Press Releases
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11/19/2009
DCH Names State's Chief Nutritionist to Head WIC Program
ATLANTA - Miriam Bell, Deputy Director of Public Health Programs and Services with the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), named Abdul K. Lindsay as new director for the Georgia Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program.
11/02/2009
DCH Recognizes National Health Information Technology Week
ATLANTA - Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) is pleased to acknowledge November 1-7 as Health Information Technology (HIT) Week, a national initiative to raise the publics awareness of the value and importance of using innovative technology to improve the quality and efficiency of health care. DCH is involved in numerous activities aimed at educating health care consumers and providers about HIT.
10/30/2009
DCH Partners with Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness
State Promotes Healthy Living in Homeless and Emergency Shelters
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) and the Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness, Inc. (GCEH) have partnered to raise awareness of flu prevention among the states homeless population. The outreach is being launched during Homeless Awareness Week, November 1-7.
10/14/2009
DCH Launches H1N1 Communication Tool for Georgians
ATLANTA - Dr. Rhonda Medows, State Health Officer and Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) Commissioner, announced the launch of Georgias H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Provider Locator. The tool will make it easier for the public to locate a provider that is participating in the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign.
10/05/2009
Georgia Public Health Districts Receive Initial H1N1 Nasal Spray Shipment
ATLANTA - Early shipments of vaccine for the 2009 H1N1 began arriving in some of Georgia's Health Districts. Quantities are limited in this first shipment of vaccine, and is a nasal spray vaccine known as live attenuated influenza vaccine. Georgia is focusing the use of this small, initial supply on healthy children age 2 to 4 years in order to reach a population that spreads the virus and is more at risk for hospitalization. The nasal spray version of the H1N1 vaccine can be used by healthy people age 2 years to 49 years and non-pregnant woman.
10/05/2009
Georgia's Youth Tells the Flu to "Shoo"
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) is pleased to announce the 2009 Shoo Flu, Shoo Art Contest to Georgia's youth. The contest is sponsored by DCH's Roll Up Your Sleeve campaign. The goal is to establish an open dialogue and create awareness among young people about protecting themselves and staying healthy during flu season.
10/01/2009
Georgia WIC Rolls Out New Food Packages
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Community Healths (DCH) Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is pleased to announce the availability of new WIC Food Packages. WIC Food Packages across the nation were recently changed to better meet the nutritional needs of WIC participants and encourage healthier eating habits.
09/01/2009
Georgians Encouraged to Prepare and Plan for Fall Flu Season
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) encourages everyone to take action and be prepared to fight the seasonal flu and novel influenza A (H1N1) viruses this fall. September is National Preparedness month and an opportunity for individuals, families and businesses to learn how to slow the spread of the disease in their communities.
08/13/2009
DCH Encourages Georgians to Roll Up Their Sleeve
ATLANTA - Campaign to Educate All Georgians about the importance of Seasonal Flu and novel H1N1 flu prevention.
Today, Dr. Rhonda Medows, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) announced the launch of the Roll Up Your Sleeve campaign. The campaign is DCHs statewide, grassroots educational campaign to educate Georgians about the seasonal flu and novel influenza A (H1N1) and encourage citizens that fall within high-risk groups to get vaccinated.
08/03/2009
DCH Recognizes August as National Immunization Awareness Month - Are you up-to-date?
ATLANTA - August is National Immunization Awareness Month and Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) Public Health Division Program Director for Infectious Disease and Immunizations Michelle Conner stresses the importance of receiving routine, up-to-date immunizations.
07/10/2009
Georgia Department of Community Health Confirms First H1N1 Death in Georgia
Public Urged to Continue Healthy Behaviors to Prevent Illness
Atlanta - The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) confirmed Georgias first death related to novel influenza A (H1N1). The 43-year-old female from Cobb County, Georgia, suffered from underlying health conditions when she became infected with the novel H1N1 virus.
07/07/2009
Georgia Commission on Men's Health Issues 2009 Report
ATLANTA - The Georgia Commission on Mens Health is pleased to announce the release of their 2009 Mens Health Report: A Comprehensive Look at the Status of Mens Health in Georgia. This report highlights the incidences of disease, injury and death affecting Georgias men.
