Jan. 29, 2026

Quote of the Week

We all have an unsuspected reserve of strength inside that emerges when life puts us to the test.

-Isabel Allende

Future Meetings

See all GHA meetings.

Resources

CDC COVID Data Tracker

COVID-19 updates for the United States.

Ebola

The Department of Public Health (DPH) offers answers to your Ebola questions.

State Epidemiologist

24-hour access to a State Epidemiologist: 1-866-PUB-HLTH.

CDC Information

Visit www.cdc.gov to stay up to date on current information.

Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) 

Visit to access mental health services.

SAMHSA: Preventing Suicide

Visit the suicide prevention resource page.

988 Lifeline

Call or Text 988 for crisis care and support 24 hours a day.

Georgia Hospital Net

This month's Georgia Hospital Net will be conducted on Sunday, Feb. 1. The purpose is to determine the operational capability of each hospital. All operators are encouraged to participate. 

Snow in Metro Atlanta, Deep Freeze Across North Georgia this Weekend

The snow chance around metro Atlanta is increasing for Saturday, but meteorologists said everyone should prepare for a bitterly cold weekend. Atlanta and surrounding areas are expected to spend more than 65 consecutive hours below freezing from Friday through Monday. 

Interconnectedness, Extortion Risk Make Cybersecurity a Healthcare C-Suite Priority

Rapid digitization and increasing interconnectedness in the healthcare industry are “exposing clinical technology to threats it was never engineered to withstand,” Trellix said in a report published on Jan. 27. The threat intelligence report, based on 54.7 million detections from Trellix products in healthcare environments in 2025, highlighted email as the top threat vector (85% of all detections) and the U.S. as the biggest target (75% of all detections).

NIH-Funded Study Clearly Ties Risk of Dementia to Severe CTE

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides the clearest evidence to date to link severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) to dementia risk. CTE is a degenerative brain disorder in some people who have had repeated head impacts over time. It can be diagnosed only after death by examining brain tissue. While researchers were able to link severe CTE (stages III and IV) to dementia risk, they did not find any measurable link between less severe CTE (stages I and II) and changes in thinking, mood, or daily functioning.

Gerber Products Company Announces Voluntary Recall of Limited Batches of Arrowroot Biscuits

Gerber Products Company has initiated a voluntary recall of limited batches of Gerber® Arrowroot Biscuits out of an abundance of caution due to the potential presence of soft plastic and/or paper pieces that should not be consumed. The material comes from an arrowroot flour supplier who initiated a recall. They are no longer working with the flour supplier.

Koikoi Trading Inc., Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Wheat and Sesame in Fu Zhou Fish Balls

Koikoi Trading Inc. is recalling certain lots of Fu Zhou Fish Ball products in multiple pack sizes (200 g, 400 g, and 5 lb.) because the products may contain undeclared allergens: wheat and sesame. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat and/or sesame run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Navitas Organics Voluntarily Recalls Select Lots of 8oz Organic Chia Seeds Because of Possible Health Risk

Navitas Organics is voluntarily recalling select lots of its 8 oz. Organic Chia Seeds due to possible Salmonella contamination. This recall is being conducted as a precautionary measure following a recall initiated by the company’s chia seed supplier. Product was distributed nationally through retail stores such as Whole Foods Market and online retailers including Amazon.

COALITION NEWSLETTERS

Region D Newsletter - January 2026

NEWSLETTERS

ASPR Health Care Readiness Bulletin - Jan. 26

ASPR HPH Sector Highlights (Cybersecurity) - Jan. 26

Georgia Weekly Influenza Report - Week 2

MESH Weekly Situational Awareness Brief - Jan. 23

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Jan. 29

News and Notes - Jan. 23

EDUCATION

Emergency Preparedness Systems Training:

Everbridge Training

GHC911 Training

15 'til 50 for Emergency Department MCI Mitigation

Feb. 3

AHEPP Annual Conference

Feb. 24-25, 2026

Amateur Radio Extra Class Licensing Course

11 sessions from Jan. 15 to March 26, 2026

Disaster Mental Health Field Response Training

April 9 - Registration

July 9 - Registration

Oct. 8 - Registration

NACCHO Preparedness Summit

April 13-16, 2026

National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference

Dec. 1-3, 2026

RESOURCES AND REMINDERS

Reminder: Identify, Isolate and Inform!

Identify, Isolate and Inform: It is important to continue to ask travel questions. The purpose of this notice is to remind healthcare providers about actions to take in Georgia when evaluating patients for possible serious communicable diseases.

Travel Clinical Assistant (TCA) 

The Travel Clinical Assistant provides post-travel clinical information on travel-related diseases for 231 countries. Diseases with recent outbreaks occurring in the last two years are listed first.

ONLINE PREPAREDNESS TOOLS

GHC911

Go to the GHC911 homepage

WebEOC

Add your facility to WebEOC.

Everbridge

Sign up for an Everbridge account.

Accessing Tech Support

Selelia Jiles is GHA's Emergency Preparedness Communications Manager. Contact her at sjiles@gha.org, 770-249-4506 (office) or 404-200-5829 (cell).

If you need to reach GHA for a Disaster/Emergency Preparedness-related issue after hours, please contact Mallory Garrett, 706-934-0711.

The Disaster Readiness Line Newsletter is circulated by Georgia's Healthcare Coalitions to our emergency preparedness partners.