The human side [Fall 1996]

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GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES .A. FALL 1996
The niission of the Georgia Departlllent of HUlllall Resources is to assist Georgians in achieving healthy, independent and self-sufficient lives.
TEAM DHR:

THE GREATEST EVER!

I

f gold medals were awarded

for behind-the-

scenes team-

,

work, "Team

DHR" would have

earned one for the

Olympics. State and

county PH workers,

DFCS employees,

MHMRSA folks

and other DHR

staff coordinated a

massive plan for

ensuring public health

and social services for Olympic vi~it!;i-'s.

PH set up a round-the-

clock headquarters in their

downtown Atlanta offices

inside the Olympic Ring.

Army cots in offices through-

out the building were in great

demand by the doctors, epi-

demiologists, environmental-

ists and other staff working

24-hour shifts. They coordi-

nated food inspections, ana-

lyzed daily emergency room

reports and sent staff to dis-

tribute free water, hats and

sunscreen. PH also provided

consultation to the medical

office for the Atlanta Com-

mittee for the Olympic

Games (ACOG) and coordi-

nated emergency medical services outside the venues.
"Our success was due in large part to a high level of cooperation among state, federal and local agencies," says Patrick}. Meehan, M.D., PH director. "For example, our federal partners and nonOlympic counties helped us with the extra food service inspectors we needed and helped us enforce health codes. Also, good planning and public education made a big difference. We started early on heat illness preven-

'Sj,ecial DHR sun hats that shade the face and neck were a popular item durf:ng,the Olympics. Harriet Meriwether, Primary Health Care, can't give them away fast enough. The Associated Press called the hats ''a fashion statement for everyune from children to senior citizens. "

tion, and we trained for a wide range of emergencies."
The large numbers of temporary food vendors and portable toilets operating during the Olympics presented a challenge to county and state environmental health specialists. The Fulton County Health Department alone gave permits to about 700 temporary vendors. Statewide, environmentalists performed over 12,000 food inspections during the Olympics, including over 9,000 in Fulton County. They also carried out some 13 5,000 inspections of solid waste disposal facilities, water systems, swimming pools and toilets.
During the Olympics, PH operated a state-of-the-art disease monitoring system to receive reports of emergency room visits from eight hospitals around the state. Also, physicians and hospitals were asked to call if anything unusual occurred. This helped epidemiologists track heat illness and spot any health problems requiring public health followup.
"We learned a lot that

will help us improve our yearround reporting system," says PH's Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H. "Fortunately, we didn't see any significant disease outbreaks during the Games, and our aggressive prevention efforts, plus mild weather, helped keep heat illnesses down."
Our regular clients weren't forgotten with all the excitement; DHR offices stayed open in Atlanta, other Olympic sites and around the state keeping our programs and services up and running.
Additional DHR Olympic activities included providing ID tags for children; making plans for emergency shelters in case of a disaster; distributing news releases and PSAs with heat illness information; and supporting efforts to help victims of the bombing and their families. "The lesson for us," says DHR Commissioner Tomrn.y Olin.stead, "was that good teamwork and dedication bring results in public service as well as on the athletic field."
For more Olympic memories, see pages 2-3.

PAGE2
AG
HR, in collaboration with the City of Atlanta, staffed and equipped tents donated by the Red Cross at seven locations in Atlanta and three in Savannah. Over 250 staff members gave out 500,000 hats; 400,000 samples of sunscreen donated by Avon; 200,000 Red Cross fans with heat illness prevention tips in five languages; safety brochures; and help finding relief from the heat, as well as 600,000 cups of water. Carol Steiner from PH supervised the
the sun/heat tent unit which set up tenq;, secured all "freebies"
given out, trained the volunteers, and shifted tents, supplies and volunteers to locations where they were most needed.

RMANICE

'F;ee, ~a~~r was the hottest item in town. Tim Digham, DHR Center for iie~ith lnfa~ation, was one
ofmany DHR staffhanding out rops ofwater to visitors during the Olympics.

