HJBR Jan/Feb 2023

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OVERVIEW More than 4.6 million people live in our state and our agency serves every single resident. It is our privilege to create policy and provide services that ensure Louisiana residents have clean drinking water, birth certificates, restaurant and long-term care center inspections, healthcare coverage through the Medicaid program, behavioral health services, access to important health information, and more. The LDH team includes more than 6,500 individuals, and each person plays a pivotal role in improving and protecting the health and wellness of the people of our state. Organizational Structure and Services The Louisiana Department of Health includes the Office of the Secretary; Office of Aging and Adult Services; Office of Behavioral Health; Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities; Bureau of Health Services Financing (Medicaid); Office of Public Health; Office of Women’s Health and Community Health; five 24-hour healthcare facilities; Legal, Audit, and Regulatory Compliance; nine Human Services Districts and Authorities (HSDAs); Louisiana Emergency Response Network; and the Developmental Disabilities Council. The Office of the Secretary (OS) is comprised of LDH’s Executive Management Team as well as the teams that handle centralized LDH functions, including internal and external communications; legislative and governmental relations; policy and QI; human resources; training and staff develop- ment; legal, audit, and regulatory compliance; finance; and budget. The Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS) develops, provides, and enhances services that of- fer meaningful choices for people in need of care in long-term care facilities and in-home and resi- dential settings through home- and community- based services. The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) manages and delivers the services and supports necessary to improve the quality of life for residents living with mental health challenges and substance-re- lated and addictive disorders. This program office monitors and serves as subject matter consultant for the children’s Coordinated System of Care pro- gram and the Medicaid Healthy Louisiana man- aged care plans, which manage behavioral health services. OBH also delivers direct care through hospitalization and has oversight of behavioral health community-based treatment programs through the HSDAs. Services are provided for Medicaid and non-Medicaid eligible populations. The Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) serves as the single point of entry into the developmental disabilities services system, overseeing public and private residential services and other services for those living with developmental challenges. This program office works to ensure individuals living with develop- mental challenges and their families have access to a seamless services system that is responsive to both individual needs and desires. In addition, OCDD promotes partnerships and relationships which empower people living with developmental issues to live fully integrated and valued lives. Medicaid provides government-subsidized medi- cal benefits to qualifying low-income individuals and families. Although the federal government establishes the general rules for Medicaid, spe- cific requirements are established by each state. In Louisiana, more than 1.9 million residents receive healthcare coverage through Medicaid. The Office of Public Health (OPH) is responsible for protecting and promoting the health and well- ness of all individuals and communities in Louisi- ana. OPH accomplishes this through educational initiatives, promoting healthy lifestyles, prevent- ing disease and injury, enforcing regulations that protect the environment, sharing vital information, and assuring preventive services to uninsured and underserved individuals and families. This office also monitors the food Louisiana’s residents and visitors eat; keeps our water safe to drink; fights chronic and communicable disease; ensures we are ready for hurricanes, disasters, and other threats; manages, analyzes, and disseminates pub- lic health data; ensures access to vital records like birth certificates; and improves health outcomes with an emphasis on preventive health services. The Office of Women’s Health and Community Health (OWHCH) was created by Act 676 (SB 116) of the 2022 Regular Legislative Session, and signed by Governor John Bel Edwards on June 18, 2022. OWHCH will serve as a clearinghouse, coor- dinating agency, and resource center for women’s health data and strategies, services, programs, and initiatives that address women’s health-related concerns. This office will focus on health needs throughout a woman’s life, including chronic or acute conditions that significantly affect women, access to healthcare for women, and women’s health disparities. OWHCH also includes the Bu- reau of Community Partnerships and Health Equity (BCPHE), which is charged with developing and implementing agency-wide health equity plans, protocols, and tools that support the implementa- tion of health equity and community engagement practices and standards across LDH. LDH also operates five 24-hour healthcare facilities . These facilities include the Central Louisiana State Hospital, Central Louisiana Supports and Services Center, Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System, Pinecrest Supports and Services Center, and the Villa Feliciana Medical Complex. Together, these facilities provide behavioral health, developmental disability, and long-term care services for over 1,400 Louisiana residents. Legal, Audit, and Regulatory Compliance (LARC) includes the Bureau of Legal Services, Internal Au- dit, Program Integrity, and Health Standards sec- tions of LDH. The Bureau of Legal Services is the legal arm of the Department and is responsible for handling all legal matters including procurement and the provision of legal advice around state and federal regulations applicable to all Department offices. The Internal Audit Section is responsible for conducting internal audits of various Depart- ment programs to ensure efficient operations and appropriate controls geared at maintaining programmatic integrity. The Internal Audit section additionally acts as the liaison for the Department with the Legislative Auditor, and other audit enti- ties, regarding external audits of the Department’s programs. The Program Integrity section is respon- sible for ensuring programmatic and fiscal integrity of the Department’s Medicaid program, along with other Medicaid-funded programming provided by other departments. Program Integrity is responsi- ble for monitoring Medicaid-funded programs for provider and/or recipient fraud, waste, or abuse. Finally, the Health Standards Section is responsible for the licensing and certification of various health- care facilities in Louisiana, which includes ensuring that facilities are maintaining compliance with ap- plicable standards, statutes, rules, regulations, and policies. This is accomplished through periodic surveys and inspections, including complaint in- vestigations of providers that are subject to licen- sure and/or certification by the Department. HSDAs, also known as local governing entities (LGEs), are established by Louisiana state law to di- rect the operation and management of communi- ty-based programs and services relative to mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities and challenges, and substance-related and addictive disorders. HSDAs were established by Louisiana state law beginning in 1989 with the last entity au- thorized in 2013. The Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN) is responsible for developing and maintain- ing a statewide system of care coordination for pa- tients suddenly stricken by serious traumatic injury or time-sensitive illness (such as heart attack and stroke). It is a system also designated to serve as a vital healthcare resource in the face of large-scale emergencies and natural disasters. The Developmental Disability Council’s mission is to increase independence, self-determination, productivity, integration, and inclusion for Loui- sianans with developmental disabilities and chal- lenges by engaging in advocacy, capacity building, and systems change. 20 JAN / FEB 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE