PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER MIKE NEELY. THE GREAT STATE OF LOUISIANA NOW HAS ITS FIRST EVER SURGEON GENERAL. GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY APPOINTED DOCTOR RALPH ABRAHAM TO THE NEWLY CREATED POSITION. ABRAHAM’S DUTIES AS THE STATE’S CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER INCLUDE CREATING HEALTH POLICY, ADVOCATING FOR DISEASE PREVENTION, AND ADDRESSING HEALTH CARE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THE LOUISIANA SURGEON GENERAL WILL ALSO BE IN CHARGE OF THE STATE’S RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, AND THE TIMING OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS PERFECT. THE STATE RANKS AT OR NEAR THE BOTTOM NATIONALLY FOR CRIME, POVERTY AND OPPORTUNITY AND HEALTH CARE OR LACK OF IT IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO ALL THOSE POOR RANKINGS. SO THERE IS MUCH TO DO. JUST LAST WEEK, THE UNITED STATES SURGEON GENERAL ASKED CONGRESS TO REQUIRE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO PUT WARNING LABELS ON THEIR SITES, MUCH LIKE THE WARNINGS PUT ON CIGARETTE BOXES BACK IN THE 1960S, THIS WEEK, THE US SURGEON GENERAL DECLARED GUN VIOLENCE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IS URGING CONGRESS TO ACT IN LOUISIANA HEART DISEASE, CANCER AND DIABETES REMAIN NEAR OR AT THE TOP OF THE STATE’S HEALTH ISSUES AND THIS NEW POSITION SHOULD HELP IMPROVE HEALTH CARE ACROSS THE STATE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE OUR NATIONAL RANKINGS.