July 2006
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Greetings Southwest Health District!
This week I am celebrating my one-year anniversary of being a Southwest Georgian. So, I thought it would be most fitting to reflect on what this year has meant to me and to summarize a few of the highlights.
First, I would like for you all (or should I say y’all) to know that it has been a pleasure to work with such dedicated and loyal staff. I don’t think I have ever worked with a more competent group of individuals in either the private or public academic sector. What pleases me most is the manner in which so many of you do your jobs- not only client focused but also community focused and driven. For that, I not only thank you, I salute you!
The culture here is very relaxed and non-threatening, but is certainly not too conflict adverse. In my opinion, the culture provides a wonderful environment for staff to express their opinions, yet it is honest enough for the necessary analysis before policy decisions are made. I have seen difficult issues being confronted and discussed openly rather than being swept under the carpet. By directly addressing problems, the district functions in a mature and most productive manner.
Although in many respects it seems as though I just arrived (I still have not read all of the policy and procedure manuals), so much has happened. My worst fear occurred shortly after my arrival- within my first six weeks, we were in a disaster preparedness mode and had not one, but two shelters going with Katrina evacuees. As many of you are aware disaster preparedness and response is the one area of public health I have the least experience with. But I had nothing to fear because you do (having had two major floods in a four-year span) and you have taught me so much. I still have so much to learn in this regard.
I must say, we have been busy this past year. We completely overhauled our mission statement and re-designed our logo to reflect our mission. Certainly, this was a major step towards strategic planning, which is well underway with the completed SWOT analysis for every health department and program office. Again, let me thank you for your hard work and getting them in on time. I hope that the SWOT process was both enlightening and thought provocative and generated meaningful conversations. I am looking forward to reviewing each of these with the district’s strategic planning team.
We have also worked diligently on the district’s pandemic flu plans. A draft is available on our website and I would encourage each of you to read this at your leisure. It is important for you to understand the nature of our response in the event of such a public health emergency. We have had pandemic flu preparedness meetings in Dougherty and Early counties, and will soon be making our way throughout the district providing an overview of Avian and Pandemic Influenza. Additionally, we are providing resource materials in an effort to assist each county’s planning efforts for such an event.
Our Hooked on Health campaign is definitely one of our greatest achievements. We kicked it off in January with a bang, even making our own commercial! Entering the third quarter, let’s put it in high gear and really motivate each other down the stretch. We have five more months to get it started if you haven’t already. For those of you who got off to an early start, let’s not lose sight of the goals you have set for yourself or your team. We have had incredible success – a 700 lb weight loss in the first quarter! So many of you have shared your personal stories and what this campaign has meant to you and your family. I know that the campaign is saving lives. I am so pleased to announce we were chosen to present our Hooked on Health campaign experience at this year’s GPHA meeting in Augusta. So please get your stats in and let us know how the campaign has changed our work place and your life.
We are reaching out into the district with the message that lifestyles and behaviors are the most important determinants of health status by sharing Hooked on Health to local organizations and groups. Additionally we have hosted a district health summit in which various stakeholders from throughout the region have also committed to spreading this message. There will soon be spin off summits in each of our 14 counties.
And last but not least, we even got our dental program back on its feet this past year and have a new mobile dental clinic that should be ready this academic year. Many school children, who otherwise, would not have seen a dentist were afforded the opportunity to do so this year. Though, I am saddened by the recent resignation of our District Dental Director, Dr. Aukena Parker, I am so grateful for the fresh air she has breathed into that program to bring it back to life again. Please wish her well as she transitions back to private practice and let her know how much you appreciate what she has done for the dental program in her brief stay with us. I can assure you we are doing everything we possibly can to quickly recruit a well-qualified dentist to keep this vital program going.
These are just a few of the highlights. I can hardly believe I’ve been here a year already. I will say it again - time flies when you are having fun. I am having so much fun- doing what I know I was called to do. I hope y’all are having fun too.
Jacqueline H. Grant, MD, MPH, MPA
