Back in July it was announced that the public health system in Louisiana had a short fall of more than $800 million dollars due to medicaid cuts.

To try and make up for that shortfall the state started taking proposals for private operators.

Today it was announced that partnerships have been made with private hospitals. Oschner Health System, Lafayette General and Louisiana Children's Medical Center will make upfront payments of more than $5 Million dollars and an additional $7 Million for public hospitals in Houma, Lafayette and New Orleans. The hospitals are basically leasing the facilities from LSU.

Officials with the LSU Health Foundation tell us that consultants have been hired to promote the hospitals here in Northeast Louisiana to potential private operators for the Shreveport campus, E.A. Conway Medical Center in Monroe and H.P. Long Medical Center in Pineville.