§2048.51. Louisiana Health Works Commission; creation; membership; compensation; staff
and facilities; powers and duties; data collection and reporting
A.There is hereby created in the Department of Education, under the jurisdiction of
the Board of Regents, the Louisiana Health Works Commission, hereafter referred to as the
"commission".
B.The purpose of the commission is to serve as a collaborative working group to
integrate and coordinate resources relative to healthcare workforce development within
various state departments and key organizations and to carry out those duties previously
assigned to the Nursing Supply and Demand Council and the Simulation Medical Training
and Education Council for Louisiana.
C.The following shall serve as members of the Louisiana Health Works
Commissio
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§2048.51. Louisiana Health Works Commission; creation; membership; compensation; staff
and facilities; powers and duties; data collection and reporting
A. There is hereby created in the Department of Education, under the jurisdiction of
the Board of Regents, the Louisiana Health Works Commission, hereafter referred to as the
"commission".
B. The purpose of the commission is to serve as a collaborative working group to
integrate and coordinate resources relative to healthcare workforce development within
various state departments and key organizations and to carry out those duties previously
assigned to the Nursing Supply and Demand Council and the Simulation Medical Training
and Education Council for Louisiana.
C. The following shall serve as members of the Louisiana Health Works
Commission:
(1) The secretary of Louisiana Works or his designee.
(2) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
(3) The president of the Louisiana Hospital Association or his designee.
(4) The executive director of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association or his
designee.
(5) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare or his designee.
(6) The chairman of the House Committee on Health and Welfare or his designee.
(7) A representative of the governor's office selected by the governor who shall serve
at the pleasure of the governor.
(8) The commissioner of higher education or his designee.
(9) The chairman of the Nursing Supply and Demand Committee or his designee.
(10) The dean or a staff member of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Center at Shreveport appointed by the president of the Louisiana State University System.
(11) The chairman of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing or his designee.
(12) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System or
his designee.
(13) The president of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities or his designee.
(14) One member representing and appointed by the Louisiana Department of
Health, office of public health.
(15) The chairman of the Occupational Forecasting Conference or his designee.
(16) The president of the University of Louisiana System or his designee.
(17) The chairman of the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners or his
designee.
(18) The president of the Louisiana State Medical Society or his designee.
(19) The president of the Southern University System or his designee.
(20) The chancellor or a staff member of the Louisiana State University Health
Sciences Center at New Orleans appointed by the president of the Louisiana State University
System.
(21) The president of the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians or his designee.
(22) The president of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners or his
designee.
(23) The president of the Louisiana State Nurses Association or his designee.
D. Members shall serve without compensation.
E. The Board of Regents shall provide the staff and facilities needed by the
commission to accomplish its tasks.
F. Each group, organization, and agency shall submit the names of members to the
Board of Regents.
G. The Louisiana Health Works Commission shall have the following committees:
(1)(a) An executive committee composed of the following:
(i) The commissioner of higher education or his designee for the commission.
(ii) The chairman of the Nursing Supply and Demand Committee or his designee for
the commission.
(iii) The president of the University of Louisiana System or his designee for the
commission.
(iv) The dean or a staff member of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Center at Shreveport appointed by the president of the Louisiana State University System for
the commission.
(v) The president of the Louisiana Hospital Association or his designee for the
commission.
(vi) The executive director of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association or his
designee.
(vii) The president of the Louisiana State Medical Society or his designee.
(viii) The president of the Southern University System or his designee for the
commission.
(ix) The chancellor or a staff member of the Louisiana State University Health
Sciences Center at New Orleans appointed by the president of the Louisiana State University
System for the commission.
(x) The president of the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians or his designee for
the commission.
(xi) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System or his
designee for the commission.
(xii) The president of the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities or his designee for the commission.
(xiii) The president of the Louisiana State Nurses Association or his designee for the
commission.
(b) The executive committee shall:
(i) Elect the chairperson of the commission. The chair of the Nursing Supply and
Demand Committee shall serve as the vice chair of the commission.
(ii) Establish rules of procedure to be adopted in accordance with the Administrative
Procedure Act.
(iii) Perform other tasks as the commission directs or the adopted rules of procedure
require.
(2) A Nursing Supply and Demand Committee, to consist of representatives of all
organizations previously represented on the Nursing Supply and Demand Council who are
not represented on the Health Works Commission, in addition to any other members of the
Health Works Commission as appointed by its chair.
