New Board of Health Adopts By-Laws, Elects Vice Chair

Kathryn K. Cheek, MD, was elected vice chair of the Georgia's Board of Public Health on November 8.

On Tuesday, November 8, Georgia's Board of Public Health convened to adopt by-laws, elect a vice chair, and discuss public health initiatives. In a previous meeting, the Board elected Gary Nelson, PhD as the chair. The Board unanimously elected Kathryn K. Cheek, MD, FAAP as the new vice chair.
 

 

New DPH Award Recognizes Physicians Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs

 

On November 4, R. Dwain Blackston, MD, (center) became the first recipient of the Exceptional Service to Children with Special Health Care Needs award. (L-R) Seema Csukas, MD, PhD; R. Dwain Blackston, MD; and Brian C. Castrucci, MPH

In Georgia, one in five children has some sort of special health care need.  Families raising children with serious conditions such as autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, complex genetic disorders and epilepsy have increased contact with the health care system and rely on primary care physicians to provide not only high quality medical care, but also increased care coordination, a focus on increased family involvement, and services that often extend beyond the scope of the traditional patient-provider relationship.  A supply of competent, caring, and knowledgeable providers willing to provide care to Georgia's most vulnerable children is essential to maximizing health outcomes and quality of life.  

 

 

Mayor's, Other Leaders' Flu Shots Televised In Columbus, GA     
 

 

Clayton County Board of Health Launches Perinatal and Infant Health Coalition
 

 
 

• Premature birth is the leading cause of death among newborns 
• A premature baby is ten times more expensive than a baby born full term 
• It costs approximately $200,000 for an extended NICU stay for a premature baby
• The average cost of medical care for a premature or low birth-weight baby during its first year of life is about $49,000 according to a new report from the March of Dimes Foundation. By contrast, a newborn without complications costs $4,551 for care in its first year of life
• Newborns with other kinds of complications, such as congenital defects, have medical expenses of $10,273 on average in the first year of life.
  
   

Fulton County Summit Raises Awareness about the Dangers of Secondhand Smoke  

 
 

Battle of the Bulge May Mean Hormone Deficiency

 

Loss of the hormone orexin impairs brown fat function and promotes obesity in mice, according to researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. Here, the leaner mouse with functional brown fat (left) dissipates considerable amounts of energy as heat. The orexin-deficient mouse (right) lacks the fat fuel fighter, storing energy as fat instead of burning it.

Overeating may not be the only cause of obesity.  Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in Orlando, Fla., are reporting a link between the metabolism-stimulating hormone orexin and the calorie-burning ability of brown fat in mice - a finding that they believe could hold true for humans.

"We all know people who can eat whatever they want without bulking up," said Devanjan Sikder, lead author and assistant professor of metabolic signaling and disease at Sanford-Burnham. "And then we know people who just look at cheese and get fat.  The question is why?"


 

2 Peachtree Street Employees Recycle 500 Cartridges

Onyinye Edeh prepares dozens of empty cartridges for recycling.

Recycling is vital to economic prosperity and quality of life. Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) staff, while at work and at home, can help sustain the environment simply through recycling and using recycled products. Join the crowd and be a DPH Greenie.