NORTH GEORGIA HEALTH DISTRICT

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

    NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dalton, GANorth Georgia Health District’s Living Bridge Center and the Dalton State College Department of Social Work, School of Health Professions will present Recognizing World AIDS Day on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 10 A.M.WAD2015Flyer-icon

In honor of all who have passed away due to HIV and AIDS-related conditions and for those who are living with HIV and AIDS, an educational discussion will be held in Room 105 of the Brown Center at Dalton State College that covers the various challenges and advancements in the HIV/AIDS community. Topics will include medical advances in HIV/AIDS treatment, the impact HIV/AIDS has on a person’s mental health and stories of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the real world.
 
Speakers at Recognizing World AIDS Day will include Mark Elam, M.D., Elizabeth Dial, MS, LPC, NCC and various persons who are living with HIV.
 
Dr. Robin Cleeland, Chair of the Dalton State College Department of Social Work, said, “The Dalton State Department of Social Work is pleased to join others in our community and around the globe to honor those who have died as a result of the AIDS epidemic and to support those who are living with HIV and AIDS. Despite advances in treatment, ignorance and stigma about HIV/AIDS still result in unnecessary illness and loss of life. World AIDS Day provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness concerning HIV/AIDS, to learn more about the illness, and to remind ourselves to be vigilant in protecting ourselves from infection.”
 
Jeffery Vollman, Director of North Georgia Health District’s HIV Program and the Living Bridge Center, said, “World AIDS Day is the time for the nation as a whole to take the opportunity to remember those who live with HIV/AIDS and those who have passed away from the disease.  One in eight people with HIV do not know they have the virus, and sadly, a large number of people in our nation do not know or remember the horrible impact the disease has on a person’s body and the devastation it can bring to one’s family. World AIDS Day is the day to recognize the impact of HIV and to educate any and all on its impact on our collective soul.”
 
The Recognizing World AIDS Day discussion will be followed by a question and answer period, where participants can ask and receive more information about HIV/AIDS.
 
Refreshments will be provided.
 
For more information, contact the Living Bridge Center at (706) 281-2360.

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Pass the turkey instead of the flu this Thanksgiving by getting your flu shot right away. Flu season is just getting started, so if you are not yet vaccinated, contact your local county health department (phone numbers for health departments in the North Georgia Health District can be found by clicking on the above LOCATIONS tab) or private healthcare provider as soon as possible.
 
Also protect yourself and others against the flu by:
 

- Avoiding close contact with sick people.

- Limiting contact with others while you’re sick to keep from infecting them.

- Staying home if sick with flu-like symptoms – such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny nose, fatigue or vomiting and/or diarrhea – for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without the aid of medication.

- Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue away.

- Washing your hands often with soap and water, if available – if not available, then use an alcohol-based hand rub.

- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth – germs spread this way.

- Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu. 

For more information about influenza, its prevention and treatment, log onto the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/flu.

PinkOutInPickens.JPGOther than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the U.S. and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Every year, about 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are reported nationwide and more than 40,000 women die from this disease.* Your County Public Health Department reminds you that getting mammograms regularly can help prevent breast cancer. If you are 50 to 74 years old, be sure to have a screening mammogram every two years. If you are 40 to 49 years old, talk to your county health department or your healthcare provider about when to start and how often to get a screening mammogram. Get more information about breast cancer and its prevention from the CDC at www.cdc.gov.

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Locations and phone numbers for County Health Departments in North Georgia Health District 1-2:

Cherokee County:      1219 Univeter Road, Canton, GA 30115 / (770) 345-7371, or

                    7545 N. Main Street, Woodstock, GA 30188 / (770) 928-0133

Fannin County:           95 Ouida Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 / (706) 632-3023

Gilmer County:           28 Southside Church Street, Ellijay, GA 30540 / (706) 635-4363

Murray County:          709 Old Dalton-Ellijay Road, Chatsworth, GA 30705 / (706) 695-4585

Pickens County:          60 Health Way, Jasper, GA 30143 / (706) 253-2821

Whitfield County:      800 Professional Boulevard, Dalton, GA 30720 / (706) 281-2259

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*CDC – Breast Cancer Awareness (http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/resources/features/breastcancerawareness/index.htm)

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Margie_Pritchett_of_Gilmer_County_arms_herself_against_the_flu.jpgNorth Georgia – Getting a flu shot was never easier than at the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics held this fall in North Georgia. 1,573 residents of Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties rolled in, rolled up a sleeve and armed themselves in time for flu season.
 
The annual Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics began this year in Jasper on September 22nd and ended in Ellijay on October 15th.
 
At the clinics, county health department staff offered the quadrivalent flu shot that protects against four strains of flu as well as Fluzone High Dose, which provides added protection for people ages 65 and older.
 
Additionally, the clinics served as an opportunity for the county health departments and partnering agencies to test local plans for rapidly administering medication during a public health crisis. Participating community partners included local law enforcement, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), businesses and first responders such as the county Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services and Fire Departments.
 
“Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death,” said Dr. Zachary Taylor, health director for North Georgia Health District 1-2 of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “This year’s drive-by flu shot clinics provided convenient opportunities to get immunized against influenza and we are happy that over 1500 residents came for a vaccination. However, anyone who has not yet been immunized should contact their local health department or private healthcare provider to arrange for a flu shot right away.”
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this time of year is when flu viruses begin circulating at higher levels in the U.S. population, so a well-timed seasonal flu vaccination each year is the best way to reduce the chances of getting seasonal flu and spreading it to others. When more people are vaccinated in a community, less flu can spread throughout that local population. 1
 
The CDC also recommends everyday preventive actions to avoid the spread of flu: 2
 
  • Avoid close contact with sick people.Drive-by_Shots_Per_County_2015-Web.jpg
  • While sick, limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
  • If sick with flu-like symptoms – such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny nose, fatigue or vomiting and/or diarrhea – stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without the aid of medication.
  • Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue away.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water, if available – if not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth – germs spread this way.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

 

For more information about influenza, its prevention and treatment, log onto the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/flu.
 
To contact a county health department in the North Georgia Health District for a flu shot or to find the nearest health department location, log onto www.nghd.org and click on the LOCATIONS tab.
 
(View photos of each county's Drive-by Flu Shot Clinic on Facebook)

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1 CDC – Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm)

2 CDC – Flu Symptoms & Severity (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm