NORTH GEORGIA HEALTH DISTRICT

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

    NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Filters

Back To School Health CLinic Graphic no background

Is your child ready for the upcoming school year with *Georgia’s school health requirements? Get it all done safely, conveniently, and affordably at a one-stop spot! The Cherokee County Health Department is conducting a Back to School Health Clinic from 2 to 6 PM on THREE upcoming Tuesdays: July 19, July 26, and August 2. The clinic will Back_To_School_Health_Clinic_Flyer_icon.pngClick Back To School Health Clinic flyer (Eng/Sp) to download & sharebe held at the Canton and Woodstock Health Centers. The required Hearing, Dental, Vision and BMI/Nutrition Screenings will be available: Total cost for screenings is $60. Immunizations needed for school children will be provided for $21.90 each (for uninsured or underinsured). Medicaid (including Amerigroup, CareSource, Peachstate and WellCare), Peachcare for Kids, HUMANA, AETNA, United Health Care, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Ambetter, CIGNA and Coventry are accepted. The health department location in Canton is 1219 Univeter Road and the location in Woodstock is 7545 North Main Street. For more information, please call (770) 345-7371 in Canton or (770) 928-0133 in Woodstock.

Please note: Clients may be seen for these services at the health centers any weekday by appointment during regular clinic hours. Please call ahead using the phone number listed above for the preferred health center.

*https://georgia.gov/get-required-health-records-attend-school

Natl HIV Testing Day Banner

HIV Testing is Self-care!

Para la traducción al Español de esta información, haga clic en la opción en Español en la parte superior de esta página.

North Georgia – In honor of National HIV Testing Day, free HIV testing will be offered in the North Georgia Health District on Monday, June 27th, at The Living Bridge Centers in Dalton and Canton and at the Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield County Health Departments. Walk-ins are welcome during regular clinic hours! Click HERE to check clinic hours for each location.

The Living Bridge Centers are also providing complementary condoms, cups, stickers, and more that day. The county health departments will offer a variety of items, as well.

Each year on June 27th, National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is recognized as a day to emphasize and encourage HIV testing. This year, NHTD is observed as COVID-19 and HIV epidemics continue to affect our communities and healthcare infrastructures.

Just as self-care has been particularly critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV testing is self-care that helps people know their HIV status so they can begin the prevention or treatment they need to live a long and healthy life, regardless of their status.

For anyone unable to go to The Living Bridge Centers or county health departments on National HIV Testing Day, a free HIV self-test kit may be ordered online at https://www.gacapus.com/r/get-tested/ (if at any time that link seems to not function properly, please use this link instead: https://sendss.state.ga.us/sendss/!hivcasemanagement.pretestsurvey1).

For more information about HIV testing, prevention, and treatment, go to The Living Bridge Center website at https://www.nghd.org/tlbc-home.

 

These are The Living Bridge Center and Health Department Locations in North Georgia:

Closed for Juneteenth Banner

North Georgia - In honor of the federal holiday, Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19th, our district and county offices will be closed on Monday, June 20th. This includes all public health services and programs in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties. We will resume our services the following day.

MAKO Medical COVID-19 testing in Dalton will remain open on Monday - please learn more HERE

Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. It was first recognized as a national holiday last year in celebration of June 19, 1865, the date when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free the remaining enslaved people in the United States.

Please learn more about Juneteenth as a national Day of Observance by clicking on the Presidential Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2021

DPH News Release banner
Para la traducción al Español de esta información, haga clic en la opción en Español en la parte superior de esta página.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                               
June 14, 2022
 
                                                                                      
Stay Cool, Stay Hydrated, Stay Informed   
 

ATLANTA – With temperatures expected to be in the high 90’s throughout the state for the next several days, and at times feeling like more than 100 degrees with the humidity, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging Georgians to avoid prolonged exposure to the heat and sun and to limit strenuous outdoor activity to prevent heat related illnesses.

