On January 18, a day before the deadline, Congress passed a continuing resolution funding the government until early March. The bill funds the Military Construction-VA, Agriculture-FDA, Transportation-HUD and Energy-Water through March 1 and the remaining eight appropriations bills through March 8. Of importance to Emory, the legislation delays Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cuts and extends appropriations for Teaching Hospitals’ Graduate Medical Education. Congress will now focus on completing FY24 appropriations while preparing for FY25 funding which starts October 1, 2024. The presidential election will further complicate Congress's work throughout this year.  

Dr. Tiffany Walker Provides Expert Testimony

On January 18, Dr. Tiffany Walker, an Assistant Professor in the Emory School of Medicine provided expert testimony for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing titled “Addressing Long Covid: Advancing Research and Improving Patient Care.” Dr. Walker drew on her expertise in treating patients with long-term Covid to educate the HELP Committee on ways Congress can help address this ongoing challenge for millions of Americans.

Georgia Chamber’s Eggs and Issues

On December 10, the State Affairs team, alongside Representative Jasmine Clark, Representative Becky Evans, Senator Elena Parent, and Emily Yonah from the Department of Community Health arrived bright and early to the Georgia Chamber’s Eggs & Issues annual event at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, and Speaker Jon Burns all addressed the crowd and shared their legislative goals and predictions for the session.

Georgia Independent College Association at the Capitol

On December 10, the State Affairs team, alongside the Vice Dean of Admission, Scott Allen, attended Georgia Independent College Association (GICA) day at the Capitol. By hosting a college fair type event for legislators and Capitol staffers, the purpose of GICA day at the Capitol is to increase the visibility of private institutions of higher education.

New Maps

During the special session in November 2023, the General Assembly resubmitted new maps that outlined the State House, State Senate, and congressional districts based on the census data. Emory’s campuses experienced some changes to our representation at the State Level. Please use this document to view Emory’s delegation. Note that the names in light blue indicate that they will represent Emory once the new maps are fully implemented.  

Healthcare Unscrambled

On December 11, the State Affairs team, alongside Emory’s Chief Transformation Officer, Dr. Amaka Eneanya, attended Georgians for a Healthy Future’s Healthcare Unscrambled event at the Georgia Freight Depot. This event had an interactive discussion between Senator Ben Watson, Senator Sonya Halpern, and Representative Sharon Cooper. Among the legislative topics covered, the panel discussed Medicaid expansion, Certificate of Need, and maternal health.   

Emory Annual Legislative Dinner 

On January 16, over 30 state legislators, members of state agencies, the OGCA team, and Emory leaders came to Lullwater to attend the Annual Legislative Dinner. The dinner kicked off with a few words from President Greg Fenves. This event serves as a great opportunity to thank legislators for their public service, build stronger relationships, and advocate for Emory’s higher education and healthcare initiatives.

On January 4, the OCGA team hosted Local Government Day at the Science Gallery. Elected officials from DeKalb County, Fulton County, Newton County, City of Atlanta, City of Johns Creek, Atlanta Board of Education, and DeKalb Board of Education joined us for a tour of the EarWax Records exhibit celebrating 50 years of hip-hop.

On January 16, DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson hosted a National Day of Racial Healing. Sharon Stroye, Director of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Initiative at Emory moderated the virtual roundtable discussion.  

Emory Cares Webinar 

On January 17, Emory Cares presented a webinar to spotlight Emory alumni who are making a significant impact on the Atlanta community. During this session, the panelists talked about the unique challenges and opportunities they encountered while contributing to the growth and well-being of the Atlanta community. This webinar was hosted by Alex Wan, Emory’s Assistant Vice President of Community Affairs and Atlanta City Council member. Webinar panelists included Michael Davis, Deputy Executive Director for the Atlanta Beltline Partnership and Ariel Fristoe 98C, Founder and Artistic Director of Out of Hand Theater.

On January 18, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce hosted its 86th Annual Meeting & Business Luncheon featuring keynote speaker Rodney Bullard, CEO of The Same House PBC, and former Senior Executive Director at Chick-fil-A. The Annual Meeting included a recognition of new Board Members and Chamber volunteers, along with a presentation from DeKalb Chamber President and CEO Frankie Atwater, Sr. Kendra Price, Emory’s Associate Director of Community Programs, was recently appointed to the Board and serves as the Board Liaison for the Governmental Affairs Committee on the Executive Committee. Mr. Atwater acknowledged and thanked OGCA’s Betty Willis for her 25-year service on the Chamber board.

DeKalb Health Summit 

On February 8, OGCA is partnering with Emory Healthcare on the 2nd DeKalb Health Summit at House of Hope Atlanta. The focus of this complimentary event is to nurture healthy communities by connecting resources, exploring health equity issues, and creating partnerships to implement solutions. Registration is required and you may register here.