For the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), 2012 was an important year, the first one DPH operated as a stand-alone department. But if 2012 was a year of transition, 2013 will be a year of transformation and innovation, said Jamie Howgate, DPH chief of staff.

 

Howgate said the successes and challenges faced during 2012 shaped the department's outlook for 2013.

 

"We have our programs and our processes in place. Now we're going to focus on becoming the public health department that Georgia needs us to be," he said.

 

A major part of that effort is focused on improving health outcomes in DPH's four priority areas: childhood obesity, immunization, infant mortality and tobacco cessation. DPH will continue to fight those problems through programs like those that target the state's infant mortality rate, which fell from 8.1 per 1,000 live births in 2006 to 6.3 per 1,000 live births in 2012. The department also will continue its commitment to Georgia SHAPE, Gov. Nathan Deal's initiative to combat obesity by improving the fitness and health of the state's children.

 

Howgate praised the leadership of DPH Commissioner Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald and said he is dedicated to putting her vision for the department into action.

 

"Dr. Fitzgerald has expended an enormous amount of effort at a DPH leadership level on determining who we are and how we are going to make decisions as a department. Now is the time to start communicating that to the whole organization," he said.

 

DPH will also work on innovative solutions to familiar problems, such as improving health care access across the state by transforming the statewide telehealth program into one of the most comprehensive in the nation. In 2013, Fitzgerald plans to complete the expansion of the network to all of Georgia's 18 health districts and 159 county health departments. Maintaining an active dialogue and partnership with the districts and counties will also remain a high priority as DPH focuses on improving the health of all Georgians.

 

Of course, 2013 will be a year to confront challenges as well. Like most state government offices, DPH is facing cuts to its budget. Howgate said dealing with those financial challenges will mean continuing to do more with less and learning to change how the department operates.

 

"It's about efficiency. It's about safeguarding the taxpayers' dollars as we safeguard their health," he said. "But we're going to have to innovate and do business a little differently in order to do that."

 

Howgate said 2013 will also be an opportunity for DPH to give Georgians a better idea of how the department works to improve their health and their lives.

 

"This is an eternal issue for public health because we do so much. It's very difficult to explain to someone what we do because we cover everything from restaurant safety to disease outbreaks to WIC," Howgate said. "We're going to be working hard to refine that message so people know what public health is and what we do."

 

-Story by Carrie Gann, DPH Communications