Get tested for HIV on June 27

The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) Division of Public Health (DPH) urges citizens across Georgia to get tested for HIV on June 27 - National HIV Testing Day (NHTD). NHTD is an annual event that promotes the importance of knowing your HIV status by getting tested. In 2007, Georgia ranked eighth in the U.S. for the reported rate of AIDS cases per 100,000 people. To help reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS, the Division of Public Health encourages Georgians to do their part by getting tested and knowing their status.

“We want people to know that HIV testing, education and counseling assists with preventing the transmission of this disease,” said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health. “We also want to capitalize on the significance of National HIV Testing Day and encourage those individuals who have had unprotected sex or shared needles to visit their local health department or private practitioner and get tested for HIV.”

The Division of Public Health’s HIV Unit coordinates a variety of free and voluntary HIV counseling and testing services across Georgia through collaborations with local health departments and community-based organizations. The program facilitated more than 130,000 HIV tests in 2007 and confirmed 1,691 HIV positive cases.

NHTD is an annual campaign produced by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US) that encourages at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing.

Despite recent advances in treatment and prevention, HIV and AIDS remain leading causes of illness and death in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that an estimated one million Americans are living with HIV and a quarter of these individuals are unaware of their infection. HIV testing gives people an opportunity to know their status and take appropriate measures to protect their health and the health of others.

In observance of the day, the HIV Unit will also participate in NHTD events, alongside local health counterparts and community HIV/AIDS service providers, by providing health fairs and hosting testing-related events.

During National HIV Testing Day, organizers will also reach out to communities at increased risk of HIV infection, including African-American and Latino populations, both of which are disproportionately affected with HIV when compared to other demographic groups in the U.S.

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Georgia Division of Public Health confirms novel H1N1 cases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday awarded validation to the Georgia Public Health Lab (GPHL) to perform novel H1N1 virus confirmatory testing.

This means that the Georgia Public Health Lab has been able to quickly test and confirm all the probable samples in their facility.

"In total Georgia has 25 confirmed cases of novel H1N1 virus. The surge in cases is mainly due to the probables cases now being considered confirmed," said Dr. Sandra Ford, acting director of the Georgia Division of Public Health (GDPH).

Five of the cases were tested out-of-state.

"The Georgia Division of Public Health is actively engaged in the analysis and research on this new virus," said Dr. Ford. "State and federal public health agencies have enough information about this virus to assess its effects on individuals. Now we have started to focus our efforts in testing those who present the most severe cases, such as the hospitalized."

As part of state influenza surveillance system the lab will also test samples submitted by its Influenza Sentinel Providers Surveillance Network, as well as samples sent by private providers to the Public Health Districts.

Respiratory illnesses circulate in Georgia all year round. Current influenza surveillance shows that both seasonal flu virus and the novel H1N1 virus are present in Georgia. Frequent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when ill are the most effective ways to avoid getting sick.

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Georgia Deptartment of Human Resources Launches Online Health/Wellness Resource in Eight Counties‏

The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) Division of Public Health (DPH), in association with Longitude Health, announced today an innovative program, MyHealthVillage, to help identify and reduce the major risk factors for chronic conditions. The program will focus on improving cardiovascular health including issues associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

MyHealthVillage is being introduced throughout the state of Georgia. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the program is a holistic approach — addressing the whole person and the whole population — and improves health and wellness by recognizing how cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity are interrelated and share a common set of modifiable risk factors.

“Georgia faces a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. When these conditions are combined they reduce our citizens’ quality of life, hurt the productivity of our workers and raise healthcare expenses for our employers,” said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health. “This program provides a proven prevention, wellness and disease management service that will help individuals assess and manage their health risk factors including how they eat, exercise and manage tobacco, alcohol and stress. As a result, we hope to see improved health and productivity among participants.”

The innovative healthcare program includes:

· Longitude Health’s MyHealthVillage.com Health Assessment - A comprehensive health risk assessment questionnaire delivered online or on paper.

· Onsite biomedical screening for additional health risk factors.

· One-to-one health guidance on understanding the Health Assessment and reducing risk factors with Longitude Health Healthguides, who are trained, allied health professionals.

· Access to online health tools and workplace-delivered resources including proprietary Longitude Health content and the American Heart Association’s Search Your Heart Curriculum.

