For Immediate Release

October 24, 2019 Contact: Chad Wasdin, PIO

678-442-6909 chad.wasdin@gnrhealth.com

Health Department Administers close to 1,000

Hepatitis A Vaccinations, Tests Preparedness Model In a preventive vaccination effort during two days in September, the Gwinnett County Health Department administered close to 1,000 hepatitis A vaccinations to Gwinnett County Jail residents. Georgia is currently considered to be in a hepatitis A outbreak. Though Gwinnett County is not yet included in the outbreak, the Georgia Department of Public Health has encouraged all health districts to begin efforts to quell the outbreak by focusing on populations more susceptible to the virus. “Due to incarcerated individuals who are identified among the highest risk for acquiring Hepatitis A, partnering with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office allowed us to protect those individuals,” said Alana Sulka, director of epidemiology for Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale (GNR) County Health Departments. “These efforts also flow over into the general community, increasing awareness and immunization levels for Hepatitis A. The Sheriff’s Office has been an excellent partner by helping us set up this vaccination clinic to protect inmates as well as Gwinnett County residents.” Hepatitis A virus spreads through the fecal-oral route, often due to poor hand-hygiene or contaminated food. The hepatitis A vaccine is a two-dose series given over six months that offers up to 97% protection from contracting the virus. Residents of the Gwinnett County Jail were screened to see if they had received the hepatitis A vaccine prior. If they had not previously had the vaccination, they were offered the first shot in the series. Vaccinating several hundred people at one time is not common practice for the Health Department. Fortunately, plans are already in place for mass vaccination in the event of a public health emergency. GNR County Health Departments has a staff of professionals that focus on emergency preparedness for the three-county area. As part of their goals, they have developed plans for mass vaccination and mass prophylactic medication distribution at Points of Dispensing sites, also known as PODs. The Health Department practiced these plans during the vaccination of the Gwinnett County Jail, which mimicked how PODs will function during an actual event. The lessons learned during this effort will shape how the plans evolve if the need arises to set up for the larger public. “One of the greatest takeaways from this exercise was seeing how quickly and efficiently we can vaccinate a large number of people,” said Mark Reiswig, director of emergency preparedness for GNR County Health Departments. “We are constantly evaluating our plans, and this was an excellent real-world scenario to see how we can improve.” Hepatitis A vaccines are available at all GNR County Health Departments locations, or individuals can check with their general physicians. Health Department staff can help determine if individuals have had the recommended two doses of immunizations in the past. More information about hepatitis A is available at www.gnrhealth.com/HepA.

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Press Release

October XX, 2019 Contact: Chad Wasdin, PIO

678-442-6909 chad.wasdin@gnrhealth.com

Flu Vaccines are Available at the Health Department Flu season has started, and the Gwinnett County Health Department is ready to vaccinate residents and businesses. The Health Department recently kicked off its campaign to fight flu this year: "One Shot to Skip the Flu." CDC and the Health Department recommend everyone age six months and older get an annual flu vaccine as early in the season as possible. The Health Department is targeting each age group to promote widespread vaccination. "The flu shot is the most simple and effective way to protect you and your family from catching the flu," said Dr. Audrey Arona, district health director and CEO of Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments. "Just one shot can lower the risk of illness so that your children can stay active, so that parents can save their paid time off, and so that our seniors can avoid complications." Influenza, the virus that causes the flu, sickens thousands of residents and workers in Gwinnett County each year, leading to missed days at school and work. In severe cases, flu can also result in hospitalization. Each year, the flu shot gets an update to protect against new strains of influenza, which is why it is essential to get the vaccine annually. It can take up to two weeks for an individual to receive full immune protection from the vaccine, so it's best to get the shot early before flu activity increases. The flu vaccine also helps protect those who are at risk of complications if they catch the flu. It has also been shown to limit the severity of flu for those who get vaccinated but still get sick. "Flu can cause a tremendous increase in work or school absence that can span up to a couple of weeks," Dr. Arona said. "Between promoting flu vaccination and reminding sick employees and students to stay home, we can limit the spread of flu this season and keep our families safe and healthy." Each Health Department location in Gwinnett is fully stocked with flu vaccine, including the quadrivalent vaccine for broader coverage of flu strains and the high-dose vaccine for those 65 and older. Most insurances cover the vaccine. The Health Department is also working with local businesses and schools to provide onsite flu clinics for their employees. Health Department staff set up at the company to conveniently administer immunizations. To learn more about scheduling an onsite flu clinic, visit www.gnrhealth.com/flu or to find the nearest location, visit www.gnrhealth.com/locations.

