louisiana
Hospitals recommended the establishment of a specialized facility to provide treatment and
care for patients with these types of disabilities; the request was granted by the legislature
with Act No. 141 of 1918, which created Pinecrest; and
WHEREAS, in 1921, one thousand acres of land was purchased from Beauregard
Development Company utilizing portions of Camp Beauregard that were used during World
War I; on December 21 of that year, Pinecrest opened its facility to thirty-seven patients with
specialized medical needs; its total budget for its first year of operations was $50,000, and
the facility was completely self-sufficient with a working vegetable farm, dairy farm
operation, and livestock such as chickens, hogs, and cattle; and
WHEREAS, the success of Pinecrest's mission to provide adequate care for
individuals with specialized medical needs was evidenced by the increased funding the
facility was given, which allowed it to evolve from a subsistence farming operation into one
that purchased necessities such as food; this allowed the facility to gradually repurpose land
to accommodate a vastly larger array of patient services; and
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WHEREAS, today, Pinecrest operates on seven hundred eighty-four acres of land
and includes an on-ground bakery, a greenhouse, a canteen, a medical observation unit, a
fully-functional dental clinic, a baseball field, a barn with pet therapy offerings, a pool, a
gym, a school, and much more; and
WHEREAS, Pinecrest School is a year-round school operated by the Louisiana
Department of Education that focuses on the specific curricula needs for the residents and
patients; the school also offers a GED program for adult patients of the facility; and
WHEREAS, Pinecrest's campus also contains forty residential units; there are twelve
day-service buildings where skill acquisition courses, active treatment and training, and
vocational learning opportunities are offered; the facility has various work training options
with the campus canteen, bakery, on-grounds delivery service, kitchen, and greenhouse;
additionally, Pinecrest offers its patients further work training opportunities through
contracts with community-based agencies; and
WHEREAS, Pinecrest Supports and Services Center is a truly invaluable asset to the
state of Louisiana, and it is most deserving of the highest recognition for providing the
necessary care to individuals with intellectual disabilities.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Pinecrest Supports and Services Center in
Pineville, Louisiana, on the occasion of its one hundredth anniversary; does hereby further
recognize and record its impact on the progress made in the treatment of persons with
intellectual disabilities; and does hereby extend sincerest wishes that it receive the support
needed to continue its inspiring mission.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
administrator of Pinecrest Supports and Services Center in Pineville, Louisiana.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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