In the News

The chancellor of the LSU medical school in Shreveport met Tuesday with the top Veterans Affairs chief to pitch a closer partnership with Overton Brooks VA Medical Center.

Dr. G.E. Ghali, med school chancellor, met in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin. Also attending was U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-Louisiana, whose district includes Monroe.

Ghali has said in the past that to thrive the Shreveport medical school must forge deeper partnerships with more hospitals in north Louisiana so that students have more field learning opportunities.

According to a press release from Abraham's office, LSU’s medical students, residents and fellows would work with the VA and the veterans who use it to address shortages in neurology, orthopedics and internal medicine. The school already has a residency program with Overton Brooks.

“LSU Health Shreveport is excited to work with Shulkin as we jointly look into opportunities of improving access to top quality healthcare for our veterans in North Louisiana." Ghali said in a prepared statement. "President Trump's administration is focused on this goal and this meeting today demonstrates a step in the right direction."

Ghali said Abraham, a physician and an alumnus of LSU Health and a veteran, is working along with U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, whose district encompasses the medical school and the veterans' hospital.

“We know there are continuing issues at the Shreveport veterans hospital that must be solved," Abraham said. "This is one way we can use existing resources available to us to further enhance the quality of care our nation’s heroes deserve.”

Shulkin reached out in March to a number of medical school chancellors across the country, including LSU, asking for input on how to form stronger partnerships between the VA and academic institutions.

Tuesday’s meeting provided an opportunity for Abraham and Ghali to address the barriers that have stalled academic partnerships and how to overcome them, the press release stated.

Ghali said he believes a partnership with Overton Brooks could benefit not only veterans across north Louisiana seeking quality health care but also students attending the LSU medical school in Shreveport.

“We just want the opportunity to make this work,” Dr. Ghali said. "We have a lot of interest from people who want to work at the VA but also tie into the academic side. This should be interchangeable."

The press release says medical schools partnering with VA hospitals could receive payment the $10 billion Choice funding established in 2014. The funding is intended to help the VA use non-Veterans Administration health care providers to serve veterans. 

Contract exceptions and “fast track” agreements have worked in the past, according to the press release, and Abraham and Ghali said they agree that Shreveport is an ideal setting to use this method again.

“This is a partnership that can happen, and I will continue to work toward making it a reality. It’s a win-win for our veterans and for LSU,” Dr. Abraham said.