To protect your health when temperatures are extremely high, remember to stay cool, stay hydrated and stay informed.

STAY COOL

Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. 

Stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library or a friend or relative’s home – even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.

Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath is a much better way to cool off. 

La información está disponible en Español haciendo clic en el botón Español arriba.
The North Georgia Health District will include the most up to date information here on Monkeypox from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to answer questions such as what is Monkeypox? Who is at risk? How does it spread? What are the symptoms? And, how can we protect against it? We will add more information as it becomes available. All the latest updates are posted on the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/about.html

Latest Updates from the CDC

2022 U.S. Monkeypox Cases
 Monkeypox handout eng
Click to view and download this CDC Monkeypox fact sheet in English
 Monkeypox handout sp
  • CDC is tracking multiple cases of monkeypox that have been reported in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the United States.
  • CDC is urging healthcare providers in the U.S. to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox.
  • CDC is working with state and local health officials to identify people who may have been in contact with individuals who have tested positive for monkeypox, so they can monitor their health.
  • Monkeypox is rare and does not spread easily between people without close contact. The threat of monkeypox to the general U.S. population remains LOW.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Drive Thru Flu Shot Clinics CLOSED banner

Dalton, GA -  Due to the potential for severe weather, the MAKO Medical COVID-19 Drive-thru Testing site at Pleasant Grove Park in Dalton, Georgia will close at 12 PM today, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. 

All updates for the test site are posted to the North Georgia Health District website at nghd.org/media-alerts/expanded-covid-19-testing-in-georgia and on our social media pages at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Promoting Healthy North Georgians!

woman sitting at counter
  Three Basic CDC Recommendations
  Helping People Who Smoke Quit
  Increasing Access to Healthy Foods and Physical Activity
  Promoting Lifestyle Change and Disease Management

Para la traducción al Español de esta información, haga clic en la opción en Español en la parte superior de esta página

Chronic diseases—such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. They are also leading drivers of the nation’s $3.8 trillion in annual health care costs.

Many chronic diseases here in North Georgia and nationally are caused by a short list of risk behaviors - the most basic risks are tobacco use, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity. Recommendations from the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) can help improve the health of residents here in North Georgia.

  Fast Stats

  
Fast Stats 

Here are 3 Basic CDC Recommendations

 Helping People Who Smoke Quit and Supporting Comprehensive Programs

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. As of 2018, about 34 million US adults smoke cigarettes, and every day, about 1,600 young people under 18 try their first cigarette. In addition, 58 million people who don’t smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke every year.

CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health focuses on motivating US adults who smoke to try to quit through its Tips From Former Smokers® (Tips®) campaign. Tips features real people who are living with serious health conditions caused by smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. The newest Tips series adds compelling stories from family members who take care of loved ones affected by a smoking-related disease or disability.

Tips connects people who smoke with resources to help them quit, including 1-800-QUIT-NOW, which directs people to free services from their state quitlines.

CDC also funds comprehensive tobacco control activities nationwide through the National Tobacco Control Program to:

  • Prevent young people from starting to use tobacco.
  • Promote quitting among adults and young people.
  • Reduce people’s exposure to secondhand smoke.
  • Advance health equity by identifying and eliminating tobacco-related disparities.

What is the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line?

The Georgia Tobacco Quit Line is a public health service funded by the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement through the Georgia State Legislature. It is a FREE, confidential, and effective service available to assist Georgians with quitting smoking and all forms of tobacco AND alternative nicotine delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes and vaping devices. The quit line is monitored by GTUPP and partners with a national tobacco cessation vendor to provide telephone and web-based counseling services in accordance with the United States Public Health Service Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Clinical Practice Guidelines. The services provided by the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line (GTQL) are effective, evidence-based interventions to help Georgians quit smoking and using any other smokeless tobacco products (i.e., dip or snuff).

Learn all about the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line by clicking on YOU Can QUIT!