Georgia PH week [Feb. 27, 2012]

February 27, 2012- In This Issue
Home | Linking to Medical Community | Dr. Ford gets Award | Telehealth Reaches Rural Georgians | Enjoli Jones: Help Make Clayton Safer | DPH 'InStep' with Good Health | Christy Hubbard gets Award | Eating for the Eyes | PHBRIEFS | PHRECIPE | PHTRAINING |
PHEVENTS | PHNEWS | PHTECHTIP

Linking PH with the Medical Community: Commissioner Communicates Directly with State's Physician's and Physician Assistants
In her second such email to nearly 32,000 physicians and physician's assistants across the state of Georgia, Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., emphasized the importance of disease reporting for the health of our state.
"I'm familiar with the provisions outlined in OCGA 31-12-2, which require reporting of patients with certain conditions to the Department of Public Health," Fitzgerald wrote. "Like you, my compliance was rooted in the desire to protect against disease." Georgia law provides that both lab-confirmed and clinical diagnoses are reportable within specified time frames, depending on condition. Disease reporting enables appropriate public health follow-up for patients, helps identify outbreaks, and provides a better understanding of disease trends in Georgia.
Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., Commissioner DPH
Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford Receives a Legendary Humanitarian of the Year Award from The Dominique Wilkins Foundation
Amid a silent auction with glitz, glamour and a celebrity red carpet,S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., received a Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Dominique Wilkins Foundation last Thursday at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
As district health director of the DeKalb County Board of Health, Dr. Ford was honored along with Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell, TV personality Jocelyn Dorsey, community activist Lila Womak, music producer Dallas Austin, sports personality Deion Sanders and cable television executive Ted Turner.

Other presenters included Dr. David Satcher, director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute and, musician Joey Sommerville and more than 400 guests.
Telehealth Reaches Rural Georgians

S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., Director, DeKalb County Board of Health, received a Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Dominique Wilkins Foundation at the Fox Theatre. Pictured (L to R) with: Lila Womack, Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, Val Archer, Jocelyn Dorsey, Eldrin Bell and Deion Sanders.
Rear: Dominique Wilkins

Times have changed, and so has technology. With such advances in the technological realm, the Southeast Health District has become a leader in telemedicine. As it has grown, it has helped connect more people in rural communities to vital Public Health services.

Telemedicine began in the Southeast Health District (SEHD) in 1993, when the Ware County Health Department became a site in the Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical System (GSAMS) videoconferencing network. Services provided over GSAMS included HIV consultations, Children's Medical Services clinics (Genetics, Asthma/ Pulmonology, and consults for other pediatric specialties), and Babies Can't Wait multidisciplinary team evaluations.
In 2000, the Southeast Telehealth Network was formed, and funding was received from HRSA's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT). The grant allowed the district to develop its own videoconferencing network in multiple sites throughout the district.

Local dentist Jon Drawdy examines a patient's teeth using Southeast Health District teledental equipment
located in a local school.

Enjoli Jones: Helping Make Clayton County Safer
Since arriving at the Clayton County Board of Health (CCBOH) in 2010, few people have made as big of an individual impact as Enjoli Jones.
As one of 25 people in the country selected in 2009 to participate in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Prevention Service Fellowship, Jones was assigned to Clayton County in order to serve as CCBOH's Injury Prevention Coordinator. Since then, she has spearheaded the Safe Kids Clayton County program, a coalition dedicated to preventing unintentional injury among Clayton County's children, particularly those ages 14 and under.
"Our goal is to make our county safe for kids through education, advocacy, and partnerships," Jones said. "We want to prevent injury at home, at play, and on the way."

According to Jones, the top three unintentional injuries for children under the age of 14 in Clayton County are motor vehicle crashes, falls, and poisonings. The emergency room visits resulting from those injuries place additional strain on local hospitals, she said.

DPH "InSTEP" with Good Health

Each morning during the last week, Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) employees at 2 Peachtree who signed up to participate in the new worksite wellness pilot program rolled up their sleeves for a blood draw. The blood draws were to test the person's level of insulin. Elevated insulin levels can be an indicator for increased blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and other chronic diseases. When Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., proposed the idea of the new worksite wellness program, she wanted people to be aware of their body's insulin level. "By knowing their numbers, and what those numbers mean, I believe that people can take control of their health and make important steps toward better health outcomes," she said.

Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald is all smiles as she has her blood drawn for the 2 Peachtree worksite wellness
insulin program.

Called InSTEP (Insulin Support, Tips and Exercise Program), the program aims to improve the health of Public Health employees at 2 Peachtree through nutritional change and exercise. Dr. Fitzgerald has dubbed the elements of the program the "ABCs of Health" and they are:

SAFE KIDS USA Awards 'Outstanding Local Coordinator' to Christy Hubbard of Columbus
Hubbard Recognized Nationally as a Safe Kids Champion
Out of more than 600 state and local Safe Kids Coalition Coordinators throughout the United States, Christy Hubbard, Coordinator of Safe Kids Columbus, Georiga, was recently recognized as Outstanding Local Coordinator, one of the coveted Safe Kids Champion Awards. Christy Hubbard received the award from Kate Carr, President and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide.
"Our staff in Washington relies on the dedicated, passionate and inspiring people at the local level who take our injury prevention messages out into their own communities,"

Christy Hubbard (L) awarded 'Outstanding Local Coordinator' Safe Kids Columbus

said Carr. "As a grassroots organization, we would not be able to deliver vital safety
knowledge to parents and caregivers everywhere without our network of coalitions. Hubbard and Safe Kids Columbus are key ingredients to our success."

Eating for the Eyes Should Always be a Part of the Menu
Maintaining A Healthy Diet Can Help Protect Vision from Age-related Macular Degeneration
We've all heard the expression "eating with your eyes," but many people may not be aware of the benefits of eating for your eyes. In addition to promoting overall health, a diet rich with sight-saving beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and certain vitamins can also help guard against vision loss from eye disease, such as agerelated macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD diminishes central vision and currently affects the vision of more than 2 million Americans, ages 50 and older and is a leading cause of blindness. AMD is a progressive disease that if left untreated, can result in severe vision loss and even blindness. The exact cause of AMD is unknown, but risk factors for the disease include age, race, smoking, family history as well as those with cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

PHRECIPE
Southwestern Three-Bean & Barley Soup
Servings: 6
Click Here for Full Recipe

Home | Linking to Medical Community | Dr. Ford gets Award | Telehealth Reaches Rural Georgians | Enjoli Jones: Help Make

Clayton Safer | DPH 'InStep' with Good Health | Christy Hubbard gets Award | Eating for the Eyes | PHBRIEFS | PHRECIPE | PHTRAINING | PHEVENTS | PHNEWS | PHTECHTIP