Federal Update

Congress has passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to ensure that the government is funded past September 30. This CR provides funding levels at Fiscal Year 2020 levels with a few additions for which we advocated, including a timing extension for certain federal grants and a delay in the implementation of Disproportionate Share Hospitals’ funding cuts. Now, current funding will expire post-election on December 11.

Between now and December 11, we expect Congress to focus on the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. This process will be contentious and partisan, which will complicate the next COVID-19 relief package. While there are ongoing negotiations between House Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Munuchin, it is highly unlikely that anything will pass the Senate in the coming months. The OGCA team continues to work with Congress, as well as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to advance both COVID-19 relief and research.

COVID-19

See the latest edition of Emory’s biweekly newsletter designed for, and sent to, Capitol Hill every other Monday.

On September 30, Dr. Jon Lewin served as a panelist on a Georgia Chamber of Commerce webinar. Titled “COVID-19 Town Hall: Hospitals, Healthcare, and Our Future,” and attended by over 200 business leaders across the state, the event touched upon employee support, infrastructure needs, health disparities, vaccine development, and telemedicine capacity. From the unique perspective of academic medicine, Dr. Lewin discussed the important role of science in overcoming the pandemic’s challenges.

Emory in the Community

Providing Technology to Kids

OGCA and Emory Cares, a program dedicated to inspiring Emory alumni to participate in service work, joined forces with the Loyalty Foundation, a non-profit Founded by Emory Law School graduate David Neeman (‘06). Together, working through the Foundation’s #Devices4All program, 20 computers were delivered to the East Atlanta Kids Club, an out-of-school-time tutoring, mentoring and enrichment program for under-resourced girls and boys ages 7 to 17. For more information reach out directly to David@loyaltyfoundation.org.

Pictured above is Keyshawntae Wheeler, participant in the East Atlanta Kids Club and recipient of a Chromebook computer donation.

CCP Advisory Group Meeting

On September 23, President Fenves received a warm welcome from the Clifton Community Partnership (CCP) Advisory Group, whose members represent key leaders in the local community (https://cliftoncommunitypartnership.org/about/advisory-group.html). The CCP meets quarterly and focuses on quality of life issues of mutual interest to the surrounding neighborhoods and Emory. In his remarks to the group, President Fenves emphasized the importance of community engagement and responded to questions and comments from the local leaders. The CCP also distributes a quarterly newsletter to over 13,000 local residents. If you would like to receive the newsletter, please contact David Payne at david.payne@emory.edu, to be added to the mailing list.

AEI StartUp Factory and Emory Collaboration

Emory Healthcare and Emory University are partnering with the Allen Entrepreneurial Institute’s StartUp Factory in Stonecrest to bring a series of panel discussions to the citizens of southeast DeKalb County. This 4-part series, related to economic development and public health, begins on October 1. Nadine Kaslow, professor of psychiatry and behavioral services, will participate in the first panel discussion on mental health. The next panel discussion on The Economic Impact of COVID and Public Health is scheduled for next Thursday, October 8. Our speakers will include Allison Chamberlain, Emory Research Assistant Professor and Professor Tom Smith.

Commissioner Larry Johnson TouchPoint Series

On September 22, Dr. Jodie Guest, Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Rollins School of Public Health and at Emory’s School of Medicine, along with Dr. Valeria Cantos, Assistant Professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory,participated in Commissioner Larry Johnson’s weekly TouchPoint Series. Held via Facebook Live, they discussed ongoing COVID-19 vaccination trials at Emory and answered questions from the community.

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