Louisiana

Key Contact for Louisiana

Louisiana Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Healthcare Access

Phone: 225.342.9513
Email: wellahead@la.gov

Works to improve the health status of Louisiana residents in rural and underserved areas by building community health systems' capacity to provide integrated, efficient, and effective health care services. A bureau of the Louisiana Department of Health Office of Public Health housing the State Office of Rural Health. Known locally as Well-Ahead Louisiana.
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Louisiana Nonmetro Population

4,664,616

Estimated population

740,672 (15.9%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020 estimate

Louisiana Rural Healthcare Facilities

Critical Access Hospitals

217

Rural Health Clinics

107

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

Louisiana Rural Healthcare Facilities map

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (January 2023), showing only locations outside of U.S Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Louisiana

8.5% of Louisiana residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2021). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Louisiana residents in 2020 was $50,874, with the rural per capita income at $42,597. The ERS reports, based on 2020 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Louisiana is 21.6%, compared with 17.1% in urban areas of the state. 16.6% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 9.4% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Louisiana is 5.4%, while in urban Louisiana, it is 5.5% (USDA-ERS, 2021).

For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.

Data Sources
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets

Contacts

There are more organizations related to Louisiana in the organizations section.

Last Reviewed: 10/28/2021