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Barrow Regional Medical Center 316 North Broad Street

Winder, GA 30680 770-867-3400

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chad Conner April 2, 2015 Director of Marketing and PR 770.307.5383  

Barrow Regional Medical Center to End OB Services

Barrow Regional Medical Center continually evaluates the services we offer to ensure we meet the needs of our community and provide the best experience possible for our patients. Over the past few years, the demand for obstetrical services at our facility has continued to decline as an increasing number of families have chosen other hospitals to deliver. For the past three years, our hospital has delivered fewer than 115 babies annually, or only about two per week. Based on this information, we have decided to end obstetrical services at the hospital effective July 1, 2015. Beginning July 1, OB/GYN practices at Barrow Regional will become an affiliate of Clearview Women’s Healthcare and care will be transitioned to Dr. Todd Bashuk or Dr. Stephanie Tarracciano. Patients will continue to come to the same location for care. Patients scheduled to deliver on July 1 or later will be admitted to Clearview Regional Medical Center in Monroe. We are making every effort to ensure this transition is as comfortable and convenient as possible. Staff at Clearview Women’s Healthcare is available to answer any questions patients may have about the transition of care to their practice at 770-466-3622. Though inpatient obstetric services are being transferred to other regional providers, Barrow Regional Medical Center is always equipped to respond to patients who are experiencing a medical emergency – obstetrics-related or otherwise. Our experienced emergency department team is trained to provide emergency medical care and, if needed, make arrangements for a transfer to a higher level or care. This was not a decision we reached lightly, but we are confident it is the right one. We plan to concentrate our efforts on services the community is using most, such as emergency services, surgery, primary care and orthopedics.    

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Athens Community Council on Aging 135 Hoyt Street, Athens, GA 30601

www.accaging.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Chad Conner March 2, 2016 Director of Marketing 706-549-4850 cconner@accaging.org

ATHENS COMMUNITY COUNCIL ON AGING LAUNCHES MARCH FOR MEALS CAMPAIGN

The Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA) proudly announces the beginning of March for Meals, a national campaign that highlights Meals on Wheels during March. Many people do not know that 1 in 5 older adults in the Athens community are at risk of hunger. Each week, ACCA’s Meals on Wheels program delivers over 1500 meals in both Clarke and Barrow Counties to reduce senior hunger. March is a celebration of this accomplishment and an opportunity to do more. This year ACCA’s focus is gaining new Meals on Wheels volunteers to deliver meals to Clarke and Barrow residents. Meal routes take about 1-1.5 hours, a small amount of time that makes a big difference in the lives of recipients. For more information about volunteering with Meals on Wheels, visit www.accaging.org/volunteer. For those not interested in volunteering, there are other ways to get involved in March for Meals. Registrations are currently open for the March for Meals 5K on Saturday, March 26. All proceeds from race registrations will benefit Meals on Wheels. In fact, just one race registration can provide an older adult one week of Meals on Wheels services! To register for the race, visit www.accaging.org/2016mfm. Meals on Wheels will also be highlighted every Wednesday at Creature Comforts Brewing Co. located in Downtown Athens. Creature Comforts will share the profits from brewery tours with ACCA as part of the Get Comfortable campaign. Join ACCA Wednesdays in March from 5:00 – 8:00 pm. Visitors that bring food or toiletry items will receive a $2 discount on the tour. Check www.accaging.org for more information on the items needed. From March 21 – 25, local champions from the community, like business leaders, legislators, law enforcement, and other well known people, will take part in ride-alongs with longtime volunteers to get an inside perspective on how Meals on Wheels operates. For those interested in donating to Meals on Wheels, visit www.accaging.org/donate. About Meals on Wheels -- Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network exists in virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education and

Athens Community Council on Aging 135 Hoyt Street, Athens, GA 30601

www.accaging.org advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time.

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