Louisiana Models and Innovations

These stories feature model programs and successful rural projects that can serve as a source of ideas. Some of the projects or programs may no longer be active. Read about the criteria and evidence-base for programs included.

Promising Examples

Northeast Louisiana Regional Pre-Diabetes Prevention Program

Updated/reviewed March 2024

• Need: To prevent or slow the progression of diabetes for at-risk residents in Rural Northeast Louisiana.
• Intervention: The North Louisiana Regional Alliance developed a program that offered screenings, education, and an intense course for participants throughout the Northeast Louisiana region to lower the risk of diabetes.
• Results: The program saw an overall decrease in blood sugar levels in residents who participated in their initiatives.

School-Based Health Center Dental Outreach

Updated/reviewed July 2020

• Need: To improve the oral health status of children ages 3 to 17 living in underserved rural areas of Louisiana.
• Intervention: School-based nurse practitioners perform oral health assessments, apply fluoride varnishes when indicated, and make dental referrals, with completion rates of the latter tracked by dental case managers.
• Results: Significant numbers of school children are receiving oral health examinations, fluoride varnish applications, and receiving care coordination to improve numbers of completed dental appointments.

Youth4Health

Updated/reviewed December 2019

• Need: To educate youth about obesity and healthy lifestyle choices.
• Intervention: An educational program about healthy living was implemented in Lincoln and Claiborne Parishes in Louisiana for youth ages 9-18.
• Results: Youth4Health program produced greater awareness and participation in healthier lifestyles by target youth and their families, as well as church congregations.

Other Project Examples

AGRIMEDIC

Updated/reviewed February 2024

• Need: To reduce farm injuries and improve EMS and fire/rescue's response to these injuries in rural Louisiana and Mississippi.
• Intervention: AGRIMEDIC is a two-day training for first responders.
• Results: 810 first responders have received training.

It's a Girl Thing: Making Proud Choices

Updated/reviewed February 2023

• Need: Teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, in young girls were concerns for members of Union Parish, Louisiana.
• Intervention: Union General Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital, created the program It's a Girl Thing: Making Proud Choices to teach prevention, self-confidence, and personal responsibility to teen girls.
• Results: Teen pregnancy rates in Union Parish have dropped by 18%, exceeding the program's initial goal of 5%. Graduation rates have also increased the longer girls remain in the program.

Together We Can Be Bully Free

Updated/reviewed February 2023

• Need: Union Parish, a rural county in Louisiana, was experiencing higher than average suicide rates among youth.
• Intervention: Union General Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital, started a program to educate students grade 4 through 12 on the negative effects of bullying and how to model positive social behavior.
• Results: The 3,000+ students trained have learned how to recognize, report, and react to bullying.

Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana's Stepping Stones Program

Added February 2023

• Need: Black women living with HIV in rural southeastern Louisiana face challenges in accessing care and other needed resources, often while dealing with other life stressors such as poverty, physical and mental health comorbidities, and a history of trauma.
• Intervention: Implementing three evidence-informed interventions simultaneously ensures success in linking, treating, and retaining Black women in HIV care to improve health outcomes.
• Results: As of February 2023, Stepping Stones has recruited 38 participants.

The Adolescent Pre-Diabetes Prevention Program

Added October 2018

• Need: Prevention of type 2 diabetes in adolescents living in rural parts of Louisiana.
• Intervention: Through screenings, the Adolescent Pre-Diabetes Prevention Program detects the onset of prediabetes. Through nutrition and physical activity education, the program teaches high school students and staff how to adopt healthy lifestyles.
• Results: The program has seen an increase in enrollment and continues to see decreases in body weight, body mass index, and A1C levels among participants.