Thirsty Olympic visitors crowd a DHR tent featuring Brenda SU't'rr'on a banner giving'heat illness prevention tips.

"Water buffaloes" 'roamed the streets ofAtlanta. The;e,4-wheeled b~asts,
donated by the National Guard, contained 400 gallons each ofdrinking water distributed at the water tents by DHR staff.

Commissioner Tommy Olmstead and DFCS Director Michael Thurm~ml (left) present the chiUren 's ID tag for
Olympic visitors at a press conference. The tag program was developed by Sonja :Johnson ofDFCS (behind Olmstead). Also pictured is Col Sid Miles, Commissioner ofPublic Safety (far right).

bout 180,000 children's dentification tags were rinted by DFCS and distributed to visitors by the National Guard in Centennial Park; police agencies in Atlanta, DeKalb County and Athens/Clarke County; several commercial amusement parks; the University of Georgia, and at our water tents.
THE HUMAN SIDE

A child admires his new identification tag, 'white a DHR
hat protects his headfrom the sun.

A Radisson Inn employee delivers b~~s ofhe~lth and sa:{e;_/information to
the rooms ofOlympic visitors.
T~he tags were also included in bags of safety information placed on 30,000 hotel room doorknobs in Fulton County by the Fulton-Atlanta Summer Garnes Initiative, a project of the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office, the Fulton County Health Department, DHR and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the help of the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association. The bags contained brochures and fliers on preventing heat illness and sexually transmitted diseases, smoking cessation, and health services available to visitors in Fulton County.
FALL 1996

PAGE3

liVhen comic strip r~orter Brenda Starr, on assignment in AtlaTtta, complained about the heat, DHR's Office ofCommunications enlisted her in a campaign to warn about preventing heat related illness. OC artist Eddie Reddick designed Brenda's summer day outfit and campaign graphics.

Robin Donaldson, Environmental Health Specialist, tests water quality at a pool used far the swimming competition in Savannah.

HR public education efforts included radio public service announcements and daily health alerts faxed to local and national media. Posters, bus cards and a billboard in downtown Atlanta featured comic strip character Brenda Starr reminding the public to take precautions against heat illness. "PH wrote a health and safety brochure for Olympic visitors, produced by Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which were mailed with all tickets to the Games," reported Marjorie Young, coordinator of Heat Related Illness Prevention. PH and Fulton County also worked with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and the Georgia Truckers' Association to distribute a brochure on highway safety regulations to visitors at welcome centers, car rental agencies, and hotels.

David Arrington, ChiefofEMS Services far Muscogee County, respOnds to an emergency call during the Olympic games.

The DHR Olympic/Emergency Management Team stops to pose far a picture during a meeting to evaluate their effectiveness during the Olympic Games and to discuss the Department's activities during the Paralympic Games. Top (l-r): Steve Lowery, Michael Lent:z, W~e Schumann, :John Calhoun, Rick Berry, :Jim Patton, Rick Elliott. Middle (l-r): Keith Wages, Susan Waltz, Myra Lovelace, Richard Schreiber, Charles Benson,jftn Drinnon. Bottom (l-r): Annaka Woodruff, GliJria Murdock, Clint Dye, DHR Olympic Manager Donna Martin, :Judy Plant, Susan Efferson. Not pictured: Mike Wdliams, Sonya :Johnson, :Judy :Jaeger, Bill Fields, and Grady Evans.

E

mergency preparedness overseen by the State Olympic Law Enforcement Command (SOLEC), established by the

Governor's Office, included 18 DHR officials. Six

employees from DFCS' Mitigation and Recovery unit, which handles

relief applications during disasters, helped SOLEC answer emer-

gency calls.

After the bombing in Centennial Park, emergency mental health

counselors from city, county and private agencies rushed to Atlanta

area hospitals to comfort bomb victims and their families. They also

held group "debriefings" of law enforcement and emergency medical

personnel, helping them to share their experiences and reassuring

them that many symptoms of emotional distress are normal reactions

to such a situation. They then opened a Stress Support Center offer-

ing counseling to anyone affected by the bombing.

