Place Matters - http://www.jointcenter.org/placematters2
Orleans Parish
http://www.jointcenter.org/placematters2/articles/43/1/Orleans-Parish/Page1.html
By Super Admin
Published on 09/3/2007
 
The New Orleans Department of Health (NODH) Team has a number of committed partners:
  • New Orleans Department of Property Management   
  • New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD)
  • New Orleans Recovery Office   
  • Merck Asthma Childhood Network
  • STEPS to a Healthier Louisiana   
  • Xavier University School of Pharmacy
  • Ryan White    
  • Merck Pharmaceuticals
  • Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI)   
  • Healthy Start
  • Interlink    
  • Yale School of Public Health
  • Tulane School of Public Health   
  • Tulane School of Medicine, division of environmental health

PLACE MATTERS is a national initiative of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Health Policy Institute (HPI) designed to improve health of participating communities by addressing social conditions that lead to poor health.

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans; it should come as no surprise that the mortality rate as increased by 47%.  Many factors contribute to the poor health of New Orleans one of which is an inability to access quality and affordable health care.  Many hospitals still remain closed after the hurricane such that the number of hospital beds is down by 75% and the number of physicians down by 72%.  Even more distressing is the lack of insurance coverage for the New Orleanians.  26% of the population is uninsured and yet only 36% of primary physicians accept Medicaid as a primary payment source from patients.  New Orleanians are not receiving the access to health care that they need.  

On the other side of the spectrum, childhood obesity is rising across the United States where 11-15% of youth are overweight or obese.  Unfortunately, New Orleans has the 11th highest overweight prevalence for low-income children ages 2-5.  One of the primary factors influencing the high obesity rate is the lack of safe playgrounds.  Currently, only 4 multipurpose play centers are available throughout the city; prior to Hurricane Katrina, there were 10.  Those multipurpose centers that are operational are lacking female participation and usage, which may suggest that females engage in exercise and sports slightly less that their male counterparts.  To further support this claim, the prevalence of obesity in females tends to be slightly higher than that of males.  

Based on the problems described above, the New Orleans Health Department has created two objectives:
1.    Increase Access to Care
2.    Begin a dialogue on healthy kids

In regards to increasing access to care, the NODH will work to increase access to quality and affordable health insurance.  To achieve this end, the NODH will target 2 specific populations: senior citizens and children up to age 19.  In regards to senior citizens, the NODH will build a partnership with private medicare insurance companies.  The goal of this partnership will be to obtain credible insurance and quality case management for senior citizens.  In addition, the NODH will seek to modify all existing NODH clinics into Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC).  Making this change will allow the clinics to accept more underinsured patients and expand their medical coverage.  In regards to children, the NODH will identify children eligible for the state sponsored LaChip program, which provides free insurance to children up to age 19 whose family income is less than $3,442 per month for a family of four.

In the U.S., health insurance is provided through employers.  LaChip and Medicare are two exceptions to this rule such that individuals can qualify for health insurance separately from their employer.  As such, increasing insurance coverage will help increase access to care for New Orleanians by removing unemployment as a barrier.  It is expected that the PLACE MATTERS work will lead to a decrease in morbidity for senior citizens and children.  

The goal of the dialogue on healthy kids will be to combat childhood obesity.  To achieve this goal, the NODH will encourage female athletic participation in team sports.  As mentioned, obesity is slightly more prevalent in females than in males.  To combat this disparity, the New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) is partnering with the  New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) to identify and recruit females ages 6-17 to participate in volleyball. To achieve this end, the NODH will build a relationship between NORD and the various school boards within New Orleans, the goal of this relationship, which will be increase recruitment possibilities.  Once identified, the females will participate in not only volleyball but also a health education program designed increase their knowledge of nutrition and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.  The health education program will also attempt to increase female self-esteem and perceptions of self-image by creating a peer buddy system that will pair older females with younger females.  The health education program will be available to males as well but the focus will be on females.  