06/30/2009
DCH Awarded Computerworld Honors Program 2009 Laureate Medal for Georgiahealthinfo.gov Web site
ATLANTA Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) received a 2009 Laureate Medal from International Data Groups (IDG) Computerworld Honors Award Program for its exceptional use of information technology to benefit society. DCHs health care consumer transparency Web site, georgiahealthinfo.gov, was recognized as a Laureate in the government category. The Laureates came from 10 different industries and from all over the world
06/11/2009
DCH Announces New Healthcare Facility Regulation Division and Leadership
ATLANTA - Dr. Rhonda Medows, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), announced that the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS), a division of the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR), will now function as a division within DCH under the new name, Healthcare Facility Regulation (HFR), effective July 1. The transition is in response to Senate Bill 433, which instructs DHR to transfer all matters relating to the licensure and regulation of hospitals and health related institutions.
06/03/2009
Georgiahealthinfo.gov Touts New Features To Help Georgians Make Better Health Care Decisions
Online resource tool offers statewide comprehensive health information
04/01/2009
DCH State Office of Rural Health Awarded $436,057
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Community Healths (DCH) State Office of Rural Health (SORH) received $436,057 in stimulus funding through the Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grant. The IDS grant, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), will expand services at six existing community health center programs that serve 21 counties across Georgia. DCH is one of 28 recipients receiving ARRA IDS funds to support Georgias health centers bringing the states total award to $6,964,291.
04/01/2009
DCH Designated State Entity to Receive HIT Stimulus Funds
DCH Continues as Georgias Health Information Technology Lead Agency
ATLANTA The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) today announced that it has been designated by Governor Sonny Perdue as the state agency to receive health information technology (HIT) funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The designation extends DCHs leadership role in the HIT community.
02/19/2009
DCH Unveils Partnership with Georgia Public Library Service Partnership to Educate All Georgians about New Tool to Compare Health Care
ATLANTA - Today, Dr. Rhonda Medows, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) announced a partnership with the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) that will promote georgiahealthinfo.gov to Georgians across the state. The partnership announcement kicks off DCH's statewide grassroots educational campaign to promote the new Web site.
02/04/2009
Commissioner Rhonda Medows Praises SCHIP Reauthorization
ATLANTA - Today, Dr. Rhonda Medows, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health issued the following statement regarding the passage of the H.R. 2 the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2009
12/19/2008
GeorgiaHealthInfo.Gov Makes Finding and Comparing Health Care as Easy as 1, 2, 3
New Web site Provides Georgians with Health Care Quality, Cost and Educational Information
ATLANTA - With just a few clicks Georgians are empowered to make educated decisions about their health care through a new Web site launched by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). GeorgiaHealthInfo.gov was launched today to provide health care quality, cost and health education information.
07/21/2008
Georgia Receives $5 Million in Drug Settlement
ATLANTA - Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) announced that the state will receive $5 million in a drug settlement from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) and
its former subsidiary Apothecon, Inc. The settlement, which totaled $389 million plus interest, reimburses 43 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government as a result of allegations that BMS participated in inappropriate marketing and pricing practices.
06/12/2008
Georgia Named Medicare EHR Demonstration Site
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Leavitt, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), joined Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), to announce Georgia as a Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Demonstration Site..
06/09/2008
DCH Opens $1.2 Million Grant Program for Breast Cancer Treatment and Screening for Uninsured
The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) is improving breast cancer services for the state's uninsured population through the Georgia ACTS (Access, Care, Treatment and Services) Breast Cancer Grant Program. Part of a statewide, strategic initiative, the program will provide grants to organizations offering breast cancer
health promotion, screening and treatment to indigent women.
06/06/2008
Georgia Launches $1 Million Grant Program to Resolve Health
As part of Georgia's effort to reduce and eliminate health disparities, the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) unveiled the Georgia Health Equity Grant Program today. The grant program will provide 15 grants ranging from $75,000 to $100,000 to community based organizations working to improve minority health.
05/22/2008
Georgia Expands Health Care Options Statewide
The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) announced the completion of the competitive procurement for the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) health insurance plan options. CIGNA HealthCare and United Healthcare were awarded statewide contracts to provide health care coverage to Georgia's state employees. The new health plan contracts will be effective January 1, 2009.