Georgia PH week [June 9, 2014]

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Statewide Public Heath Leaders Assemble, Launch 'Good to Great' Movement

With health outcomes in key

target areas continuing to

improve throughout the

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state, leaders at the Georgia Department of Public Health are rapidly expanding a program aimed at moving the

entire organization from

"Good to Great," literally.

In This Issue

The agency is embracing a program - more of a

Statewide Public Heath Leaders Assemble, Launch 'Good to Great' Movement
Tobacco Satellite Media Tour

movement, inspired by the popular business improvement book by the same name.

Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., addresses key leaders at 'Good to Great' mega meeting.

Healthier Babies: Are US Policies "The people of Georgia

Working?

deserve a great health department. The dedicated people of the Georgia

Summit Educates Georgians on Aging Eye Disease

Department of Public Health are capable of greatness. Let's do this," a determined Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., declared as she opened the two day conference at Emory University's School of Public Health.

2014 STD Prevention Conference

Public Health Honors Award Recipients
PHBRIEF

The commissioner's remarks brought applause and cheers from more than 150 public health leaders from each of Georgia's 18 public health districts and state offices, most hearing for the first time about the movement that bridges discipline and decision-making into a "culture of greatness."

On May 6, Commissioner Brenda

Fitzgerald, M.D., was a featured

speaker at TEDx Atlanta, an offshoot of the popular online Ted

Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Satellite

Media Tour Talks. She presented "Improving Early Child Development with

Words" and focused on DPH's Talk

With Me Baby campaign. Commissioner Fitzgerald is leveraging the simple practice of talking to babies and toddlers to nourish their brains and set them up for better performance in school and life. To view

Tobacco is the leading cause of death in Georgia. It kills more than 11,500 people a year. No one is immune from the effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke-tobacco kills men, women, children and babies. Exposure

presentation, click here.

to tobacco products causes cancer,

diabetes, heart disease and stroke,

PHEVENTS

asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and sudden infant

death syndrome (SIDS). Pregnant

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

women, babies, and children are especially vulnerable to the dangers of tobacco.

PHTRAINING

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 June 10, DPH staff will present on learning and collaboration technologies. To learn more and
to register, click here.

Last week, Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D.,

commissioner of the Georgia

Department of Public Health (DPH) shared that message with countless

Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald prepares for satellite media tour to address the risks of

people in Georgia and beyond. For the first time ever, DPH and Commissioner

smoking and tobacco use for pregnant women and their babies.

Fitzgerald participated in a satellite

media tour. Media from all over Georgia were invited to speak to Dr. Fitzgerald

during ten minute satellite windows assigned to them individually, to ask questions

about the risks of smoking for pregnant women.

"There is nothing good about smoking ever," said Fitzgerald. "But smoking while pregnant or second hand smoke after that baby is born is equivalent to putting a pillow over the baby's face and smothering the child."



Excel Graphical Charts Thurs., June 12
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Excel Working with Multiple Worksheets
Thurs., June 12 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Manager Fundamentals for Success
Tues. - Wednes., June 17-18 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
HR - Training Room 16th Floor
Procurement Services: Navigating the Process
Thurs., June 19 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. HR - Training Room 16th Floor
Performance Management for Everyone
Mon., June 23 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. HR - Training Room 16th Floor
Excel Intermediate Functions Tues., June 24
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Healthier Babies: Are US Policies Working?

Public policies aimed at improving prenatal health care, nutrition, and education appear to be having a positive effect on the health of babies born to economically disadvantaged women in the United States.

The next step, researchers say, is to understand which policies are most effective for which populations so that resources can be deployed most effectively.

Despite the fact that the US economic

inequality gap has been widening for decades,

the health of newborns has actually improved

nationally in recent years, says Anna Aizer, associate professor of economics at Brown

"We know a lot more about improving health at birth than we did 20 years

University. "That was really surprising to us."

ago and there are more policies

now that are trying to do just that," says

Anna Aizer. (Credit: Dennis Frank/Flickr)



Summit Educates Georgians on Aging Eye Disease

Excel Data Management and Pivot Tables Tues., June 24
1:30-4:30 p.m.
Performance Management for Supervisors
Tues., June 24 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. HR - Training Room 16th Floor
Performance Management for Everyone
Tues., June 24 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. HR - Training Room 16th Floor

More than 100 attendees joined the Department of Public Health and other healthcare professionals to gain the knowledge and skills to protect their sight and have a lifetime of healthy vision.