· MyHealthVillage.com incentives and communications resources to encourage and reward maximum participation in the program as well as coordinate with DHR Division of Public Health’s promotion activities.

Once an employer enrolls in the program, employees and their spouses can participate with no out of pocket cost to either the employer or the participants. The MyHealthVillage program is free to selected worksites through an application process with the DHR Division of Public Health’s Office of Health Behaviors (http://health.state.ga.us/programs/healthpromo/index.asp).

“Our mission is to prevent unnecessary death, disease and disability by providing carefully planned and appropriately implemented health promotion, disease prevention and care activities,” said B.J. Walker, Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources. “We are excited to be able to provide our citizens with a comprehensive health solution that easily adapts to Georgia’s varying communities.”

“Over the years, Georgia has been working actively to support worksite wellness and promote healthy behaviors. We are thrilled to be included in this effort and we look forward to introducing Longitude Health’s resources,” concluded Dr. Jan Swaney, Founder and CMO of Longitude Health.

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February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Public Health is urging Georgia’s African-American population to get tested for HIV and know their status on February 7: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). While they make up only 30 percent of the state’s population, African-Americans accounted for 78 percent of the HIV cases diagnosed and 71 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS in 2007.

“While National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is specific to the African-American community, we encourage each individual who does not know their status to go out and get tested,” said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health (DPH). “The HIV/AIDS epidemic still remains a crisis for the African-American community, especially in Georgia. However, we can help reduce this burden by promoting the importance of early detection and ensuring that those who are infected get the necessary treatment.”

The African-American population accounts for more than 49 percent of the nation’s AIDS cases but make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African-American women aged 25 to 34, and the second leading cause of death for African-American men aged 35 to 44. Early testing and diagnosis, as well as disease management, are critical to help reduce the burden HIV/AIDS has on the African-American community.

Individuals should also take precautions to help reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS. To decrease the chances of becoming infected with the disease, the Division of Public Health recommends the following:

Abstain from sex unless in a relationship with only one person whose HIV status is known to you.
If you have, or plan to have, more than one sex partner, use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
Do not inject illicit drugs. If you do, use only clean needles and syringes and never share them or use others.
In 2007, DPH received more than $1.9 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase testing and early diagnosis of HIV among African-Americans. With the CDC’s awards, the agency was able to increase HIV testing and counseling primarily in clinical settings such as emergency rooms and federally qualified health centers. From 2003 to 2008, HIV counseling and testing numbers among Georgians have increased an average of 15 percent per year.

Last year, DPH launched a social marketing campaign called “HERstory” specifically targeting HIV prevention, HIV counseling and testing, and treatment services for African-American women in Georgia. In addition, DPH supports a number of evidence-based, behavioral interventions throughout the state that target other high risk populations, including African-American MSM (men who have sex with men).

For more information about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Georgia, please call (800) 257-9769 or visit online http://health.state.ga.us/epi/hivaids.

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Emory Receives $14 Million Gates Foundation Grant to Reduce Tobacco Use in China

Emory University has received a $14 million, five-year grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help reduce the burden of tobacco use in China. The Emory Global Health Institute, in collaboration with the Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) of Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health, will establish the Emory Global Health Institute – China Tobacco Partnership.

The Emory Global Health Institute will manage the partnership, which will collaborate with public health leaders in China to promote evidence-based approaches to reducing tobacco use that are tailored to the culture and circumstances of individual cities and provinces in China. The Emory Global Health Institute will also provide funding and support to establish national tobacco control resource centers in China.

"This grant will allow Emory to combine its significant public health expertise with that of health and government leaders in China to address a major international public health challenge," says Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, Emory executive vice president for health affairs.

"Tobacco is the largest cause of preventable deaths globally and China has the most smokers in the world. There is a huge opportunity in this project to have a major impact on global health," says Jeffrey Koplan, MD, MPH, Emory vice president for global health and director of the Emory Global Health Institute.

Koplan will serve as principal investigator of the grant and will lead the partnership along with Pamela Redmon, MPH, executive director of TTAC, a nationally recognized tobacco control leader and technical assistance provider in the United States.

Co-principal investigators for the partnership will be Kathy Miner, PhD, MPH, associate dean of applied public health at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health and principal investigator of TTAC and Michael Eriksen, ScD, a noted expert in national and global tobacco control efforts and director of the Institute of Public Health at Georgia State University.

