Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center Receives Grant to Implement Telehealth Solutions

Funding from Louisiana Healthcare Connections helps Federally Qualified Health Center better

healthcare access in Louisiana

Baton Rouge, La. (February X,2021) – 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 today

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 serve,” stated

Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center CEO, Roderick Campbell. “Centene has been

committed from day one to the betterment of healthcare services to the State.”

For more information about Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center, visit www.icchc.org. For

more information about Louisiana Healthcare Connections, visit

http://www.louisianahealthconnect.com.

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About Louisiana Healthcare Connections

Established to deliver quality healthcare through local, regional and community-based partners, Louisiana

Healthcare Connections is a Healthy Louisiana plan headquartered in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Healthcare

Connections exists to improve the health of its members through focused, compassionate and coordinated

care. Because Louisiana Healthcare Connections believes healthy is a way of life, its members benefit from

programs and services designed for their personal well-being.

About Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center

Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center, Inc. (ICCHC) operates clinics in eight clinics in seven

parishes across South Louisiana. Our services include: medical, dental, pediatric, OB/Gyn, mental health

and pharmacy.

Our mission is comprehensive healthcare for everyone. Our vision is that ICCHC and its satellite sites will

be the leading provider of primary healthcare services in Iberia, Vermilion, St. Martin, Beauregard,

Lafayette, Sabine, Vernon and the surrounding parishes for the entire spectrum of healthcare

consumers, including the poor, working poor, and the uninsured.