Louisiana’s healthcare gap: LPB ‘spotlights’ the problem at 7 p.m. Monday

Louisiana Public Broadcasting examines the causes behind inequities in the state’s healthcare system on “Louisiana Spotlight: Bridging the Gap in Health Equity” at 8 p.m. Monday. 

“Louisiana Spotlight” also will open the conversation on the search for solutions to the long-standing problem.

With some of the highest rates of chronic illness in the country, Louisiana is ranked 49th in the United Health Foundation’s state-by-state report card.  

“Among the most vulnerable in Louisiana are the poor, the disabled and people of color,” a news release states. “In an effort to bridge the gap in healthcare access to these communities, the Louisiana Department of Health created the office of Community Partnerships and Health Equity in 2019.”

Discussing the issue will be:

• State Sen. Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge),  vice-chair, Senate Health & Welfare Committee
• Davondra Brown, M.Ed., MCHES, director of Community Partnerships & Health Equity, LA. Dept. of Health
• Dr. Shantel Hebert-Magree, CMO Medicaid, La. Dept. of Health
• Jan Moller, Louisiana Budget Project executive director
• Ashley Shelton, The Power Coalition, founder and president

Kara St. Cyr, co-anchor of LPB’s weekly news magazine “Louisiana: The State We’re In” will host.

The program will stream live on Monday night at www.lpb.org/livetv and also will be available with the LPB App, on demand on the LPB YouTube channel and at www.lpb.org/louisianaspotlight.