Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee backs bill to centralize state health‑care facilities within LDH
Loading...
Summary
House Bill 12 14 would create an Office of State Health Care Facilities inside the Louisiana Department of Health to consolidate oversight of five state‑run inpatient facilities; LDH witnesses said the move would improve coordination and noted no new FTEs would be added.
The House Health and Welfare Committee advanced House Bill 12 14, a proposal to create an Office of State Health Care Facilities within the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) that would consolidate leadership and shared services for five state inpatient facilities.
Bruce Greenstein, secretary of LDH, told the committee the facilities — which he named as Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELMS) in Jackson, Central Louisiana State Hospital, Pinecrest Supports and Services Center, Central Louisiana Support and Services Center and Villa Feliciana Medical Complex — serve people with complex behavioral‑health, intellectual‑developmental and long‑term medical needs and together represent about 42% of LDH full‑time employees. "We're currently reimagining how these facilities are led, supported, and integrated," Greenstein said. He added the reorganization would be accomplished "without adding FTEs" and would allow shared services like IT and HR to be centralized.
Albert Simeon Jr., deputy/undersecretary at LDH, told the committee he had toured the facilities in the previous months and said the system serves about 1,500 residents on any given day; he described centralization as a way to improve outcomes and reduce duplication of administrative roles.
Members asked about capacity and tours; the department offered to arrange facility visits. Representative Baralt moved the bill favorably; the committee reported HB 12 14 in favor without recorded objection.
What’s next: HB 12 14 will proceed as reported out of committee to the House for further consideration.
