Governor Jeff Landry appoints Doctor Ralph Abraham to be the state’s first Surgeon General. Abraham says Louisiana spends on average the same as other states do in the country per patient…
“but the results we get are still forty-ninth or fiftieth if we talk about maternal mortality and morbidity, infant mortality and morbidity. Things that really matter to a persons health.”
Currently, there are 1.7 million Louisianans enrolled in Medicaid. Abraham says their goal at LDH is to give citizens help so they can continue to work and have healthcare…
“Hopefully as time goes on and there living situation improves then we can transition them to the exchange or a commercial insurance.”
Abraham says mental health will be first on his list to tackle as Surgeon General. Following the pandemic and the state’s numerous natural disasters, residents are feeling the impacts emotionally.
“Being a practicing physician I saw a lot more depression and anxiety. Those mental health issues that take you out of work and out of your social life. So its a really big problem that we have to deal with.”
Ultimately, Abraham says he wants to change policies that have been holding the state back from providing better healthcare.
