BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order creating the Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability within the Louisiana Department of Health.

The new office will lead the state's implementation of Louisiana's Rural Health Transformation Program, which is supported by more than $208 million in federal funding. Louisiana's award is among the highest in the nation and positions the state to draw down more than $1 billion in total funding over the next five years.

The governor also announced the formation of the Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council. The council will guide implementation and ensure rural health transformation efforts align with statewide priorities, address local community needs and promote sustainable, data-driven improvements in care delivery.

"This executive order reflects our commitment to improving health outcomes for Louisiana families, no matter where they live," Landry said. "For too long, rural communities have faced barriers to accessing care."

"Today, we are taking decisive action to strengthen those systems so that every Louisianan has access to high-quality, reliable care close to home," he said. "Thank you to President Trump and CMS Administrator Dr. Oz for the funding."

LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein said the investment will transform how health care is delivered in rural Louisiana. "With this investment, we are not only expanding access, but we are building a more coordinated and sustainable health system for rural communities," Greenstein said.

"This work is about delivering better outcomes, closing longstanding gaps in care and ensuring that rural providers and patients have the support they need to thrive," he said.

Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Evelyn Griffin said the office marks a turning point for Louisianans who call rural parishes home. "We are ensuring that a resident in Tensas or Cameron Parish receives the same caliber of preventive and emergency care as someone in the heart of New Orleans, making high-quality health care a local reality, not a long-distance journey," Griffin said.

Nearly 1.1 million Louisianans live in rural parishes. Residents in these areas face higher rates of chronic disease, limited access to care and significant health care workforce shortages.

The new office will coordinate statewide efforts to expand access to care, strengthen rural health infrastructure and tackle chronic health conditions. The office will focus on key priorities, including rural health care workforce expansion, technology modernization, innovative care delivery models and improved coordination across health care services.

These initiatives are designed to reduce the burden of chronic disease, improve maternal and infant health outcomes, expand access to behavioral health services and support earlier detection and treatment of serious conditions such as cancer.