MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The Trump Administration is trying to cut spending in the

federal budget

to decrease the country’s debt.

The budget proposal is currently in the Senate.

“As we all know, there’s government waste. We all know that, but we also have a responsibility to protect our most vulnerable people. And that’s why we’re here,” says Mark Windham, Chief Executive Officer of

Pinnacle Family Health

.

But some of those cuts may come at a cost to Louisiana’s healthcare.

“About 46% of our adult patient base are Medicaid recipients, and that could be devastating for Community Health Centers not just in Louisiana but across the country,” explains Windham.

Windham says about a third of the state’s population receives Medicaid.

“There is a misconception that Medicaid enrollees are lazy and unwilling to work, perfectly happy to get their health coverage from the government. This couldn’t be further from the truth. 63% of adults on Medicaid are working, while 32% are taking care of family, going to school, or are ill or disabled. Only 28% of adults ages 19 – 64 in Louisiana are on Medicaid coverage,” wrote Pinnacle Family Health in a statement.

As a nonprofit, Windham says all the money generated goes right back into programs to offer lower-cost or free services.

“Our emergency rooms are going to be flooded with patients because that’s the only place they feel like they can go, they’re not going to seek care, and many of these people have chronic conditions that need to be managed regularly so what’s that going to result in, early deaths, early hospitalizations.”

Windham believes they’ll see fewer patients seek medical care because they have to choose between spending on medical care, food, or housing.

If cuts are made, it doesn’t just impact services, but also their staff. Windam says cuts could mean job losses at centers around the state.

“We exist to serve the medically underserved population, the lower-income population. We’re also the only provider in Northeast Louisiana that provides HIV care and support services,” says Windham.

Those patients are now at risk of losing free or low-cost services. Windham says they’re the only facility in NELA providing HIV care and support services.

“We have great concerns that we may lose HIV prevention funding when I talk about HIV prevention funding that is funding that comes through the CDC,” explains Windham. “And we can provide free HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis C tests. We gave those tests to over 600 people in 2024.”

In Region 8, they also offered free condom distribution sites at over 50 locations.

“Without that funding, what’s going to happen?” questions Windham. “We’re going to have a greater incidence of HIV and STIs, we’re going to have a greater number of unplanned pregnancies, we’re going to have people who are not going to get tested because they won’t feel like they can afford it.”

From 6,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet, their facility can offer so much more from a pharmacy, dental services, primary and pediatric care, and behavioral health services.

They go a step further than just healthcare. They now offer transportation to medical visits for people in Ouachita and surrounding parishes. Their HIV patients have access to free transportation in all of Region 8.

Through the federal funding, they can help homeless populations find stable housing. Patients are also able to get fresh groceries through a partnership with the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana.

“Many people may not know this but we have an income-based discount program, if people make below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines they qualify for discounts so if they don’t have insurance there is a mechanism, however because of our enhanced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates that’s how we compensate for the uninsured population.”

Windham encourages you to reach out to elected officials if you would like to see this funding continue, from state lawmakers to congressional leaders. The state health department is also a vital part of the decision process.


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