At SOLEC's request, PH staff contacted area hospitals to develop

a complete list of bomb victims. SOLEC also supervised the deploy-

ment of emergency mental health counselors, and identified shelters

and other services to be ready in case of a disaster resulting in mass

casualties. DFCS located the shelters, which were checked for handi-

capped accessibility by DHR's Division of Rehabilitation Services.

Ben Wright, Chatham County environmental health program manager, checks the safety ofbox lunches preparedfar Olympic staffand volunteers in Savannah.

Ray King, Muscogee County environmental health program manager, inspects one ofthe hundreds oftemporary toilets used during the Olympic.

:Jim Drinnon, Debbie Glover, and Rita Mitchell keep track ofdaily reports during the Olympics at the 24-hour Command Center set up by PH.

THE HUMAN SIDE

FALL 1996

PAGE4

TEAMDHR
CONTINUED FROM PAC:.E J

Larry Fricks, director ofMHMRSA 's Office ofConsumer Relations, shows offa welcoming sign at one offive centers where Atlantans who 'USe the public mental health system couldfind a quiet spot.
F ive Friendship Centers were organized by DHR and a coalition of 30 consumer groups, churches, _ _ service providers and civic organizations to provide a relaxing refuge for mental health clients whose daily routines were disrupted by the Olympics.
Over 150 volunteers from regional boards, community service boards, hospitals, churches and advocacy groups led games, provided refreshments, and helped some people in crisis to get medical attention or counseling. The centers operated in donated facilities at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, the DeKalb Drop-In Center, Church of Life, and New Restoration Christian Cathedral. The coalition plans to continue the program year round on a smaller scale at rotating locations.

THE PARALYMPIC GAMES

GET DH R SUPPORT

I

f you thought DHR was finished with the Olympic Games on August

4, 1996, the day of the closing cere-

monies, think again. Many DHR

workers continued to work to protect the

health and safety of the participants, spectators, tourists and citi-

zens of Georgia during the Paralympic Games.

Activities by DHR during the Paralympic Games included

monitoring food vendors and public toilet facilities. Public

Health maintained its surveillance system for disease and food-

borne illnesses.

The Division of Rehabilitation Services provided handi-

capped accessible vans for transporting athletes and spectators to

the Paralympic Games.

In conjunction with the Paralympic Games, Roosevelt

Wartn Springs Rehabilitation Institute dedicated a new sports

complex. Roosevelt's granddaughter, Anne Roosevelt, led the

celebration, joined by Prince Willem Alexander of the Nether-

lands. Dutch athletes unveiled a bronze statue of a disabled bas-

ketball player, a gift from the Netherlands to the Institute.

Dutch Paralympians also trained at the new complex.

The purpose of The Human Side is to provide interesting and important information related to DHR employees and their jobs.
Published by the Office of Communications Managing editor - Fi:an Buchanan Editorial and production staff - Joyce Goldberg, Director; Dianne Phillips; Eddie Reddick; Bill Gwynn; Barbara Joye; Peter Lee; Angel Rodriguez, Larkin Thompson and Francisca Vassy Olympic pictures contributed by George Armstrong Assistant Commissioner, Office of Policy and Governm.ent Services -Tom Wade Please send your letters and ideas to : The Human Side, 47 Trinity Ave. SW, Room 530-H, Atlanta, GA 30334 404/656-4937 FAX 404/651-6815 E rnailDHR Network e mail - FMB Internet: fbuchann @dhr.state.ga.us.
THE HUMAN SIDE

What's News

Southwestern State Hospital/Bainbridge was accredited with commendation following a survey by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Accreditation with commendation is the highest level of accreditation awarded by ]CAHO. In 1995 only 12 percent of accredited hospitals surveyed received commendations.