To evaluate the program, the New Orleans Health Department will coordinate a monitoring system and measure the females weight, height, and knowledge of health before, during, and after the volleyball season.  It is expected that participation in the program will lead to a reduction in obesity and normalization of the BMI for adolescent females.  As a direct result of the NODH PLACE MATTERS work, females will be healthier and also have more self-esteem.  Females will be more likely to engage in physical activity.
Orleans Parish Team Profile
The New Orleans Department of Health (NODH) Team has a number of committed partners:
  • New Orleans Department of Property Management   
  • New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD)
  • New Orleans Recovery Office   
  • Merck Asthma Childhood Network
  • STEPS to a Healthier Louisiana   
  • Xavier University School of Pharmacy
  • Ryan White    
  • Merck Pharmaceuticals
  • Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI)   
  • Healthy Start
  • Interlink    
  • Yale School of Public Health
  • Tulane School of Public Health   
  • Tulane School of Medicine, division of environmental health

PLACE MATTERS is a national initiative of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Health Policy Institute (HPI) designed to improve health of participating communities by addressing social conditions that lead to poor health.

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans; it should come as no surprise that the mortality rate as increased by 47%.  Many factors contribute to the poor health of New Orleans one of which is an inability to access quality and affordable health care.  Many hospitals still remain closed after the hurricane such that the number of hospital beds is down by 75% and the number of physicians down by 72%.  Even more distressing is the lack of insurance coverage for the New Orleanians.  26% of the population is uninsured and yet only 36% of primary physicians accept Medicaid as a primary payment source from patients.  New Orleanians are not receiving the access to health care that they need.  

On the other side of the spectrum, childhood obesity is rising across the United States where 11-15% of youth are overweight or obese.  Unfortunately, New Orleans has the 11th highest overweight prevalence for low-income children ages 2-5.  One of the primary factors influencing the high obesity rate is the lack of safe playgrounds.  Currently, only 4 multipurpose play centers are available throughout the city; prior to Hurricane Katrina, there were 10.  Those multipurpose centers that are operational are lacking female participation and usage, which may suggest that females engage in exercise and sports slightly less that their male counterparts.  To further support this claim, the prevalence of obesity in females tends to be slightly higher than that of males.  

Based on the problems described above, the New Orleans Health Department has created two objectives:
1.    Increase Access to Care
2.    Begin a dialogue on healthy kids

In regards to increasing access to care, the NODH will work to increase access to quality and affordable health insurance.  To achieve this end, the NODH will target 2 specific populations: senior citizens and children up to age 19.  In regards to senior citizens, the NODH will build a partnership with private medicare insurance companies.  The goal of this partnership will be to obtain credible insurance and quality case management for senior citizens.  In addition, the NODH will seek to modify all existing NODH clinics into Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC).  Making this change will allow the clinics to accept more underinsured patients and expand their medical coverage.  In regards to children, the NODH will identify children eligible for the state sponsored LaChip program, which provides free insurance to children up to age 19 whose family income is less than $3,442 per month for a family of four.

In the U.S., health insurance is provided through employers.  LaChip and Medicare are two exceptions to this rule such that individuals can qualify for health insurance separately from their employer.  As such, increasing insurance coverage will help increase access to care for New Orleanians by removing unemployment as a barrier.  It is expected that the PLACE MATTERS work will lead to a decrease in morbidity for senior citizens and children.  

The goal of the dialogue on healthy kids will be to combat childhood obesity.  To achieve this goal, the NODH will encourage female athletic participation in team sports.  As mentioned, obesity is slightly more prevalent in females than in males.  To combat this disparity, the New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) is partnering with the  New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) to identify and recruit females ages 6-17 to participate in volleyball. To achieve this end, the NODH will build a relationship between NORD and the various school boards within New Orleans, the goal of this relationship, which will be increase recruitment possibilities.  Once identified, the females will participate in not only volleyball but also a health education program designed increase their knowledge of nutrition and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.  The health education program will also attempt to increase female self-esteem and perceptions of self-image by creating a peer buddy system that will pair older females with younger females.  The health education program will be available to males as well but the focus will be on females.  

To evaluate the program, the New Orleans Health Department will coordinate a monitoring system and measure the females weight, height, and knowledge of health before, during, and after the volleyball season.  It is expected that participation in the program will lead to a reduction in obesity and normalization of the BMI for adolescent females.  As a direct result of the NODH PLACE MATTERS work, females will be healthier and also have more self-esteem.  Females will be more likely to engage in physical activity.