On May 26, Emory’s Co-chief Well-being Officers Chad W.M. Ritenour and Tim Cunningham joined Grady, Piedmont, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Wellstar at a roundtable discussion with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy. Members of the roundtable discussed workforce initiatives, experiences, and resiliency during the pandemic. The Surgeon General and his staff discussed his recently released Surgeon General Advisory on Health Worker Burnout and Resignation publication.

The Supreme Court has sided with the American Hospital Association in the case of American Hospital Association v. Becerra. The decision, authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh held: “Absent a survey of hospitals’ acquisition costs, HHS (the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) may not vary the reimbursement rates only for 340B hospitals; HHS’s 2018 and 2019 reimbursement rates for 340B hospitals were therefore unlawful. The text and structure of the statute make this a straightforward case. Because HHS did not conduct a survey of hospitals’ acquisition costs, HHS acted unlawfully by reducing the reimbursement rates for 340B hospitals.”

Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act of 2022

U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Larry Buschon (R-Ind.) have introduced the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act of 2022. This legislation would extend federal protections to healthcare workers against workplace violence, similar to those afforded aircraft and airport employees. The OGCA team has been advocating for this legislation.

Travel Nursing Transparency Study Act

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced the Travel Nursing Transparency Study Act, which would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study and report to Congress on the business practices and the effects of hiring agencies across the healthcare industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The OGCA team has been advocating for action in this area.

Emory’s Congressionally Directed Spending Requests

Emory’s two Congressionally Directed Spending Requests for FY2023 have been submitted to the appropriations committees, making it a step further to receiving funding. One request, submitted by Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) and Georgia’s two Senators, aims to provide real-world clinical experience for nursing students through an InEmory nursing apprenticeship program. The second request, submitted by Representative Nikema Williams (D-GA-05) and Georgia’s two Senators, would provide wrap-around and therapeutic services to individuals who have experienced trauma associated with violence in their communities. You can find more information regarding FY23 Congressionally Directed Spending Requests on Representative McBath and Representative Williams' websites.

On June 11, Ravi V. Bellamkonda, Emory Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Ines Owens, Assistant Vice President for State Affairs attended the 2022 Governor’s Valedictorian Reception at Liberty Plaza. The Georgia Student Finance Commission hosted the event which was attended by Governor Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, special guests from Georgia’s public, private and technical colleges and over 900 valedictorians and their families. Sonny Perdue, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, and Lynne Riley, President of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, provided remarks and Governor Kemp recognized the achievements of the students, their families and the institutions represented at the reception. Provost Ravi met with key stakeholders and future Emory students and families.

On May 24, Georgia residents voted in the 2022 Primary Elections. They voted for statewide officials, congressional representatives, Georgia General Assembly members and the Senate seat currently held by Senator Warrnock. As a result of the Primary Elections, Governor Brian P. Kemp will be headed to a General Election on November 8 against Stacey Abrams. While the top of the ticket race is decided for November, numerous state and local seats are headed to a runoff on June 21. Please visit the official Secretary of the State website to review final results from the May 24 primary and information on races in the June 21 runoff: https://sos.ga.gov/page/georgia-election-results

July 1 - New State Budget and Laws

On July 1, the 2023 State Fiscal Year will begin. Several state agencies received additional state funding for key programs impacting healthcare, higher education and research. Additionally, several pieces of legislation passed during the 2022 Legislative Session and signed by Governor Kemp will go into effect. For an overview of key budget items and legislation impacting Emory, please review the 2022 Final Session legislative report here.

Doug Hooker Award

Recently, Emory was recognized as a co-recipient of the inaugural Doug Hooker Award for Workforce Equity by Atlanta CareerRise, a regional workforce intermediary, at its annual Workforce Excellence Summit. Click here for more details.

Science Gallery Atlanta

On June 2, Emory held a VIP inaugural exhibit and celebration of Science Gallery Atlanta. Emory is proud to be engaged in this international network of top universities across four continents, whose goal is to elevate science and art through creative educational and cultural opportunities, with a special focus on reaching young people between 15-25 years of age. More information can be found on Science Gallery Atlanta here.

Juneteenth Event @ Pittsburgh Yards

On June 19, Emory will participate in a Field Day Festival at Pittsburgh Yards to celebrate Juneteenth. This event is hosted by Our Village United and will include family-friendly activities, along with health and wellness activities for all attendees.

Emory is honored that DeKalb County has selected our campus as a polling site and Emory’s 1599 building will continue to serve for the upcoming primary runoff election. Early Voting for the Runoff began on Monday, June 13, and will end on Friday, June 17, with Election Day being Tuesday, June 21. If you're a DeKalb County voter, we encourage you to vote at Emory’s 1599 building (1599 Clifton Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30322). For more information on this work, please visit the Emory Votes Initiative. Click here to view photos from the May election.