The National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics (NAWRS) will hold its annual conference in Atlanta on July 27-30, 1997 at the

Ritz-Carlton Downtown. DFCS and the Office of Financial Services will host the conference. Sandra L. Brown, research unit supervisor, Office of Financial Services, is this year's national President. Lyn Myers, unit chief, DFCS statistics unit is on the Board of Directors from Region IV. NAWRS is a nonprofit association for the promotion and exchange of ideas to improve research in public welfare. For more information, call Sandra L. Brown at 404-656-3768 or E-
mail to BROWN.S.

WRITE IT RIGHT

by Marian the Grammarian

T

hanks to Jim Scott of Mitchell

County DFCS for

sending us an e-mail he

received announcing that

"The mass review will be ran

in Thursday night's cycle."

That sentence sounds awk-

ward even with the correct

form, which is "run." Is there

a better way to say this? How

about "Thursday night's cycle

will include the mass review"?

When in doubt rewrite it!

He also points out that

some people incorrectly use

"I" as object of a preposition,

as in "It's up to you and I."

Some people think that "I"

should always follow "and,"

ii I'
because they've learned to write "He and I did it" instead of "Him and me did it," or some other nonstandard usage. However, "me," "him," "her" and "us" should be used for the object, or receiver of the action, or the noun that follows a preposition, as in "give it to Fred and me."
To test yourself in a similar example, which .is correct? " The project was given to Bob and I /me." Remove the words " Bob and" and read it again. This will show that the correct answer is " The project was given to Bob and me."

OOPS In our last issue, we print-
ed an incorrect phone number that was provided to the Human Side for ordering tickets for the Paralympic Games. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused those ofyou who tried to order tickets.
CUTTING DOWN
W :ON PAPER USE are still looking or ideas on "stopping the paper work" but our request generated several ideas on saving paper. Here is what some Public Health folks suggested
Jeff Berschling passed along an idea from Agnes Scott College. They collect a paper that has been printed on one side only, bind it together, cut the paper into LI equal parts and make small notepads.
The Office of Nutrition is revising the Nutrition Guidelines for Practice, a manual of 800 pages. Even though hard copies are available, the manual will-also be available on computer disks for the first time. This will not only save paper but also postage, storage space and printing costs.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS:

Compete for the Cup - Join the Winner's Circle!

I n keeping with the Olympic spirit of competition, the State

of the Division of Aging Services, is head of the DHR campaign. "Giving money is

Charitable Contributions P~.;gram has chosen a

not the only way you can participate," says Hagebak, who

theme that challenges us to join the winner's circle by rais-

support for many of the chari-

hopes all employees will get involved in the 1996 fundrais

ing more money than ever

ties which supplement the

ingdrivt:.

before. In the 14 years since

state's efforts," says Olmstead.

Bake sales, garage sales,

the campaigns began, state government employees have

Local United Ways, for example, purchase additional meals

car washes or watermelon cut tings are fundraising activities

increased their giving froin

on wheels for seniors. DFCS

that employees can organize

$60,000 the first year to $2 .2

family support programs are

with their offices' campaign

million pledged last year, the largest amount raised in the

complemented by Boys and Girls Clubs. Local counseling

coordinators or team leaders. "A donation of time or

program's history. The 1996 state goal is $3 million.

and alcohol treatment programs add to MHMRSA's

effort is just as important as a cash gift," states Hagebak.

DHR Commissioner Tommy C. Olmstead is heading up this year's drive

capacity to serve. And Public Health's disaster relief efforts are augmented by the Red

You can: Give in one lump sum. Give as little as $1 a

statewide, which lasts through

Cross.

month or as much as you like

October. All state agencies

Last year DHR employees throughout the year.

participate in the annual fundraiser.

gave a total of more than $305,000, an all-time high.

Designate your gift to the service or agency ofyour

"The Charitable Contri-

The DHR goal for this year is

choice.

butions program gives each of

$400,000.

Have your gift deduct-

us the opportunity to show our

Judy Hagebak, director

ed from your paycheck.