Georgia

In 2020, Jennifer Polk, a PHEP-funded preparedness field assignee, coordinated the isolation of people with COVID-19 who were experiencing homelessness and others who were unable to safely self-isolate. She developed standard operating procedures for this mission. She also participated in the state’s medical countermeasure planning, creating databases to track points of distribution and community partners.

In 2020, CDR Laura Edison, a PHEP-funded Career Epidemiology Field Officer in Georgia, worked with software vendors to replace the state’s contact tracing application to accommodate the complex data demands of the COVID-19 pandemic response. She also wrote contact tracing guidance documents and training materials and trained staff from 18 health districts. In addition, she developed educational messages to help the public understand contact tracing. CDR Edison also oversaw teams of epidemiologists supporting COVID-19 data quality, analysis, and sharing; healthcare and long-term care facilities; outbreak surveillance and response; and laboratory testing.

In Georgia, PHEP supported the training of six staff members in identifying and contacting vulnerable residents during an emergency using a special needs registry. During Hurricane Irma in September 2017, Georgia’s Coastal Health District used county-based Functional, Access, and Medical Needs Registry to identify residents who might require transportation support and help from trained medical professionals. PHEP-funded staff assisted with contacting these vulnerable residents, verified whether they had a means of evacuation, and coordinated evacuations when necessary. Thanks to the efforts of these staff, the state transported 70 residents with special needs out of harm’s way and into 12 skilled nursing facilities and hospices across the state.