(3) A Simulation Medical Training and Education Committee, to consist of
representatives of all organizations previously represented on the Simulation Medical
Training and Education Council who are not represented on the Health Works Commission,
any members of the Health Works Commission as may be appointed by its chair, and the
following members:
(a) A representative of Xavier School of Medicine.
(b) A representative of the Edward Via School of Osteopathic Medicine.
(c) A representative of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University.
H. Repealed by Acts 2025, No. 379, §1, eff. June 20, 2025.
I. The commission shall meet at least once each calendar quarter unless the executive
committee determines that there is no necessity for such a meeting.
J. The commission shall address the workforce issues in the health care industry in
Louisiana, support the education of future health care workers, and work to improve the
image of health care professions in Louisiana. The commission shall periodically report to
the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare and the House Committee on Health and
Welfare all accomplishments and recommendations of the commission including an annual
report to both committees. The commission shall submit its annual report to such
committees by February first of each year.
K. The commission shall study and make recommendations on at least the following
workforce issues:
(1) Programs to recruit and retain health care professionals in the Louisiana
workforce.
(2) Models for predicting the supply and demand for health care workers in the state.
(3) Incentives for health care workers to practice in Louisiana's medically
underserved areas.
L. The commission shall study and make recommendations on at least the following
education issues:
(1) Increasing the capacity of existing education programs to maintain or increase
the supply of health care professionals in Louisiana.
(2) Incentive programs for faculty retention.
(3) Strategies to increase access of individuals to appropriate entry-level educational
programs.
(4) Recruitment and retention models for students in the health care field.
M. The commission shall study and make recommendations on at least the following
image issues:
(1) Promotional activities for health careers throughout the Louisiana K-12 school
systems.
(2) Creative marketing strategies to improve the image of health care careers.
N. Repealed by Acts 2022, No. 592, §2C, eff. June 17, 2022.
O.(1) The Board of Regents, the Health Works Commission, the division of
administration, or any contractor working on behalf of these entities shall be authorized to
request and receive licensing data, education data, and employment data, including
unemployment wage records and other related health workforce data produced by state
agencies, including Louisiana Works, Louisiana Economic Development, the state
Department of Education, and the Louisiana Department of Health, obtained pursuant to the
administration of this Chapter for any of the expressly stated following purposes:
(a) Compiling statistics which will be used to measure and track the supply of health
care professionals from health care training providers, both public and private, including
secondary programs, postsecondary programs conducted at community and technical
colleges, four-year institutions, graduate schools, proprietary schools, hospital-based
programs, and other state-approved training providers.
(b) Compiling employment statistics, which will be used to measure and track the
supply and demand of health care professionals actually employed in the state of Louisiana
as produced by Louisiana Works.
(c) Compiling statistics which will be used to measure and track the supply of
licensed healthcare professionals as evidenced by licenses and renewed licenses granted by
the healthcare professional boards of the state of Louisiana. Those boards affected shall
include but not be limited to:
(i) Louisiana Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
(ii) Louisiana State Board of Dentistry.
(iii) Louisiana State Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition.
(iv) Louisiana Board for Hearing Aid Dealers.
(v) Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners.
(vi) Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners and related health professions
under its jurisdiction.
(vii) Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
(viii) Board of Examiners of Nursing Facility Administrators.
(ix) Louisiana State Board of Optometry Examiners.
(x) Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.
(xi) Louisiana Physical Therapy Board.
(xii) Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners.
(xiii) Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
(xiv) Louisiana Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners.
(xv) Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners.
(xvi) Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
(xvii) Louisiana Licensed Professional Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Board
of Examiners.
(xviii) Louisiana Board of Drug and Device Distributors.
(xix) Louisiana Department of Health and the health professions under its
jurisdiction.
(2) All data shall be submitted in a standardized format agreed upon by the Board
of Regents, the Health Works Commission, and representatives of the affected state boards
and agencies.
(3) Any individual data provided pursuant to this Subsection shall be confidential.
No public employee, commission member, or contractor acting on behalf of a state agency
or employee of such a contractor may:
(a) Use any data provided pursuant to this Subsection for any purpose other than the
statistical, forecasting, and program purposes for which the data is furnished.
(b) Make public any of the data provided pursuant to this Subsection which would
allow the identity of any individual to be inferred by either direct or indirect means.
(c) Retain any personal data as provided in this Subsection that is received by the
Board of Regents and the commission or any contractor acting on behalf of the commission.
Any personal data must be destroyed within thirty days of completion of its intended purpose
as described in this Subsection.
(4) Any person who violates any provision of this Subsection shall be fined not less
than one thousand dollars nor more than twenty thousand dollars or imprisoned for not less
than thirty days nor more than six months, or both.