NORTH GEORGIA HEALTH DISTRICT

Healthy people, families, and communities.
  • NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

    NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

 Bi-Monthly Updates from our Infectious Disease Department!

The North Georgia Health District is proud to present our first issue of EPINews, a bi-monthly e-newsletter containing relevant epidemiology updates from our Infectious Disease Department that mainly pertain to the health and well-being of North Georgians.

This initial February-March issue of EPINews addresses the rising STI Rates in North Georgia, Georgia’s Widespread Flu cases, our Free Condom Delivery program, our QR Code Card for easy PrEP information access, COVID-19 Data Updates for each of our counties, and World TB Day on March 24. 

Just click on the the e-newsletter graphic below to read EPINews, and share the link! 

 EPI News North Georgia Health District E Newsletter Feb Mar 2024 Issue Thumbnail Email Web 1

 GA Severe Weather Preparedness Week 2024 Web Banner

February 5 - 9, 2024

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This year (2024), Georgia will recognize the week of February 5 - 9 as Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Severe weather is no stranger to the state. The past few years have brought a number of higher-impact severe weather events to the region. Several high-impact severe weather events affected the region in 2023, including the January 12th Tornado Outbreak where more than a dozen tornadoes (some strong / EF2+) swept across mainly parts of central Georgia. 2022 also had several active high-impact events. You can read more about the 2022 significant weather events below.

As we approach what is typically the most active part of the year for severe weather, Severe Weather Preparedness Week provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about the dangers of severe weather, as well as knowing how and when to take proper actions when severe weather is expected and hits.  Please take the time now to review your home, school, or businesses preparedness plans. Each day is dedicated to a different topic that addresses severe weather preparedness. Throughout the week, the topics to be covered include:

Read more at Georgia Severe Weather Preparedness Week (February 5-9, 2024)!

Car Seat Mini Grant BannerHelping ensure Children are Buckled Up Right, Every Trip, Every Time!
 

Dalton, GA – The North Georgia Health District is excited to announce that health departments in Cherokee, Gilmer, Whitfield, and NOW Pickens counties have been awarded the prestigious 2024 Car Seat Mini-Grant by the Georgia Department of Public Health, Injury Prevention Program. This grant will enable the health departments to collaborate with community partners in their respective counties to provide car seats and educational resources to financially eligible families. The program is funded by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, with the aim of safeguarding Georgia's children during motor vehicle rides.

Since 2007, the impact of this initiative has been remarkable! The education, car seats, and booster seats provided through the Mini-Grant have prevented serious injuries and fatalities, saving the lives of over 437 children involved in accidents in Georgia. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car seats reduce fatal injuries by 71 percent among infants and 54 percent among children aged 1 to 4 years in passenger cars. Properly installed and used car seats offer the best protection for children in the event of a crash. Unfortunately, nearly three out of every four car seats are not used correctly, exposing children to unnecessary risks.

The Car Seat Mini-Grant represents a significant opportunity to protect children in these communities from serious injuries or death resulting from motor vehicle accidents.

Through this grant, the health departments and their partners will educate parents and caregivers on the proper installation and use of car seats. They will also provide car seat inspections and distribute car seats and booster seats to families who meet the financial eligibility criteria. With the support of the grant, agencies in more than 113 Georgia counties are working together with families to ensure that children are safely buckled up right, every trip, every time.

For more information about the car seat program, please contact the Cherokee County Health Department at their Woodstock Health Center at (770) 928-0133, the Gilmer County Health Department in Ellijay at (706) 635-4363, the Pickens County Health Department in Jasper at (706) 253-2821, or the Whitfield County Health Department in Dalton at (706) 279-9600. The addresses and operating hours of these health departments can be found by clicking on the name of the county HERE on our website. For information regarding other counties involved in the program, please email the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Child Occupant Safety Project at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Newly released! See our January 2024 issue of the North Georgia Health District Newsletter: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. Check out the announcement of our new North Georgia Healthcare Coalition Facilitator, Sandy Hullander, the latest Flu news, Severe Weather Preparedness updates, a new report on Opioid Overdose Deaths, and MORE. Link to the full issue by clicking the image below or go to nghd.org/images/NGHD_Emergency_Preparedness_Newsletter_Vol_2_Jan_2024.pdf.

This newsletter is currently issued every other month and highlights our health district’s Emergency Preparedness efforts with state and local partners to help prepare our communities for disaster. To see all issues of our Emergency Preparedness newsletter, please click HERE

NGHD Emergency Preparedness Newsletter Thumbnail and Social Media Post Jan 2024