Last year, Centene, the parent company of Louisiana Healthcare Connections, and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) formed the Medicaid Telehealth Partnership to increase access to care among Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the partnership, Louisiana Healthcare Connections announced that it has awarded the providers below with a financial grant to help them ramp-up their capacity to provide telehealth solutions.
-Acadiana Concern for AIDS of Lafayette, La
-Capitol City Family Health of Baton Rouge, La
-CommuniHealth Services of Bastrop, La
-Crescent Care of New Orleans, La
-Odyssey House of New Orleans, La
-Southeast Community Health of Zachary, La
-Start Corporation of Houma, La
-Iberia Comprehensive of New Iberia, La
Leveraging the grant, these healthcare providers will purchase new equipment, upgrade infrastructure and provide training, to name a few. The investment will allow the providers to increase their capacity to serve the health needs of Louisiana residents, creating a safe experience during the pandemic while also improving convenience and accessibility for all persons.
While telehealth services saw increased adoption in the years before the pandemic, particularly in rural areas, moving in-person healthcare services to virtual environments quickened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not all healthcare providers have the resources to rapidly purchase equipment as well as provide the training and technical assistance necessary to manage telehealth platforms. Centene and the NACHC recognized the new needs and worked with these health centers to make an impact locally, especially with traditionally underserved communities.
“The past year has drawn attention to the importance of telehealth solutions, as communities struggled to conveniently access healthcare services. This has also shined a light on the struggle of people in rural areas with limited healthcare providers,” said Louisiana Healthcare Connections’ Plan President and CEO Jamie Schlottman. “By providing these telehealth grants, we’re not only helping providers respond to the ongoing pandemic; we’re investing in the health of the communities that we live in and serve.”
“As our mission is to provide comprehensive healthcare to everyone, ICCHC recognizes the field of healthcare is ever-evolving; therefore, it is important we continuously adapt our practices to better meet the needs of the patients and communities we serve, thus allowing us to continue providing them with the comprehensive care they need,” stated Regional Site Director De’Marquis Hamilton.
“Centene has been a long-term partner of federally qualified health centers in Louisiana and we are appreciative of receiving a grant that will help the most vulnerable population that we