Aging eye disease is increasingly becoming a problem in the US. Over 4 million Georgians aged 40 and

The Quality Care for Children app helps Georgia parents find high-quality child care near them.

older have some type of vision problem, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy,

or cataract. It is estimated that this number will more than double by 2030 as the

population continues to age.

For employees not at 2 Peachtree, classes can be

In an effort to raise awareness about aging eye disease, the Georgia Vision Collaborative was formed to serve as a resource to adults at risk for aging eye

attended remotely; however, disease. The collaborative hosted its second annual Focus on Eye Health Summit

remote attendees must be

on May 21st in Atlanta.

registered 48 hours prior to class.

Register for all classes through

SABA (2 Peachtree attendees

register for "Instructor-Led" and
remote attendees register for 2014 STD Prevention Conference
"Virtual" classes). Contact Lisa

Miller if you have questions.

STD and HIV prevention program

Free Online Courses Available managers, researchers, clinicians,

from Lynda.com

public health employees, and

DPH has purchased a limited advocates from across the country

number of licenses for Lynda.com, an online library of high-quality, easy-to-use instructional videos on the latest software, creative

and around the globe are converging on Atlanta this week for the 2014 STD Prevention Conference. The goal

and business skills. Licenses are of this year's conference is to

available for check out on a first promote interdisciplinary dialogue on

come, first served basis. To check out a license, simply email Lisa Miller from your public health email account.

the best ways to improve the quality of STD/HIV prevention and care. Among the collaborators for this year's conference are the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections and the Latin America/Caribbean Association for Control of Sexually Transmitted Disease.

Submit Calendar Entries to communications@dph.ga.gov
PHNEWS

This year's theme is "More STD Prevention for the Money: Maximizing Impact, Efficiency and Return on Program Investments." Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., will welcome the more than1,500 conference attendees at the opening plenary session.

Medicaid Enrollment Policies Help Pregnant Women Quit
Smoking
Prevent STDs in Seniors

"The ever-increasing number of STDs represents a serious threat to public health," said Fitzgerald. "We have to fix this. It is not only the core of our mission at DPH preventing disease and promoting health - it's our future, the future of our children and the future of our grandchildren - around the world."

Federal Funds Drop Squeezes Public Health
HPB researchers awarded $3.15 million to improve chronic disease management
PHRECIPE

UGA's College of Public Health Honors Award
Recipients
Karen Neff, District 2 Public Health's Adolescent Health and Youth Development Coordinator, was awarded the 2014 Preceptor of the Year Award from the University of Georgia's College of Public Health. The award was presented at the annual Practice Advisory Group spring luncheon in Athens. The Practice Advisory Group directs and guides the Internship and Residency Programs for the College of Public Health as well as connecting academic resources of the college to public health agencies.

Chicken Waldorf salad
Serves 4 Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes
Click Here for Full Recipe
PHWEEK
Director of Communications Ryan Deal
Content Coordinator Connie F. Smith

Neff was nominated for the Preceptor of the Year award by UGA interns, Jenessa

Karen Neff (center) receives UGA's College of Public Health Preceptor of the Year Award with

Teague and Kelly Truesdell, both MPH interns Janessa Teague (left) and Kelly Truesdell

students with concentrations in Health

(right).

Promotion and Behavior. Of Neff,

Jenessa wrote, "Karen is not only our

internship supervisor, but a great mentor and someone that we can rely on not

only professionally, but personally as well."

Neff was selected for the award for her guidance and direction of UGA interns in the implementation of the Be Proud! Be Responsible! curriculum; an evidencebased intervention that seeks to reduce the risk of HIV, STDs and pregnancy among teens. The program is a six-module program of study designed to educate youth populations about the risks associated with certain behaviors. The interns work with at-risk youth in the Hall County Juvenile Justice System and the Regional Youth Detention Center, part of the Georgia Juvenile Justice System.

Sr. Graphic Designer Ginny Jacobs

Web Developer Jimmy Clanton, Jr.

Editorial & Design Team Tammy Beasley
Turquoise Griffith Eric Jens
Nancy Nydam Sandra Roberts

Georgia Public Health Observances | June 2014

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