Three New Organizations Join Partner Up! for Public Health Campaign

Written by Partner Up! for Public Health

The Partner Up! for Public Health campaign announced today the addition of three new organizations to its Advisory Board: Athens Health Network (AHN), The Georgia Dental Association (GDA), and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

With the latest announcements, the Partner Up! for Public Health campaign is now supported by 40 organizations who are lending their names to statewide public health advocacy and have designated representatives to serve on the campaign's advisory board. Now in its third year, the Partner Up! campaign, which is funded by Healthcare Georgia Foundation, is aimed at informing policy makers, stakeholders and the general public about the budget and operational challenges that have hobbled the state's public health system over the past decade.

"We are very appreciative of the fact that these fine organizations have been willing to sign onto the Partner Up! for Public Health Advisory Board," said Charles Hayslett, spokesman for the Partner Up! for Public Health campaign. "Their involvement demonstrates that we continue to expand the reach of the campaign both geographically and with constituencies that have real stakes in the effectiveness of Georgia's Public Health system."

"The Georgia Dental Association is pleased to serve on the Partner Up! for Public Health Advisory Board," said Nelda Greene, Associate Executive Director of GDA. "We are supportive of the need to strengthen the public health system of Georgia and oral health is an important component of that system." GDA is the premier professional dental organization in Georgia dedicated to promoting and upholding the highest standards of dentistry and patient care for all Georgians through education, advocacy, and professionalism.

Athens Health Network is a collaborative non-profit organization working to improve health and reduce healthcare disparities of the uninsured and underinsured of Athens-Clarke County through the creation of a seamless, user-friendly health safety net. Executive Director of AHN, Alexandria Chambers, commented, "This role on the advisory board is in keeping with Athens Health Network's mission of improving health and reducing healthcare disparities through the creation of a healthcare safety net. Public health is an integral part of that safety net and we are pleased to be a part of the Partner Up! Advisory Board and its efforts to better the state of public health in Georgia."

The Gwinnett Chamber, one of the largest and most successful chambers in the Southeast, serves as the voice for business to create and grow quality job opportunities while enhancing the community's quality of life. "A community's health and economic vitality are interconnected," said Lindsay Myers, Program Manager at the Gwinnett Chamber. "We recognize this relationship and therefore support the work of the Partner Up! campaign."

The Partner Up! for Public Health campaign was launched in 2009 by Healthcare Georgia Foundation in response to nearly a decade of funding cuts that have hobbled the state's public health system and, in the view of many, undermined its ability to meet many of its core responsibilities.

In 2011, according to data compiled by the Trust for America's Health, the State of Georgia appropriated $13.28 per capita in state funds to Public Health, a funding level that put the state 44th nationally and higher only than Mississippi among southeastern states. According to the United Health Foundation's 2011 America's Health Rankings, Georgia ranks 38th for health determinants and 40th for health outcomes.

For more information on the Partner Up! for Public Health campaign, visit www.togetherwecandobetter.com.

Advisory board members support the campaign by helping plan and implement advocacy efforts and providing feedback. A complete list of advisory board members can be found on the Partner Up! for Public Health website.