Nearly two-thirds of the world's smokers live in 10 countries, with China having the highest tobacco use prevalence by far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2008). Also according to WHO (2003), there are more smokers in China than there are people living in the United States. In China, two-thirds of men are smokers, and it is estimated that 100 million tobacco-related deaths will occur among people currently age 0-29 if tobacco prevention and control efforts are not implemented (Leming, et. al, Health VII Project, 2004).

Not only does China have the largest population of smokers, it also is the chief producer of tobacco products in the world. The national tobacco monopoly is the leading manufacturer and seller of cigarettes, earning billions in tobacco profits and excise tax revenues (WHO, 2003).

According to research reported recently in the New England Journal of Medicine (Gu, et. al, Jan. 8, 2009), tobacco smoking was responsible for about 673,000 premature deaths in Chinese adults age 40 or older in 2005.

The Emory Global Health Institute – China Tobacco Partnership will support the development of effective, accountable and sustainable tobacco prevention and control initiatives that address China’s unique needs and challenges. The program will be able to quickly and efficiently identify and mobilize global resources to assist China in reducing tobacco use.

The Emory Global Health Institute was established to advance Emory University’s efforts to improve health around the world through the creation of innovative global health programs. The TTAC, a trusted partner and collaborator with national tobacco control organizations, has developed and delivered training and assistance to all 50 states and the U.S. territories.

The Emory Global Health Institute – China Tobacco Partnership will coordinate and collaborate with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CCD) Office on Smoking and Health. The program's advisory board will include representatives from Emory, Georgia State, ACS and CDC.

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New GBPI Report Finds Investment in Disease Prevention Could Save $426 Million for Healthcare Payers in Georgia in Five Years

The Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) released a report today examining potential return on investment for public health interventions in Georgia. The report, Prevention for a Healthier Georgia: Investments in Disease Prevention Yield Significant Savings, Stronger Communities, finds that strategic investments in disease prevention could result in significant savings to Georgia's health system and its payers, including employers and the state budget.

Based on a model developed at the national level by the Urban Institute, TFAH and GBPI estimate that an annual investment of $10 per Georgian in community-based programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent smoking could generate savings of more than $426 million annually within 5 years. This would amount to a return of $4.77 for every $1 invested. Of the $426 million, Georgia's Medicaid program could see $16 million in annual savings, while private payers such as employers and employees could see savings of nearly $270 million.

"The distribution of the savings suggests that both the public and private sectors should be investing in community-based public health programs in Georgia," said Tim Sweeney, Healthcare Analyst with GBPI. "But monetary savings are only part of the story - healthier individuals and communities mean a healthier workforce and a healthier economy," Sweeney added.

"Health care costs are crippling our economy. Keeping Georgians healthier is one of the most important, but overlooked ways we could reduce these costs," said Jeff Levi, PhD, Executive Director of TFAH. "This study shows that with a strategic investment in effective, evidence-based disease prevention programs, we could see tremendous returns in less than five years -- sparing millions of people from serious diseases and saving billions of dollars."

TFAH and GBPI also released polling data showing Georgian's broad support for prevention investments to address health issues. The polling, performed by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of TFAH and the Healthcare Georgia Foundation, found prevention to be a top reason to increase government funding for health issues. In particular, 68 percent of Georgians polled said that "diseases related to obesity" are very important for government to focus on.

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Georgia Disaster Mental Health Site is Online

The Georgia Disaster Mental Health website, designed and produced by University of West Georgia faculty, staff and graduate students, is operational and available for public use.

Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia Division of Public Health and Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases, the far reaching site for residents is one of the most comprehensive sites of its kind in the nation and addresses many of the stresses any kind of catastrophe can bring to an individual, a family or a community.

Dr. Larry Schor, associate professor of psychology, and Vicki Rogers, a service desk manager in Information Technology Services at UWG, worked with colleagues and students for six months to create the site.

“Common setbacks result from the chaos and confusion that occurs when people are affected by disaster,” said Schor. “My experience as a disaster mental health counselor is that people really want the life they had before the disaster. The challenge is to find ways to begin to move forward.”

The response from state agencies and the public has been positive and frequent with agencies in other states requesting information on how the site was developed. Rogers said it was quite an undertaking.

