HJNO Jan/Feb 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JAN / FEB 2023 25 professional development for educators that improve the health of a child through the de- velopment of policies, environments, and systemic change approaches that promote healthy behaviors through childhood. Louisi- ana organizations that meet certain wellness benchmarks are designated as a Level 1, 2, or 3 WellSpot — with Level 1 as the highest. There are currently 590 school WellSpots in Louisiana and 282 childcare center WellSpots. In FY23, LDH will work with these schools and childcare centers with the goal of moving 20 sites (10 schools and 10 childcare centers) from Level 3 to Level 2 WellSpots, and an ad- ditional 20 from Level 2 to Level 1 WellSpots. Goal 5: Increase access to healthier food options for Louisiana residents in underserved communities by strengthening existing initiatives and establishing new partnerships. Strategy: Local nonprofit and state agencies such as food banks, state university extension programs, and food policy councils will en- gage with Department programs to identify opportunities to increase access to nutritious foods, provide education on healthy eating, and expand access to safe physical activity to Louisiana’s underserved communities. With partners, the Department will increase access to community gardens including the Southern University Growing Healthy Garden- ing program targeting Head Start programs, schools, Council on Aging centers, commu- nity centers, faith-based organizations, and transient housing complexes. Community gar- dens provide access to nutritious foods, pro- mote sustainable healthy eating, and increase physical activity for community members. In partnership with Louisiana food banks such as Northeast Louisiana Food Bank and Central Louisiana Food Bank, the Depart- ment will improve nutrition security through strengthening local food pantries’ storage capacity, geographically expanding services, enhancing food procurement and distribution processes, and increasing enrollment in SNAP and WIC. Goal 6: Increase coverage of tobacco cessation counseling to all Medicaid enrollees. Strategies: Quitting smoking is one of the most positive actions a person can take for his or her health. Although quitting can be quite difficult, evidence-based cessation support can increase the likelihood of success. Louisi- ana Medicaid currently covers tobacco cessa- tion counseling when provided during preg- nancy, and this goal will expand coverage to all individuals enrolled in Medicaid. This goal reinforces LDH’s commitment to preventive healthcare and its recognition of the time cli- nicians devote to providing effective health counseling. Louisiana will join 19 other states offering comprehensive coverage of cessa- tion treatments. Goal 7: Enroll 50 children in non-clinical asthma management services to inform and expand Medicaid policies that address environmental health risks. Strategy: The Office of Public Health’s (OPH) Bringing Respiratory Health Equity for Asth- matics Through Healthier Environments (BREATHE) program informs recipients of the Medicaid/MCO approach to non-clinical asthma management services, and continues to be an asset in understanding the impact of asthma among Medicaid recipients. Because many asthma triggers are known to be envi- ronmental — such as mold, pests, and tobac- co smoke — the BREATHE partnership with Medicaid will help remediate these triggers in Medicaid recipients’ homes. In FY23, increase utilization quarter over quarter of home visits, home remediation, and asthma education provided to children with asthma through the BREATHE initiative’s home-visiting services and MCO provision of these services as a Value-Added Benefit in the new MCO contracts. Lessons learned through these programs will inform expanded services in future years. Initiative 3: Increase Availability of Behavioral Health Services Behavioral health issues — inclusive of mental illness and substance use disorders — are prevalent in Louisiana and across the Unit- ed States, and these challenges have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, more than 3 in 10 adults have re- ported symptoms of anxiety and/or depres- sive disorder since May 2020, compared to 1 in 10 adults in 2019. In Louisiana, 32.5% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety and/or Commitment 1 / Initiative 2 / Goal 6 (cont.) Commitment 1 / Initiative 2 / Goal 7 Commitment 1 / Initiative 3 / Goal 1 Commitment 1 / Initiative 3 / Goal 2 Commitment 1 / Initiative 3 / Goal 3 Commitment 1 / Initiative 4 / Goal 1