The Louisiana Department of Health’s (LDH) Office of Public Health (OPH) Region 9 (Northshore) recently held an open house at the Washington Parish Health Unit at 120 11th Street in Franklinton.
Washington Parish residents toured the health unit and received educational information from such public health programs as WIC Supplemental Nutrition, infectious disease epidemiology, Children’s Special Health Services, STD/HIV, opioid prevention, and emergency preparedness. The event included free blood pressure screenings; COVID-19 and flu vaccinations; HIV testing; CPR and infant safe sleep demos; and free COVID-19 test kits.
With the recent passage of the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act to end continuous Medicaid coverage, Medicaid specialists were available to assist enrolled members with updating their contact information and addressed questions about the reenrollment process. Also, the Navigators for a Healthy Louisiana provided information about the Healthcare Insurance Marketplace.
“The open house was a successful event, and we were proud to showcase what we do on a daily basis in the health unit to keep the residents of Washington parish healthy,” said Dr. Gina Lagarde, OPH Region 9 Regional Medical Director.
Washington Parish Health Units in Franklinton and Bogalusa provide such public health clinical services as immunizations for adults and children, WIC Supplemental Nutrition, reproductive health (breast and cervical cancer screening; contraceptive services; pregnancy testing), STD and TB testing and treatment; HIV testing and counseling; refugee health; vital records; Community HealthWays (connecting people to available resources); and environmental health.