“As a technical consultant and webmaster, this was the largest project I’ve ever worked on,” said Rogers. “We have already begun to update the site and I plan on working on the project over the holiday break. It’s a huge undertaking with a lot of information. Larry’s passion and expertise on the subject of disaster mental health makes this a very good site.”

Schor has assisted in mental health counseling after many disasters including the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

“I am optimistic that people will benefit from the website,” said Schor. “Although I think the challenge will be getting the word out and convincing people on the importance of being prepared. Just as we tend to think about changing our windshield wiper blades when it is raining, people tend to deal with disaster needs only when they are affected directly.”

Schor said that people could go to the site and read about preparedness before a disaster and use the internal search to find topics such as “preparedness kits.” The website is also available in Spanish and offers resources and information on how to cope and prepare for a disaster to the elderly, members of the military, persons with disabilities and public school systems.

The site also links to a wide range of organizations including the American Red Cross, Center for Disease Control and Georgia911.org, Georgia’s disaster and emergency website. For more information, go to http://www.westga.edu/~gadmh/.

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Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions Receives $600,000 Peterson Foundation Grant

Emory University’s Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions (IAPS) has received a $600,000, one-year grant from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation to establish a Center for Entitlement Reform, the Institute announced today.

The new Center for Entitlement Reform is one of only a few university-based research centers in the U.S. focusing on federal health care entitlement reform.

The Center will conduct research and analysis in order to outline the factors responsible for the rise in federal entitlement spending, specifically focused on public health insurance programs; link new approaches in financing, payment, and care delivery for achieving better value (lower costs with the same or better outcomes) based on factors driving higher spending; and present the options to key policymakers in the U.S. Congress and White House, along with state-level governments, business leaders, the public and the media.

Public health policy researcher Kenneth E. Thorpe, PhD, will direct the new Center. Thorpe is also chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, and IAPS executive director. Additional staffing for the Center will include faculty from Emory’s Institute for Health and Productivity Management, as well as a select group of IAPS fellows chosen from some of the nation’s foremost and emerging thought leaders in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

“Entitlement programs must be reformed to reflect current economic realities and longer life spans while also making them solvent, sustainable, secure and more savings oriented,” says Thorpe. “Spending cannot continue unabated without imperiling future generations. For far too long, needed health reform has foundered on ideology.

“The moment has come to set aside partisanship and, guided by sound research that explains both the nature and the urgency of the challenge, achieve real results,” says Thorpe. “The Center for Entitlement Reform will help translate research into action to avert the looming crisis.”

The rise in projected federal spending on health care results mostly from increasing costs per beneficiary but also because the aging of the baby boom generation will significantly raise the number of Medicare beneficiaries. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if health care spending grows as projected under current law, future budget deficits will rise to levels that will seriously jeopardize the nation’s long-term economic growth.

“Washington policymakers are continuing to put off tough choices by charging the nation's credit card and expecting our kids and grandkids to pick up the tab,” says Peterson Foundation President and CEO David M. Walker. “Social Security and Medicare must be reformed if we expect to maintain reasonable tax levels, invest in our collective future and deliver on the promises that the government makes. We are thrilled to be investing in Ken and Emory’s thoughtful leadership in this fight.”

The Center is expecting to complete its groundwork research and analysis and develop preliminary policy options—focused on reducing the rising prevalence of diagnosed and treated disease, more effective approaches for managing chronically ill patients and approaches for reducing the wide variation in per capita spending—by the end of calendar year 2008.

“America’s health care crisis was not created overnight, and won’t be solved immediately,” adds Thorpe. “The Center for Entitlement Reform will have a research agenda encompassing for long-horizon views. However, we also recognize the short-term opportunity to impact health care policy of the incoming administration and 111th Congress early in 2009. Our near-term agenda is to complete an analysis of the key drivers of rising Medicare and Medicaid spending.”

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UGA Symposium Covers Outbreaks and How to Prepare November 21

Deadly disease outbreaks that could threaten public safety and how the university and the government are preparing to handle them will be the topics of a campus symposium, “Diseases—What’s next… How are we preparing?” on Friday, Nov. 21, 8:30 a.m.– noon in rooms K-L of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel. The symposium brings together UGA professors and a public health professional to discuss biological outbreaks, zoonotic diseases and threat responses. It is free and open to the public.

