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JUST IN: Georgia's House Budget Chair is proposing @GaDPH get SOME state money to help with their covid response, in addition to the $1b the department has received so far from the feds.
#gapol #coronavirusGA
#gapol #coronavirusGA
That money seems to be for a few things:
- New top positions at DPH: chief medical officer, deputy commissioner of public health, and chief data officer
These positions, I imagine would report straight to Commissioner Toomey, but help take some load off
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- New top positions at DPH: chief medical officer, deputy commissioner of public health, and chief data officer
These positions, I imagine would report straight to Commissioner Toomey, but help take some load off
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Also pitched: about $18m for the state to buy a COVID-19 vaccine appointment booking system "off the shelf and get people trained and using it ASAP, says Rep. England. He also referenced GRITS (the state's vaccine registry) not being designed for a pandemic.
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So perhaps this new system would integrate with GRITS? Or take the burden of reporting COVID--19 vaccines off the system? I'm sure more will come of that as this pitch moves forward.
England acknowledged the public attention the lack of state dollars for DPH had gotten ...
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England acknowledged the public attention the lack of state dollars for DPH had gotten ...
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... including a call out, it seems to @landmanspeaking for this recent piece: https://bit.ly/3ccYSpy
There's also been coverage from @AlanJudd3000 and yours truly (and others) on the issue.
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There's also been coverage from @AlanJudd3000 and yours truly (and others) on the issue.
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Also of note, @Emma_Hurt talked with @GovKemp yesterday and got his take on the initial lack of state $$$ for DPH:
“It was an antiquated system and has been neglected for many years,” he said of state and federal support for public health.
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“It was an antiquated system and has been neglected for many years,” he said of state and federal support for public health.
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Kemp continued: "This is not the time to go back and completely overhaul a system. I think that’s something we’re going to need to look at going forward. And we’ll be committed to doing that.”
So, mark your calendars?
Full interview is here: https://bit.ly/36gUxxY
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So, mark your calendars?
Full interview is here: https://bit.ly/36gUxxY
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We'll have to see how these DPH additions fare through the rest of the budget process, but these pitches (at least the booking system) seem at least to acknowledge that lots of Georgians are now SUPER INTERESTED in public health, now that they have COVID-19 vaccines.
