Georgia PH week [May 12, 2014]

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Hurricane Drill Helps State Agencies Prepare

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In This Issue
Hurricane Drill Helps State Agencies Prepare
Fitzgerald Touts Language Nutrition at TEDxAtlanta Georgia a Focus of Maternal
Death Project Step by Step: Employee Tackles
Training for First Race Saving Lives Through...Statistics?
PHEVENTS

DPH EPR staff mobilized during the Hurrex exercise at the 2 Peachtree Emergency Operations Center.
Many Georgians didn't know it, but Hurricane Nicolai, a catastrophic Category 3 hurricane with 111-129 mph winds, hit the state this week. Don't worry if you didn't notice - the storm was a bit of fiction created to help Georgia's emergency preparedness and response teams practice dealing with the real thing.
Emergency preparedness and response leaders from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) took part in the drill, known as Hurrex, which was organized by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency from May 6-8. The drill is designed to prepare state, local and volunteer agencies to prepare for the potential emergency response ahead of a season known for severe storms.

Looking for DPH events? Visit the Events Schedule
on our website.
PHTRAINING

"Georgia is vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms and it only takes one serious storm to devastate an area," said Director Charley English of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) in a news release from the agency. "Hurrex 2014 allows GEMA and all of our emergency response partners to practice our ability to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a tropical weather disaster in Georgia."

Two for Tuesdays Join the Office of Human Resources on the second Tuesday of each month from 11:30 a.m.12:45 p.m. for the learning series Two for Tuesdays. This series provides an opportunity for programs to explore new ideas, share knowledge and highlight teams and their work. On May 13, staff from Georgia Tuberculosis program will present. To learn more and to register, click here.
Access Intermediate Queries Thurs., May 15
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Access Advanced Queries Thurs., May 15
2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Access Form and Report Design Fundamentals Tues., May 20
10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Access Tables and Database Design
Thurs., May 22 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For employees not at 2 Peachtree, classes can be attended remotely; however, remote attendees must
be registered 48 hours prior to class. Register for all classes through SABA (2 Peachtree attendees register for "InstructorLed" and remote attendees register for "Virtual" classes). Contact Lisa Miller if you have questions.
Free Online Courses Available from Lynda.com
DPH has purchased a limited number of licenses for Lynda.com, an online library of high-quality, easy-to-use instructional videos on the latest software, creative and
business skills. Licenses are available for check out on a first come, first served basis. To check out a license, simply email Lisa
Miller from your public health email account.
Submit Calendar Entries to communications@dhr.state.ga.us
PHNEWS

Fitzgerald Touts Language Nutrition at TEDxAtlanta

How do you spread a good idea? Email? Twitter? Television? How about TED?

TED is a nonprofit dedicated to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less) to large audiences in person and on the Internet. Founded in 1984, TED Talks cover everything from business to health to toy super soakers in hundreds of languages, combining combine video and live speakers or performers to spark discussion and connection.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED also hosts a series of local, selforganized events called TEDx. Last week, Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., was a featured speaker at TEDx Atlanta.

DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., delivered a TED talk at
TEDxAtlanta on the importance of talking with your baby.

Georgia a Focus of Maternal Death Project
Twenty-two Georgia hospitals have joined a project to reduce maternal death rates in the United States, a nursing group announced Wednesday.
The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) has launched an initiative to improve the treatment of pregnancy-related complications, and is focusing on birthing hospitals in Georgia and New Jersey.
Georgia ranks 50th among states in maternal deaths. That's a prime reason why the state was one of the two selected for the project
Another reason is Georgia's large number of delivery hospitals, said Lashea Wattie, the Georgia section chair for AWHONN.

Hepatitis C: The High Cost of a Cure
Survey Reveals Consumer Confusion About Antibiotic
Resistance Augusta will work on new
smoking law Number of U.S. Elderly Will
Double by 2050: Report
PHRECIPE
Watermelon Gazpacho Serves 4
Prep and Cook Time: 30 min.
Click Here for Full Recipe

Step by Step: Employee Tackles Training for First Race

On the morning of July 4, rain or shine, people lining the streets of Atlanta's Peachtree Road Race will have the opportunity to see Jimmy Clanton, Jr., competing for the first time. No one is more excited than Clanton, manager of digital properties for the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), who said running the famed 10k course is something he's wanted to do since he moved to Atlanta in 1986.

"There was just always some reason for me not to do it. So at age 58, I'll finally get around to doing it," he said.

Jimmy Clanton, Jr., is training to meet a goal he's had for nearly 30 years: running Atlanta's
Peachtree Road Race.

Although he was an active high school athlete, Clanton would hardly have called himself an avid runner or walker when he registered for the race in March. He knew trying to go 6.2 miles in Atlanta's thick July heat would be a challenge. But it was a challenge he wanted to meet.

"I just wanted to finish it. That was my initial thought. If I had to walk or crawl, I just wanted to finish," he said.

PHWEEK

Saving Lives Through...Statistics?

Director of Communications Ryan Deal
Editor Carrie Gann
Content Coordinator Connie F. Smith

Editor's Note: Amy Jenkins, a 10th grader from Lawrenceville, Georgia, aspires to a career in mathematics. So when the Association for Women in Mathematics sponsored an essay contest calling for profiles of women working in a mathematical science career, she jumped at the chance to enter. Jenkins decided to interview Chinelo Ogbuanu, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the Georgia Department of Public Health, about her life and career. The following is Jenkins' profile of Ogbuanu.

Sr. Graphic Designer Ginny Jacobs
Web Developer Jimmy Clanton, Jr.
Editorial & Design Team Tammy Beasley
Turquoise Griffith Eric Jens
Nancy Nydam Sandra Roberts


To many, statistics is a mysterious division of mathematics, sometimes regarded with distrust due to an impression that statistics can be manipulated to support any claim possible. Therefore, it is far from an exalted career path, and it is certainly unknown to many that statistics can aid in saving lives. Still, Mrs. Ogbuanu validates this claim through her work with data on maternal and infant mortality and similar issues, which has the potential to reveal possible solutions to problematic issues surrounding birth. From her first love of math to her most recent research project, she clearly exemplifies a mathematician on a mission to improve lives.


Georgia Public Health Observances | May 2014

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