LA · 64 Counties
Louisiana Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Louisiana's 214 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Louisiana?
Louisiana has 214 active hospitals across 64 counties, including 27 Critical Access Hospitals and 51 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Louisiana?
Louisiana's 214 hospitals collectively operate 21,842 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Louisiana have no hospital?
6 of Louisiana's 64 counties (9%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Louisiana?
Of Louisiana's 214 hospitals, 144 are not-for-profit, 4 are for-profit, and 66 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Louisiana?
2 rural hospitals have closed in Louisiana since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Louisiana?
The median operating margin for Louisiana's hospitals is -3.4% as of FY2025. 30 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Louisiana have negative operating margins?
30 of Louisiana's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Louisiana?
The average occupancy rate across Louisiana's hospitals is 44.2% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Louisiana?
Louisiana receives 16 active HRSA grants totaling $29.3M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($20.7M), Flex Program ($4.0M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($3.2M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.4M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Louisiana?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Louisiana, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $20.7M across 13 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Louisiana?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Louisiana, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $4.0M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Louisiana?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Louisiana, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $3.2M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Louisiana?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Louisiana, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.4M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Louisiana?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Louisiana are: Health, Louisiana Department Of ($8.6M); The Health Enrichment Network, Inc ($5.5M); Hospital Service District 1 A ($3.6M); Louisiana Tech University ($3.0M); Louisiana Primary Care Association, Inc ($2.2M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Louisiana receive?
Louisiana receives $208.4M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.0B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Louisiana Department of Health. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Louisiana?
Louisiana Department of Health is the designated lead agency managing Louisiana's $208.4M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Louisiana?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Louisiana's $208.4M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Louisiana's counties?
Across Louisiana's 64 counties, the average diabetes rate is 13.9%, obesity rate is 42.2%, and uninsured rate is 8.1%. There are 4.4 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Louisiana's communities?
Louisiana has 40 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.77 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Louisiana?
Louisiana has 577 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 255 in primary care, 154 in dental health, and 168 in mental health. An estimated 3,928,794 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Louisiana have?
Louisiana has 3,295 primary care physicians (72/100k population), 6,502 nurse practitioners, 1,827 physician assistants, and 2,798 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $13,588 with a 18% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Louisiana at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Louisiana's average county-level rates: diabetes 17.1%, obesity 42.5%, depression 27.1%, frequent mental distress 20.3%, smoking 20.4%, and high blood pressure 45.6%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Louisiana?
Louisiana has 530 FQHC sites operated by 36 grantee organizations. 137 sites (25.8%) are in rural areas and 393 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Louisiana?
Louisiana has 73 HRSA medically underserved designations: 73 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 0 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 54.7 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Louisiana prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Louisiana?
Federal data on Louisiana's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 214 hospitals in Louisiana.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Louisiana Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Louisiana's 214 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.