The Healthier Bogalusa Community Forum on Thursday was well-attended by partners and private citizens. The event was hosted by Mayor Wendy Perrette’s Bogalusa Mayor’s Health Council, Our Lady of the Angels Hospital, LSU AgCenter, and Louisiana Department of Health’s Well-Ahead Louisiana.

Bogalusa and Washington Parish health determinants are some of the highest in the state

Out of the 64 parishes, Washington Parish ranks 60th in “health outcomes,” 63rd in length of life, 55th in quality of life, and 35th in obesity directly related to chronic disease deaths. Louisiana ranks 49th in the nation for overall health.

The goal of the meeting was to get the attendees’ opinions on the overall state of health in Bogalusa, in order to take action. The group split into two and got to work grading local adults and children, and then they went to the local strengths.

The vision and mission of the BMHC is “to identify issues and develop a plan of action to improve the overall health of the community by promoting physical, social, intellectual, and environmental health where we live, learn, work, pray and play.”