- Dr. Georges Benjamin
Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, will be the keynote speaker at a conference and public forum on delivering value in public and preventive health May 15 at the Augusta Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, 1833 Broad Street. The conference, hosted by Georgia Health Sciences University, will begin with an 8:30 a.m. breakfast and opening remarks from GHSU Senior Vice President for Research Mark Hamrick. The conference will conclude at 5:30 p.m.
The conference will include an announcement at 11:30 a.m. by GHSU President Ricardo Azziz of a new public and preventive health initiative of the university, said College of Allied Health Sciences Dean Andrew Balas.
“Improving public health unites people and inspires communities,” Balas said. “The conference’s focus on value in public health should lead to productive partnerships between biomedical research and motivated communities, ultimately benefiting everyone.”
Benjamin will speak at 9:30 a.m. on strategic priorities for public health. Benjamin has led the APHA, the nation’s oldest and largest organization of public health professionals, since 2002. He has been named one of the top 25 minority executives in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine, selected numerous times among the 100 most influential people in health care and designated one of the nation’s most powerful physician executives. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.
The remainder of the morning will examine the greatest needs and best opportunities to improve public health. The panel, moderated by Balas, will include:
- Col. Christopher Castle, Commander, Eisenhower Army Medical Center
- Dr. Ketty Gonzalez, Health Director, East Central Public Health District
- David Hefner, GHSU Executive Vice President for Clinical Affairs
- Dr. K.B. Martin, Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church
- Carol Rountree, Executive Director of Student Services, Richmond County School District
Lunch at noon will be followed by remarks from Augusta Commissioner Matt Aitken.
The afternoon will focus on public health innovation, with sessions on partnering with business, preventing accidents and injuries, reimbursement reform and new public health initiatives for Georgia. Speakers include:
- Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health
- Andrew Webber, President and CEO, National Business Coalition on Health
- Dr. Gail Wilensky, Senior Fellow, Project Hope, economist and former director of Medicare and Medicaid; member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
- Dr. Linda Degutis, Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
- Dr. Robert Campbell, Medical Director, Christ Community Health Services
- Angela Overstreet-Wright, Medical Director, Belle Terrace Health Clinic
- Dr. Martha Tingen, Charles W. Linder, M.D. Chair in Pediatrics, Georgia Prevention Institute
- Dr. Deborah Young-Hyman, Professor of Pediatrics, Georgia Prevention Institute
- Dr. Lovoria Williams, Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Nursing, GHSU College of Nursing
- Dr. Pavani Rangachari, Assistant Professor of Health Informatics, GHSU College of Allied Health Sciences
- Dr. Richard Sattin, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Biobehavioral Nursing, GHSU Medical College of Georgia and College of Nursing
A concluding roundtable audience discussion on GHSU public health research and service priorities will be led by Dr. Greg Harshfield, Director of the GHSU Georgia Prevention Institute.
To RSVP, contact Laurie LaChance at 706-721-7720 or llachance@georgiahealth.edu.