HJNO May/Jun 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAY / JUN 2026 35 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com professionals,” said Ragan LeBlanc, executive vice president of the Louisiana Academy of Fam- ily Physicians. “Our role is to ensure families con- tinue to have access to accurate information and routine immunization options.” LAHealthcare Connections, Centene Foundation Provide Emergency Support for Northshore Families Facing Food Insecurity Louisiana Healthcare Connections, a Medicaid health plan serving the Louisiana Department of Health, and the Centene Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation, presented a check for $36,000 to the Northshore Food Bank to support emergency food assistance for families facing food insecurity across the Northshore region. The contribution to the Northshore Food Bank is part of a broader $125,000 investment by Loui- siana Healthcare Connections and the Centene Foundation to strengthen food access across Louisiana. LDH Implements SNAP Healthy FoodWaiver The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is empowering families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to make healthier food choices with today’s implementation of Louisiana’s SNAP Food Restriction Waiver. Approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on August 4, 2025, the two-year pilot initiative removes soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy from the list of items eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. This project aims to direct SNAP benefits toward nutritious foods to reduce obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other diet- related health issues among Louisianans while enabling families to make healthier choices. Restricted items include: • Soft drinks: Carbonated, nonalcoholic bev- erages that contain high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Flavored car- bonated water, milk, or milk substitutes, or drinks with cane sugar, monk fruit sweet- eners, other natural sweeteners, or greater than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume are not included in the restrictions. • Energy drinks: Beverages with added stimu- lants (e.g., caffeine, guarana, taurine), often labeled as enhancing energy, alertness, or performance. • Candy: Sugary preparations with choco- late, fruit, or nuts (bars, drops, or pieces), including candy that contains flour. Pro- tein bars, granola bars, or baking ingredi- ents like chocolate chips or sprinkles are not included in the restrictions. Heather Leschinsky Named Healthy Blue Louisiana President and CEO Heather Leschinsky has been named president and CEO of Healthy Blue Louisiana. She oversees all aspects of the health plan, which serves Med- icaid members statewide. Leschinsky brings more than two decades of experience in Medicaid policy, public-sector administration, and managed care leadership to the position. She previously served as chief oper- ating officer for Healthy Blue Louisiana, where she oversaw day-to-day operations and ensured com- pliance with regulatory and contractual standards. Prior to joining Healthy Blue Louisiana, Leschin- sky held senior leadership roles within the Nebraska Medicaid agency, where she led the design and implementation of managed care delivery systems, including large-scale transfor- mations affecting long-term services and sup- ports, behavioral health and home- and commu- nity-based services. DCHC Adds Board- Certified Psychiatrist DePaul Community Health Centers (DCHC) is expanding its behavioral health services with the addition of Donisha Dunn, MD, a dual board- certified physician in psychiatry and internal medicine, who is now seeing patients at its Algiers Health Center. A New Orleans native, Dunn earned a medi- cal degree from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and completed a combined inter- nal medicine/psychiatry residency at Rush Univer- sity Medical Center in Chicago. After returning to New Orleans, she served on faculty at Tulane University, where she helped lead the integration of behavioral health into both the patient-cen- tered medical home model and residency train- ing programs. Dunn later transitioned to private psychiatry practice, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, she expanded her reach through telemedicine services. In addition to her clinical work, Dunn is a certified yoga and mindfulness meditation teacher and founder of The Mind Body Collective, a community space dedicated to integrative wellness. She will see patients at DePaul’s Algiers location one day per week, offering in-person and telehealth appointments. Gov. Landry Establishes the Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability at LDH Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order establishing the Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability within the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and the Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council. The new office will lead the implementation of Louisiana’s Rural Health Transformation Program, supported by more than $208 million in federal funding. Louisiana’s award is among the highest in the nation and positions the state to draw down more than $1 billion in total funding over the next five years. The Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council will guide implementation and ensure rural health transformation efforts align with statewide priorities, address local community needs, and promote sustainable, data-driven improvements in care delivery. The Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability will focus on key priorities, including rural healthcare workforce expansion, technology modernization, innovative care delivery models, and improved coordination across healthcare services. These initiatives are designed to reduce the burden of chronic disease, improve maternal and infant health outcomes, expand access to behavioral health services, and support earlier detection and treatment of serious conditions such as cancer. n