Collection:LPB

Genre: Panel

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2023-05-22

Duration: 00:57:56

Subjects: Health Care | MEDICAID | Public health | Poverty

Contributors:

• St. Cyr, Kara Host
• Johnson, Ben Producer
• LaVeist, Thomas Interviewee
• Shelton, Ashley Panelist
• Brown, Davondra Panelist
• Hebert-Magee, Shantel Panelist
• Henry, Alvin, Jr. Interviewee
• Price-Haywood, Eboni Interviewee
• Barrow, Regina Panelist
• Moller, Jan Panelist

This episode of the series “Louisiana Spotlight” from May 22, 2023, focuses on improving the inequities in Louisiana’s health care system. In the first segment, host Kara St. Cyr interviews Dr. Thomas LaVeist, the dean of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, who discusses his research on health equity and the reasons for Louisiana’s low rankings. Next, St. Cyr leads a panel discussion with: Ashley Shelton, the founder and president of the Power Coalition; Davondra Brown, the director of community partnerships and health equity for the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH); and Dr. Shantel Hebert-Magee, the chief medical officer for Medicaid with LDH. They discuss: their work on health equity; their concerns about health equity in the state; and LDH’s work to expand access to health care around the state. In the second segment, St. Cyr interviews Alvin Henry, Jr., a sickle cell anemia patient and advocate, who discusses the challenges of living with a chronic illness. St. Cyr then continues leading the panel discussion with Shelton, Brown, and Dr. Hebert-Magee. They discuss: their reaction to Henry’s story and how women experience health inequities. In the third segment, St. Cyr interviews Dr. Eboni Price-Haywood, the medical director for Ochsner’s Healthy State 2030 Initiative, who discusses the challenges and possible solutions for health equity in Louisiana. Lastly, St. Cyr leads a panel discussion with: State Senator Regina Barrow; Jan Moller, the executive director of the Louisiana Budget Project; and Dr. Shantel Hebert-Magee, the chief medical officer for Medicaid with LDH. They discuss: policies to help with health equity; the state’s high poverty rate; the health inequities in rural communities; the positive changes in Louisiana’s health care system in recent years; the changes to Medicaid eligibility following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency; and what policies they would like to see enacted in the future to improve health equity in the state.