To recap, the 2011 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature ended on June 23, 2011. For weeks following the final adjournment of the legislative session, lawmakers and lobbyists returned to their respective lives back home, took summer vacations (hopefully) and recovered from the daily routine of the special session.

The lull that usually ensues following a legislative session has come to an end as the summer month's end and children return to school. Now, state regulatory agencies in particular are pouring through the legislative instruments enacted during the regular session so that they may begin to promulgate administrative rules on how to enforce the varying laws that come under the purview of their respective agencies.

The Louisiana Register is the official publication of all rules promulgated by state agencies. A copy of proposed rules and regulations governing healthcare can be found on the Office of State Register's website at http://doa.louisiana.gov/OSR/reg/regs2011.htm

This fall, the voters will elect several new state representatives and state senators. As a result of the turnover in the legislature, we will lose some of the institutional knowledge that exists about healthcare programs that have been funded historically and their value and benefit to the public. I would like to begin a collection of stories that can be provided to state lawmakers to demonstrate the impact of funding (or not funding) vital healthcare services.

I am trying to keep track of the impact of the state's budgetary woes on healthcare delivery in our state. If you have any stories to share with me, please send them to destiny362@aol.com

According to the OLR Research Report, following the birth of a baby, the umbilical cord usually is discarded along with the placenta. But it is now known that umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells. These are unspecialized blood cells that produce all other blood cells, including blood-clotting platelets and red and white blood cells. Like donated bone marrow, umbilical cord blood can be used to treat various genetic disorders that affect the blood and immune system, such as leukemia and certain cancers, and some inherited disorders of body chemistry.

Both private and public cord blood banks have developed in the last few years in response to the success of umbilical cord blood transplants in treating certain diseases. Private blood banking allows families to preserve their blood for their own use. For-profit private banks charge a fee to preserve a newborn's cord blood for possible use by the family later. Public banks, usually established by medical centers, accept donations for use by anyone in need.

In the past few years, an increasing number of states have passed legislation intended to help expectant parents, as well as their health care providers, become aware of their options for donating or banking their newborn's umbilical cord blood. To date, at least 21 states, including Louisiana, have enacted legislation focused on cord blood public awareness campaigns so that parents can make informed decisions about cord blood banking. This can involve development of brochures and other educational materials, both for expectant parents and healthcare providers. States are also continuing to explore creating public cord blood banks in their states as well as forming partnerships with existing banks.

In 2008, Act 163 was signed into law to provide education and awareness to expectant mothers about the values of umbilical cord blood banking and to establish a public cord blood bank for Louisiana citizens, if funds are appropriated by the Louisiana Legislature.

LifeShare Blood Centers partnered with Woman's Hospital and for 18 months they were able to collect approximately 1,500 cord blood units. A match was found for some lucky young adult in this small amount of time as well - four years ahead of standard cord blood banking projections. The legislature appropriated a total of $2.5 million in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 for the establishment of the cord blood bank in Louisiana. However, due to lack of continued funding, LifeShare's cord blood bank was forced to cease operation. If you have an interest in seeing the public cord blood bank re-established in Louisiana, please contact me at destiny362@aol.com Saving cord blood saves lives.

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