Southwestern Louisianna Area Health Education Center Foundation

Programs: Navigator - southwest louisiana ahec (swlahec) was awarded a health insurance exchange navigator grant by the federal center for consumer infomration and insurance oversight (cciio). The purpose of the one-year grant was to assist uninsured and underinsured persons with obtaining health insurance through the us federal marketplace as mandated by the affordable care act. Swlahec formed a consortium with the other three louisiana ahecs, namely central louisiana ahec, north louisiana ahec and southeast louisiana ahec. The consortium was named navigators for a healthy louisiana (nhl). Each of the four ahecs received a portion of the grant funds to hire staff in its repective region to conduct program activities. Activities in each region were overseen by a regional coordinator. Statewide activities and the four regional coordinators were supervised by brian burton, director of the swlahec health interventions department.

calcasieu parish health unit - southwest louisiana ahec (swlahec) and the calcasieu parish police jury (cppj) have partnered to reinstall staff that were laid off at the calcasieu parish health unit due to state budgetary constraints at the department of health and hospitals. It was determined that the reinstallment of these positions remained crucial to providing for and administering public health services to residents in calcasieu parish. Funding is provided directly by the calcasieu parish police jury.

tobacco control - the southwest louisiana area health education center has partnered with the louisiana department of health and hospitals tobacco control program to provide funds through the tobacco-free health care project grant to health care facilities committed to using research-based strategies for tobacco prevention, control and awareness, empowering citizens to make healthy lifestyle choices and reduce tobacco use. Recipients of the grants will use their grant funds to build capacity for positively influencing social norms to reduce or eliminate use of tobacco products through the following initiatives: eliminating nonsmokers' exposure to secondhand smoke by establishing tobacco-free policies; promoting tobacco cessation through promotion of the louisiana tobacco quitline (1-800-quit-now) and the fax-to-quit referral program for healthcare providers; reducing tobacco-related health disparities by increasing education for at-risk populations; preventing the initiation of tobacco use among young people through policy change, education and countering the marketing efforts of the tobacco industry. The tobacco-free health care project grants are funded through a federal grant from the u. S. Centers for disease control and prevention (cdc). Cdc's best practices for comprehensive tobacco control programs suggest that community programs such as these grant-funded initiatives are an integral component of statewide efforts to reduce and prevent tobacco use.

includes community-based outreach education for health professions, workforce training, job placement, wellness education, health promotions and clinical service delivery.