The Louisiana Department of Health expanded its partnership between its Office of Public Health and Louisiana Medicaid. This partnership is expected to improve health outcomes across the state through greater collaboration and data sharing.
Under the initial 18-month pilot program, the two agencies will coordinate and exchange data to connect eligible families with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. This will establish an interagency data and analytics team that will bring together subject matter experts, data scientists, and program leaders from both agencies.
“We have the data. We have the resources. Now we must put them to work,” said Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein. “By connecting knowledge, identifying gaps, and investing where it matters most, we can deliver real results. That’s how we measure success: healthier people and better lives across Louisiana.”
Using this data together will give Louisiana Department of Health leaders a more complete picture of health needs and priorities across the state, helping them target resources and interventions more effectively to improve health outcomes and lower health care costs.
“We know that so many Medicaid members are also eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, and Louisianians should not have to duplicate work to apply for both programs if the Louisiana Department of Health already has the information on hand,” said Louisiana Medicaid Director Seth J. Gold. “This partnership gives Medicaid and the Office of Public Health a more coordinated way to use that information, starting with helping eligible families connect with WIC and the nutrition support it provides.”
