Melissa Atkins, epidemiologist for Northwest Health District 1-1, with colleagues during the Sellers-McCroan Award Luncheon.

The 84th annual meeting and conference of the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA) brought together more than 350 national, state, district and county public health employees, federal partners, exhibitors and sponsors to the Grand Hyatt Atlanta April 22 and 23. This year's theme was Journey Across Georgia: Leading the way to Healthier Georgians.

Each year, GPHA members gather at the conference meeting to network, educate, collaborate and recognize peers who have excelled in public health, public policy and/or public awareness. 

Camara Jones, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology and Laboratory Services at CDC, knew she had to attend because the conference was so close to headquarters in Atlanta.

"It is not only important for CDC to be active both nationally and globally," said Jones. "We are in Georgia and in Atlanta. I think that building relationships with people and learning information and perspectives from local levels, and networking, really make all of us who are trying to do work in public health more effective."

Jones also wanted to get to know more about GPHA and its membership as a nominee for the office of president-elect for the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Nancy McConnell, wife of Mike McConnell, and their daughter, Morgan, 17. Morgan was born with the generic disorder LCHAD.

An ordinary December morning in 1996 turned into a nightmare for Mike McConnell and his wife, Nancy. McConnell sat at his desk in his Atlanta law office when he got a frantic phone call from Nancy. She feared their 9-month-old daughter, Morgan, was dead.

"When my wife tried to wake her in the morning, her eyes were rolled back in her head," he said.

The couple rushed Morgan to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite where she spent two weeks in intensive care as baffled doctors tried to diagnose her condition. Finally, they got an answer: Morgan had a genetic disorder known as LCHAD -- long-chain L-3 hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency -- that prevented her body from breaking down fats. Children with LCHAD can grow and develop normally, but only if parents know they need to eat a special diet.

"The difference between life and death is so simple if you know your child has LCHAD," McConnell said. "But without a test, you would never know your child had this disorder. They seem perfectly normal."

Newborn screening, a series of genetic tests on a blood sample taken at birth, can make a world of difference for children like Morgan. It allows health officials to identify babies with inherited conditions and work with parents to give them special care before certain foods, viruses or other health problems cause death or irreversible damage to their bodies and brains.

The week of May 6 is designated by Congress as Public Service Recognition Week and this year's theme is Why I Serve. The Georgia Department of Public Health is proud to honor its employees with a week of fun events.

On May 6, DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., will kick-off Public Service Recognition Week with an employee address at 3 p.m. DPH employees can view the address in the VICS conference rooms, EOC 3-240, Skyland Drive, Clairmont Lab and rooms 10-104 and 16-105 at 2 Peachtree. The address will be followed by a frozen yogurt social on all public health floors from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

At 4 p.m., public health employees are invited to participate in a Harlem Shake video recording. To participate, please contact L'laina Rash, ltrash@dhr.state.ga.us, by May 3. The location will be announced.

May 7 is Retro Dress Day and employees are welcome to dress in their best attire from the 60s, 70s and 80s. A contest will be held in EOC 3-240 at 3 p.m. To participate, please contact L'laina Rash, ltrash@dhr.state.ga.us, by May 6. 

Sometimes volunteers in emergency response have time to prepare before an event occurs. Other times their services are needed in an instant. The latter was the case most recently in the Boston Marathon bombing and the West Texas plant explosion.

The immense suffering that followed could have been even worse were it not for the people who quickly came to the aid of the victims.

In Georgia, DPH's volunteer organizations were recently united in a streamlined registration process, now known as Georgia Responds.

"In the wake of the events that occurred in Boston, people felt compelled to help from across the nation," said LaKieva Williams, DPH volunteer program director. "The Medical Reserve Corps units in the area have been actively providing both medical and non-medical services throughout the event. One MRC member participating in the race went directly from the marathon to the shelter."

Capt. Rob Tosatto, national director of the Division of Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps, said this is the type of community engagement volunteers are dedicated to.

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