Carol Burns
September 13, 2018
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FRANKLIN – Dr. Rebekah Gee, state Secretary of Health and Hospitals, said Medicaid expansion in Louisiana through the Affordable Health Care Act is better than anyone could have ever dreamed.
Gee spoke at Teche Action Clinic in Houma, part of a self-imposed tour she is taking of the state’s community health centers.
“We’re just over two years and a month into Medicaid Expansion – not only are we providing coverage to nearly a half million people in Louisiana, but this program has also created 19,000 jobs according to LSU estimate, and its brought $3 billion dollars back into Louisiana,” Gee said. “Now how can you argue with bringing more of our tax dollars back home.”
Gee said that prior to Medicaid expansion, hundreds of thousands of people in the state could not get health care.
The top doc said she has visited about 20 of the state’s community health centers, which she said, “from the backbone of primary care throughout the state and are the reason why Medicaid expansion has been so successful”
She said in Louisiana, there is at least one community health center in 54 of the state’s 64 parishes.
In Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. Teche Action Clinic operates four sites: one in Houma, one in Dulac, one in Thibodaux and another in Galliano, along with nine other sites in other parishes. Teche Action Clinic was the state’s first community health center.
Also in Terrebonne Parish, the Start Corporation operates a community health center.
Both community health centers offer internal medicine, family medicine, and mental health.
Additionally. Teche Action Clinic’s various sites offer WIC, OB/Gyn, dental, and pediatrics including pediatric dental.
Also, Teche Action Clinic in Houma operates a pharmacy.
Gee called Teche Action Clinic CEO Dr. Gary M. Wilts. M.D., a national, state and local leader in health care.
And while touring Teche, Gee learned of the clinic s hurricane preparedness program, which includes having extra medicine and supplies on hand in the event of an emergency, thanks to the clinic becoming an affiliate of Direct Relief, a non-profit organization based in Santa Barbara California, that boasts itself as being the largest charitable medicines provider in the United States.
Through its Hurricane Preparedness Program, Direct Relief has provided Teche Action Clinic with pre-positioned medicines and supplies to help meet the needs of patients immediately after a disaster strikes.
Wiltz said one of the company? Hurricane Prep Packs can treat up to 100 people for five days.
Gee also visited the Terrebonne Pariah Public Health Unit, where she introduced Dr. Alex Billioux, the state’s new Asst. Secretary of Health and Hospitals.
Billioux said he WAS formerly the Division Director for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation for the federal government.
“One of my job duties will be to study how we’re making the best of our systems in the state.”
For be example, presently he said he is focusing on how the state can partner its public health units, with community health centers like Teche Action Clinic in Houma.
Dr. W.S. Chip Riggins Jr. medical director of the state Department of Health and Hospitals, said Teche has already been a great partner in serving the Women. Infants and Children of Terrbonne Parish through the WIC program.
“At any given time, the community is OUR patient Yet, community health centers are at the forefront of what we are doing A great partner to swim upstream with.” Riggins said.
Wiltz a aid he knows the commitment Terrebonne Parish leaders have in serving the needs of their constituents, also with their seniors in their council on aging program.
“We’re here to provide a win-win situation.” Wiltz said
Gee said she looks at the state’s public health units as being the. “orchestra, kind of telling everyone else what to do.” “Since the Medicaid expansion, public health units are not the safety net provider anymore.”
“They were once critical for people when they had no insurance, when there was no other place to go. Now. there are robust community health centers, out and in the community”
“However, public health units are necessary in the event of an emergency, to make sure you have enough boots on the ground,” Gee said.
Riggins said partnering with Teche Action Clinic is “a wonderful opportunity, because it allows us to do what we were intentionally created to do, and that’s to go into the community and educate people about communicable diseases and how to prevent them.”
He said the public health unit which is located at 800 Polk Street just off of west Tunnel Blvd. is not bounded to a clinic.
“We don’t have to register patients. The community is our patient.” he said.
