Nationwide, there’s a lot of talk these days about two major subjects: Infrastructure and health care. Specifically, how to improve and rebuild roads, bridges and other vital connections that we all depend on, and how to pay for the level of increasingly complex care that our aging population requires. Stephanie’s guests on Out to Lunch are problem solvers whose locally owned companies are in the thick of these two fields and helping to forge solutions.

Tim Barfield is president  of CSRS, an architecture and engineering firm  that specializes in design and program management  for government and private sector facility and infrastructure projects. CSRS is developing a particular expertise managing projects in what is known as “the P3 sector” – public/private partnerships, like the LSU Foundation Gateway project on Nicholson Drive.

Tim brings a unique background to his role in the company.  He is an attorney who spent years as an executive at The Shaw Group and more recently served as Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Secretary of Revenue. 

Matthew Rachleff is CEO  of Naveon, a local company that is harnessing technology to help reduce healthcare costs and deliver better care. Naveong has developed a communication platform to help the families of critically ill patients communicate more effectively with the doctors and hospitals that care for their loved one. Like Tim, Matthew is also a recovering attorney and a seasoned executive with a diverse background, in marketing and brand management.

This is a fascinating conversation about the surprisingly significant Baton Rouge contribution to the two biggest subjects on the national agenda.

Photos at Mansurs on the Boulevard by Ken Stewart.