This forum is a way to educate the public about what threats are out there and inform people about the best practices they can use to protect themselves and their families,” said John Newton, event organizer and an emergency operations coordinator in the UGA Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The forum features three prominent experts in the fields of life sciences and public health: Corrie Brown, pathology professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine; Chris Whalen, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the College of Public Health; and Dr. Stan Edwards, from the Georgia Division of Public Health and recently retired emergency coordinator with Gwinnett County.

“Seventy-five percent of all emerging diseases come from animals—think SARS, bird flu, West Nile virus. Hey, it’s time to think one medicine,” said Brown. “There is always the possibility of a terrorist introducing a new disease, but I think Mother Nature is probably the most dependable terrorist—she is always coming up with new diseases,” added Brown. “It’s not a question of if, but when.”

“I will be presenting some basic information about how epidemics develop and spread. From our understanding of the spread of an infectious disease we can devise interventions to limit, or better to prevent, the spread of infection,” said Whalen. “I will provide a framework for thinking about these questions.”

Edwards will discuss the public health response to disease outbreaks and what individuals can do to protect themselves when outbreaks occur.

The forum, part of the Academic-Professional Security Series, is sponsored by the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Center for International Trade and Security.

For more information, see www.osep.uga.edu.

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Health Care Policy with New Administration, Congress to go Beyond Insurance Debate

President-elect Obama and Congress will undoubtedly wrangle with health care in 2009, but the action will go beyond the debate over health insurance coverage, according to a Georgia State University public health professor.

Reform will also encompass public health measures, prevention efforts, beefed-up regulatory enforcement, and investment in health care technology, said Russ Toal, associate professor and Distinguished Fellow in Health Policy at Georgia State.

“I want to be quick to note that there is much that can be done without expenditure of money. And much of it can be done quickly,” said Toal, who gave his remarks Nov. 5 Public Health Grand Rounds lecture. “Public health is far broader than health insurance matters.”

Even in the face of difficult financial times, the government can take measures to improve health care in the United States, including the improvement of health-related regulatory enforcement by agencies like the Occupational and Safety Hazards Administration, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Peeling back the laws passed in recent years which make it harder for people to declare bankruptcy — an option considered by many who face huge medical debts — would also help, Toal said.

Prevention and education programs are essential in addressing chronic illnesses which run up health care costs, while changing rules which forbid the federal government from negotiating drug prices could reduce increasing costs for prescriptions, he added.

Other public health efforts which might be addressed next year include raising the federal excise tax on tobacco products — which has been done in several states to help discourage tobacco use — as well as improving nutrition labeling laws on food products.

However, parts of the debate will include the discussion of expense — including health insurance for the uninsured, as well as increased military health care expenditures, Toal said.

Health insurance is also a component of the policy debate, and Obama proposes a version of the health care plan enacted by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney that allows those with employer-provided insurance to remain in their plans, while giving those without insurance a chance to purchase subsidized coverage from a pool of private insurers. Proposals also include enacting “re-insurance” for people who face extremely high, catastrophic costs.

Getting any measures passed, though, requires policymakers and politicians to go through intense legislative wrangling.

When the 111th U.S. Congress and President-elect Obama take their oaths of office in January 2009, one party will control both the legislative and executive branches. But this does not mean that a new administration will be able to get all of its proposals through quickly, Toal said.

Not all Democratic senators will agree to certain proposals, and Republicans will maintain enough seats to allow for filibusters — a legislative maneuver which can let a minority party stymie or kill legislation.

And just as with this year, health care was a top campaign issue in the 1992 election, when Democrats took control of both the executive and legislative branches. That led many in public health to believe that reform would happen under the Clinton Administration, but Toal said reform was stymied by a commission that took 10 months to produce a 1,300-page bill that got nowhere.

“I hope that President-elect Obama understands that he needs to strike quickly,” Toal said. “The new administration must move to put people in place quickly, and send a message to those throughout the federal government about what we must do, and that people will be held accountable.”

Overall, Toal said that with a new administration, there could be a new spirit of service not seen since the Kennedy Administration, leading more people — including Georgia State health sciences students — to work for the public good, even though the hours are often long and the pay much lower than in private industry.

“The impact of a revitalized and energized work force cannot be underestimated,” he said.

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