Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL › Part I - General Administration › Subpart 5 - Health Planning › Chapter 103 - Overview of the State › Subchapter A - Physical Description › Section I-10303 - Geographic Divisions for Planning

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. For governing purposes, Louisiana is
					 divided into 64 parishes. In Executive Order 21, issued by the governor in
					 February, 1973, eight planning regions were designated to be utilized by all
					 state agencies for regional and local planning purposes. Figure 3.1 presents
					 the eight planning regions.
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B.
					 The National Health Planning and Resources Development Act (P. L. 93-641) and
					 its 1979 amendment (P. L. 96-79) require that health planning be done on a
					 regional basis so that the peculiar and particular needs of relatively
					 homogeneous geographical areas can be addressed. In Louisiana, a division of
					 three health service areas was made which incorporated state planning districts
					 one and three into health service area I; state planning districts two, four,
					 and five into health service area II; and state planning districts six, seven,
					 and eight into health service area III. See Figure 3.2.
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C.Section 1536 of the Health Planning and
					 Development Act was modified in 1981 by Congress to permit governors to request
					 that mandated health planning functions be conducted at the state level only.
					 In December, 1981, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
					 recognized Louisiana as a "1536 state," which effected the dismantling of the
					 Health Systems Agency (HSA) Network in the state. Effective March 31, 1982, the
					 Mid-Louisiana HSA ceased external operation, followed by the closure of the New
					 Orleans/Bayou-River HSA and the North Louisiana HSA on April 30,
					 1982.
D. As a result of Louisiana's
					 "1536" status, the Louisiana Health Planning and Development Agency must
					 perform as though it is a health systems agency with the state being the health
					 service area. However, local input must be included in the planning
					 process.
E. In determining
					 geographic health planning areas, it was found to now be advantageous to use
					 nine health planning regions. Utilizing nine regions allows for a more logical
					 geographic breakdown, consistent with the geographic/demographic
					 characteristics of the state. Consequently, interpretation and analysis of data
					 in this document will be made on the basis of nine Health Planning Areas (See
					 map in Figure 3.1).
F. The ninth,
					 planning region consists of St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.
					 This division appears to conform more closely to the natural regions of the
					 state. It also reduces the undue influence of New Orleans bed resources on a
					 population which must traverse a large lake to utilize health care services in
					 the New Orleans area.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
						Promulgated in accordance with P.L. 93-641 as amended by P.L. 96-79, and
						R.S.
						36:256(b).