Georgia PH week [Nov. 18, 2013]

PHWEEK 11-18-2013: Savannah Hospitals Fight Antibiotic Resistance

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Savannah Hospitals Team Up to Fight Antibiotic Resistance

When Geneen Gibson,

PharmD, started her job

at Savannah's St.

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own!

Joseph's/Candler Health System in January 2008, doctors and pharmacists were already nervous.

Some of the infections

that brought many

In This Issue

patients to the hospital were no longer

Savannah Hospitals Team Up to Fight Antibiotic Resistance
For Great American Smokeout,

responding to standard drugs that doctors used to fight them.

Bacteria like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cause dangerous, difficult-to-treat infections, a consequence of antibiotic resistance.

Make a Plan to Quit

"We were really

Norcross Students Develop Winning concerned," said Gibson, infectious disease pharmacy specialist at the

Mobile Health App O'Neal, Dawson Honored

hospital. "Our doctors were seeing all these patients with infections that were becoming increasingly difficult to treat."

Going Hunting? Think Twice before If antibiotics continued to lose their potency, the hospital staff knew

Climbing That Deer Stand

it wouldn't be too long before strains of drug-resistant bacteria spread

PHEVENTS

across the city of Savannah, including to St. Joseph's main competitor, Memorial University Medical Center (MUMC).

Looking for DPH events?



Visit the Events Schedule on our

website.

For Great American Smokeout, Make a

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 Dec. 10, staff from the Office of Injury Prevention will present. To learn more and to register, click
here.
Introduction to Public Health Test your public health knowledge in this newly designed course. New and seasoned employees are invited to
learn about all areas of public health and how individual roles support DPH's goals. The final course for 2013 will be offered Nov. 26. To
learn more and to register, visit SABA or email Donna Dunn at
dgdunn@dhr.state.ga.us.

Plan to Quit
"Practically everyone that I knew smoked some kind of tobacco product," said Lewis McTush. "Almost every man in my family smoked cigars or cigarettes and it was nothing out of the ordinary."
McTush, 63, an entertainment agent from Stone Mountain, Ga., grew up surrounded by secondhand smoke. He was an athlete, and he said he spent his early years trying to encourage his family members to quit. Although he knew the harmful consequences of tobacco, he started smoking cigarettes when he joined the U.S. Air Force.
"It was the cool thing to do," he said.

Lewis McTush, ex-smoker and health advocate, works to eliminate smoking and
secondhand smoke in workplaces for entertainers, servers and bartenders.

Access Intermediate Queries Tues., Nov. 19
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

But before long, his own use of tobacco and the secondhand smoke surrounding him caused major health consequences. He decided it was time to quit.

Access Advanced Queries Tues., Nov.19 2:00-4:30 p.m.


Norcross Students Develop Winning

Access Tables and Database Design
Thurs., Nov. 21 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
"Instructor-Led" and remote attendees register for "Virtual" classes). Contact Lisa Miller if you
have questions.

Mobile Health App

Team Flabbergastics from Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Ga., was selected as the winner of the Health IT Student Innovation Award for their ideas on how to connect Georgians to healthy lifestyles and help the state address obesity.

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

This year's Health IT

Student Innovation Award contest challenged high school students to develop a

Team Flabbergastics with Michael Buck, Ph.D., chief academic officer, Georgia Department of Education
(left), Pintu Thaker, Advisor (center), and DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D.

healthy lifestyle mobile

application that connects Georgians with opportunities, information

and resources to prevent childhood obesity. The contest gave students

the opportunity to develop the official mobile applications for Georgia

SHAPE, Gov. Nathan Deal's statewide comprehensive childhood fitness

and nutrition program.

Team Flabbergastics accepted the award at the Health IT Leadership

Summit on Nov. 12 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

PHNEWS

FDA issues guidelines on using donated or purchased breast milk
Doctors told to get tougher with patients about weight
Polio cases in Pakistan top 2012 total

O'Neal, Dawson Honored for Injury Prevention Work
As the Emory Center for Injury Control (ECIC) celebrates its 20th anniversary, the organization honored 20 champions of injury and violence prevention in Georgia. Two of those individuals call the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) home: Patrick O'Neal, M.D., and Lisa Dawson.

How Mobile Apps Could Transform Rural Health Care
PHRECIPE

At ECIC's anniversary celebration on Nov. 14, O'Neal and Dawson were honored for their work in preventing injury and violence across Georgia. ECIC Director Deb Houry, M.D., said the center wanted to honor their individual accomplishments as well as their dedication to ECIC's work.

"Both of them have been huge supporters and collaborators for our center for many years," she said.

Celery with Apricot Blue Cheese Spread
Serves 4 Prep Time: 15 min.
Click Here for Full Recipe
PHWEEK
Director of Communications Ryan Deal Editor Carrie Gann
Content Coordinator Connie F. Smith
Sr. Graphic Designer Ginny Jacobs
Interim Web Developer Jimmy Clanton, Jr.
Editorial & Design Team Tammy Beasley Eric Jens Nancy Nydam Sandra Roberts


Going Hunting? Think Twice before Climbing That Deer Stand
Deer hunting season is in full swing across Georgia, which means hunters will be climbing into tree stands and potentially putting themselves at risk of serious injury.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the state has an average of 43 hunting incidents each year, and the majority of injuries involve tree stands.
But don't take our word for it. Ray King, deer hunter and director of environmental health for the North Georgia Health District, has a warning for Georgia deer hunters about their tree stands, along with expert advice on how to stay safe.


Georgia Public Health Observances | November 2013

Great American Smokeout November 21, 2013

National Family Caregivers Month
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National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

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