2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 40 — Public health and safety
RS 40:1300.221 — Community-based primary health care initiative

PART LX.. COMMUNITY-BASED PRIMARY

HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE

§1300.221. Community-based Primary Health Care Initiative

A. The "Community-based Primary Health Care Initiative", hereinafter referred to as the "initiative", is hereby created within the Department of Health and Hospitals, hereinafter referred to as the "department", for the purpose of increasing access of indigent and low-income citizens to primary health care and ancillary services in designated urban and rural medically underserved areas represented by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

B. The Community-based Primary Health Care Initiative Fund, hereinafter referred to as the "fund", is hereby established within the state treasury. The source of monies in the fund shall be legislative appropriation or any other monies made available for the initiative. Monies in the fund shall be subject to legislative appropriation exclusively for the purposes as provided in Subsection C of this Section. All unexpended and unencumbered monies in the fund at the end of each fiscal year shall remain in the fund. Monies in the fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund. Interest earned on investment of monies in the fund shall be credited to the state general fund.

C.(1) Monies in the fund shall be appropriated and used by the department solely as provided in this Section. In the event sufficient monies are not available to make the full amount of grants as provided in this Subsection, each grant shall be reduced proportionately.

(2) Grants are to be made to the following respective community health centers for various community health programs and operations of the centers:

(a) Capitol City Family Health Center to improve the practice management system through asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular collaborative projects, and for a coordinator or data entry staff.

(b) Catahoula Hospital District Number 2 to bridge the breast and cervical screening program funding need resulting from the expenditure freeze in the office of public health, Women's Preventive Program. Also to be used for colposcopy referrals, and hiring of clinicians or contract providers.

(c) Innis Community Health Center to be used for site expansion to Livonia, public education, and outreach.

(d) St. Helena Community Health Center to reduce cost of co-payment for prescription medications.

(e) East Jefferson Community Health Center for site expansion in Avondale, Louisiana.

(f) David Raines Community Health Center to improve oral health and outreach services.

(g) Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care for oral health services improvements, and recruitment and retention in St. Landry Parish.

(h) EXCELth, Inc., for dental services expansion.

(i) Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center to provide dentists and dental hygienists at two satellite clinics and expand access to mental health through contracted psychiatrist and advanced nurse practitioner.

(j) Eastside Community Health Center to provide mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation services to the medically underserved in Iberville Parish.

(k) Southwest LA Center for Health Services to expand outreach activity and health education forums and to provide free prescription drugs for uninsured patients.

(l) Teche Action Clinic for start-up salary for a new dental facility in two satellite clinics, addition of an ambulatory mobile dental unit, and expansion of outreach services.

(m) Health Care for the Homeless to hire a part-time pharmacist and a part-time psychiatrist and to supplement pharmaceutical funding.

(n) Outpatient Medical Center, Natchitoches to increase access to health care with the hiring or contracting of a Family Medicine (Family Practice) physician.

(o) Primary Health Services Center to increase access to health care with the hiring of a Family Practice physician.

(p) Rapides Primary Health Care Center for recruitment and retention of a dentist, to increase outreach and education efforts for new services, to sustain and enhance collaborative efforts, and sustain current efforts in the asthma collaborative.

(q) St. Charles Community Health Center for the cost of employing a primary care physician in St. Charles Parish and surrounding parishes.

(3) Funding for the establishment of and/or delivery of primary health care and ancillary services by FQHCs, designed to serve indigent and low-income citizens.

Acts 2003, No. 1114, §1, eff. July 2, 2003.