SCR 83

2026 Regular Session  ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 83
BY SENATOR EDMONDS
  A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the passing of
       Josephine Ruth Kennedy, former Medicaid Director of the Louisiana Department of
       Health.
       WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana greatly honors and commemorates the life
of Josephine Ruth Kennedy, a trailblazer and extraordinary public servant, who at the age
of seventy-one passed away on March 20, 2026; and
       WHEREAS, Josephine Ruth Kennedy, known as Ruth Kennedy, was born on
December 1, 1954, in Independence, Louisiana, to Josephine and Walter Kennedy and raised
on a strawberry field in Springfield with her five siblings; and
       WHEREAS, she graduated from Springfield High School in 1972, attended Oregon
Bible College from 1972 to 1974, and upon returning home she continued her education at
Southeastern Louisiana University from 1975 to 1979; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth Kennedy built an honorable and distinguished career for forty
years in public service with the Louisiana Department of Health, dedicating herself to
helping families access essential services by leading major initiatives to expand coverage
and improve care delivery; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth Kennedy leaves behind a legacy that is foundational to Louisiana's
Department of Health and its citizens; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth, described as the "Implementer-in-Chief", used her business sense,
smarts, and strategic abilities to take plans and policies and turn them into reliable protocol
that really worked, often expanding healthcare coverage to thousands and improving
healthcare delivery services; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth played a prominent role in establishing new initiatives, including
LaCHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, Bayou Health, and Express Lane
Eligibility which resulted in more than ten thousand Louisiana children being enrolled in
coverage literally overnight; and
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SCR NO. 83  ENROLLED
       WHEREAS, Ruth oversaw a program serving more than one million residents and
later led to her crowning achievement: the implementation of Louisiana's Medicaid
expansion program which resulted in the enrollment of more than four hundred thousand
working adults in ten months who otherwise would have faced limited access to health care;
and
       WHEREAS, Ruth's leadership strengthened our state's healthcare system and
positioned Louisiana as a model for innovation and access nationwide, while also advancing
streamlined-eligibility verification programs and hospital systems in Texas and elsewhere,
resulting in expanded opportunities for health care; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth, as a trusted and treasured resource for policymakers and providers
across this country, received from her peers, the Dunbar Award in 2015, the highest honor
a classified state employee can receive, and was also recognized in Washington D.C. and by
the Legislature of Louisiana through resolutions and official documents; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth helped manage programs throughout the state to certify certain
Medicaid rolls were accurate and updated and that re-enrolled providers in state programs
were valid; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth also set up an accredited continuing education program for
pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as well as a training program which worked to build
a larger base of certified pharmacy technicians statewide; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth is survived by her sisters, Betty Gay Rena and Regina McCord;
her brother, Joseph Kennedy (Sharon); sister-in-law, Loretta Kennedy; special cousin Sharon
Irby Derbins; special niece Kay Kinchen; and many loving nieces and nephews; with special
thanks and appreciation to Lena McCarter for all the care and assistance she rendered
throughout the years; and
       WHEREAS, she was preceded in death by her parents, Josephine and Walter
Kennedy; siblings, Juanita Kennedy Kinchen and Curtis Kennedy; and brothers-in-law,
Willie Kinchen and Woody Rena; and
       WHEREAS, Ruth was a lifelong and influential member of Blood River Church of
God where she faithfully served by teaching and sharing her faith to help shape and inspire
the lives of those in her community; and
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SCR NO. 83  ENROLLED
       WHEREAS, Josephine Ruth Kennedy will be remembered for her unwavering faith,
servant's heart, and her lifelong dedication to helping others along with her legacy of
compassion, leadership, and devotion to her family, faith, and community which will
continue to inspire all who were blessed to know her.
       THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
honor and commemorate the life of Josephine Ruth Kennedy, former Medicaid Director of
the Louisiana Department of Health.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Kennedy family.
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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