SHREVEPORT — LSU Health Shreveport has won a Healthcare Employment Reinvestment Opportunity (H.E.R.O.) grant from the Louisiana Department of Health that will fund scholarships for Physician Assistant students and expand clinical training slots tied to rural hospitals across the state.
Scholarships linked to service in underserved areas
Under the program, up to six Physician Assistant students at LSU Health Shreveport will receive scholarships that cover tuition and mandatory fees. In exchange, scholarship recipients will commit to practice for two to three years at participating rural hospitals after graduation. The award aims to place more clinician providers where they are most needed and to relieve pressure on primary care access in rural Louisiana.
Expanding clinical training capacity
The grant also funds an initiative to create new rural clinical preceptor sites. LSU Health Shreveport officials said the move will help address a growing shortage of primary care training placements across multiple health professions — a bottleneck that limits how many students programs can enroll and graduate.
- Scholarships: Tuition and mandatory fee coverage for up to six PA students.
- Service commitment: Two- to three-year practice at participating rural hospitals post-graduation.
- Training expansion: New rural preceptor sites to increase clinical rotation capacity.
"Louisiana needs a strong health care workforce to support our communities and a growing economy," said Governor Jeff Landry. "These investments create opportunities for Louisianans to pursue rewarding careers while addressing critical workforce needs across our state."
Funding and partnerships
Combined, the grant and related hospital partnerships total more than $343,000 in workforce development support. That sum includes $171,921 in H.E.R.O. scholarship funding and nearly $171,800 in matching in-kind support from partners.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| H.E.R.O. scholarship funding | $171,921 |
| Matching in-kind support | ~$171,800 |
| Total investment | >$343,000 |
Local impact and statewide context
The H.E.R.O. Fund, now administered by LDH since 2024, awards two-year grants aimed at growing enrollment, expanding training capacity and preparing more residents for high-demand health careers. Since the transfer, the fund has backed dozens of collaborations statewide between educational institutions and health care providers to ease workforce shortfalls and broaden access to care.
For Shreveport, the awards reinforce LSU Health Shreveport’s role as a regional training hub. By tying scholarships to rural clinical placements and post-graduation service obligations, the program seeks to move new clinician capacity into parts of the state that struggle to retain providers. Those shifts can affect where patients get primary care and how hospitals staff outpatient and inpatient services in coming years.
Officials at LSU Health Shreveport and participating hospitals will oversee placement of students into the new preceptor sites and the scholarship agreements. The H.E.R.O. Fund’s approach — pairing direct student support with training-site expansion — reflects a broader state strategy to not only pay for education but to create the practical training opportunities graduates need to enter the workforce.
