DCHNOW: a quick look around, 40679

Week of May 16, 2011
Welcome to DCHNOW: the latest news from across the agency, articles on timely topics and updates about what is going on in the organization. Consider this one of your major stops for news on anything DCH. We're happy to have you visit our site and if you would like to give us feedback on anything you find in DCHNOW, please e-mail: dchnow@dch.ga.gov.
Week of May 9, 2011 | Week of May 2, 2011 | Previous Issues
Governor Signs Bill | Tornado Aftermath | SHAPE | Reduce Stroke Risk | Help Recycle | Eyes are Important
Governor Signs Bill Separating Public Health
"A new day dawns for public health, but we must make it so," reads an email circulating through hundreds of e-mailboxes of those now involved in Georgia's Division of Public Health (DPH) - that is until July 1, 2011, when the division officially becomes a stand-alone department. The move was made official on Friday when Governor Nathan Deal signed into law the Bill (House Bill 214) that pulls Public Health from the umbrella of the Department of Community Health (DCH) and elevates Public Health's new commissioner to a Cabinet-level position. Read more
Social Media New Weapon in Tornado Aftermath District 4 Uses Facebook in Power Outage
On the night of April 28, 2011, when tornadoes ripped through much of north and northwest Georgia, District 4 Public Health's Emergency Preparedness team went to work right away. The team helped local communities establish shelters, found alternative medical facilities for Alzheimer's patients, and quickly disseminated information to the public. One of the most effective methods of communication in this crisis was the use of the social network Facebook. Read more

Enthusiastic Youngsters Welcome SHAPE Program

Program. Read more

More than 530 young students from White County Intermediate School enthusiastically greeted Governor Nathan Deal, Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) Commissioner David Cook, and Public Health Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. last week in North Georgia to celebrate the launch of Georgia SHAPE, the Georgia Student Health and Physical Education

Balanced Diet Reduces Stroke Risk
Love tilapia? On your next trip to the supermarket, consider adding the popular seafood to your shopping cart. According to Boston researchers, women can reduce their chances of having an ischemic stroke by eating fish. In fact, women who eat two or more servings of fish per week can reduce the risk of having an ischemic stroke by half. Read more

Good for the Environment, Good for DCH How You Can Help Recycle
Did you know? It takes more than two pints of oil to create a new toner cartridge shell More than 500 million new toner and inkjet cartridges are manufactured every year More than 350 million cartridges end up in our landfills each year I takes more than 1000 years for a cartridge to decompose in a landfill Read more
Lesson Learned: My Eyes are Important

Sight. It's something most of us take for granted. We open our eyes, and our world appears before us. We see colors, we read and we can perceive body language. When a waiter sets down a plate of food in front of us, we appreciate it first with our eyes before we eat.
It stands to reason we should protect our vision as the important pathway to our lives - but do we?. Read more