On October 27, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond visited Emory Hillandale Hospital (EHH). President Greg Fenves, CEO Rashard Johnson, and Hospital Group President Bryce Gartland provided an update on the work EHH is doing in the community, including our new Violence Prevention Program in partnership with DeKalb County. EHC Board Member Greg Levett, a champion for EHH, also joined the visit.

On October 14, OGCA hosted a tour of the WaterHub alongside our colleagues in the Office of Sustainability Initiatives. Two Emory students, along with members from Roots Down and the DeKalb Beloved Naturalist program joined Taylor Spicer, Interim Director of Sustainability; Kendra Price, Associate Director of Community Programs; and Brandon Gardner, Associate Director of Community Engagement to learn about the inner workings of Emory’s WaterHub.

During the first week of early voting, President Fenves and Carmel Fenves visited Emory’s polling location at 1599 Clifton Road to cast their ballots. So far, more than 9,000 DeKalb County voters have voted at 1599. If you are a DeKalb County resident and would like to vote during this early voting period, we encourage you to stop by Emory's polling location.

Learn more about our Emory’s voting initiatives and civic engagement here.  

Community Engagement News

On October 20, Emory hosted eight staffers from Georgia’s congressional delegation on our Atlanta campus. The staffers met with Emory researchers, had a student-led tour of campus, heard a financial aid presentation from Associate Vice Provost for University Financial Aid John Leach, and toured the 10,000 square foot simulation center in the School of Medicine. The staffers ate lunch at the Dobbs Common Table with President Fenves. We really appreciate all our tour guides and presenters.

On October 21, Dr. Hong Li, Associate Professor Department of Human Genetics and Pediatrics Emory University School of Medicine, was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to serve on the Georgia Rare Disease Advisory Council. House Bill 918, passed during the 2022 legislative session, creates the 16-member council who will consult with health care experts and other key stakeholders to develop policy recommendations to improve patient access to quality rare disease specialists. Dr. Li will join Ms. Sarah Penna, medical social worker at the Emory ALS Center, who was appointed to the Council by Lt. Governor Duncan earlier this year.  

State Affairs Team Attends Alliance Conference  

Earlier this month, the State Affairs Team attended the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Annual Conference along with Dan Owens, CEO Emory University Hospital Midtown, who serves on the association’s board. The conference was attended by other government affairs representatives, health care experts, and several Georgia General Assembly members. The focus of the conference was the current workforce shortages and the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session.

During the 2022 Legislative Session, several Study Committees were created by the House and Senate. The hearings for these committees took place over the summer and into this fall. The State Affairs team is attending and tracking these hearings to review any impact on Emory policies. The committees will be presenting their final reports and recommendations over the next couple of months. A full list of Senate Study Committees can be found here and the House list can be found here. If you have any questions on any of these committees, their hearings or recommendations, please reach out to the State Affairs Team.