About
The Rural Hospital Coalition, Inc.
The Coalition is a statewide 501(c)(6) trade organization limited to Louisiana's rural hospitals. Membership is limited to hospitals of 60 beds or less and/or serving parishes with populations of 65,000 or fewer residents. Since the Coalition's establishment in 1994, membership has steadily increased due to the focused approach on rural issues that directly affect member hospitals. Currently, the organization's membership consists of Louisiana's 48 small rural hospitals which are comprised of political subdivision hospitals, private non-profits and proprietary hospitals, all serving rural communities throughout the State.
To date one of our proudest accomplishments, receiving national accolades and achieving groundbreaking strides towards implementing state-wide electronic medical records has been the Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange (LARHIX).
LARHIX was formed by the Rural Hospital Coalition through $13 million in funding provided, through Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, in the 2007 Legislative Session. LSUHSC-Shreveport hosts and technically supports the "Network" of LARHIX. LSUHSC-Shreveport also serves as the tertiary care site for all 24 of the rural hospitals in this Exchange.