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Aug. 28, 2025

Quote of the Week

Let us learn together and laugh together and work together and pray together, confident that in the end, we will triumph together in the right.

-Jimmy Carter

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.

Kristen Cail

Region I Welcomes New Healthcare Coalition Coordinator

 

Kristen Cail has joined the Region I Healthcare Coalition as its new coordinator. She can be reached at kristen.cail@piedmont.org, 706-660-2573 (O), or 706-573-3575 (C).

Screenshot 2025-08-27 080023

Measles Health Update

 

As of Aug. 19, 1,375 measles cases have been reported by 42 jurisdictions, in the United States, including Georgia. Three measles-related deaths have also been reported: an unvaccinated adult and two unvaccinated children. There have been 35 outbreaks (defined as 3 or more related cases) reported this year, with 87% of cases associated with outbreaks. Georgia has had two outbreaks with a total of six measles cases reported so far in 2025.

Rare Human Case of Flesh-Eating Parasite New World Screwworm Identified in US

 

A rare case of travel-related New World screwworm was identified in Maryland in a patient who traveled from El Salvador, a spokesperson from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maryland Department of Health are investigating the case of the flesh-eating parasite, which was confirmed on Aug. 4, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said.

CDC Launches New Campaign to Address Youth Substance Use and Mental Health

 

The back-to-school season is a great time to engage with youth about mental health and substance use to promote their well-being throughout the academic year. To support these conversations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched Free Mind, a new national campaign that provides youth ages 12-17 and their parents and caregivers with resources and information about substance use, mental health, and the connection between the two.

CISA Offers Guide to Shore Up Operational Technology Against Threats

 

In new asset inventory guidance, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and partners emphasize the importance of proactive planning, collaboration between IT and operational technology teams, and integration of cutting-edge technologies that can help organizations stay ahead of potential cybersecurity and operational threats.

Phantom Limb Study Rewires Our Understanding of the Brain

 

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found that the brain’s control center for a lost appendage can persist long after surgical amputation, which stands in stark contrast to longstanding theories about the brain’s ability to reorganize itself, also known as plasticity. Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their colleagues examined human brain activity before and after arm amputation and found that the loss of a limb does not prompt a large-scale cerebral overhaul. 

Blue Bell Ice Cream Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Almond, Walnut, and Pecan in Moo-llennium Crunch Ice Cream

 

Blue Bell Ice Cream is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of Moo-llennium Crunch Ice Cream half gallon packaged in a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough carton produced in its Brenham, Texas, plant because of undeclared almond, walnut, and pecan. The recalled product was mistakenly packaged in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream cartons with a Moo-llennium Crunch lid. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to almonds, walnuts, and pecans run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

NEWSLETTERS

American Journal of Public Health - Sept. 2025

 

ASPR Health Care Readiness Bulletin - Aug. 25

 

ASPR HPH Sector Engagement Opportunities - Aug. 26

 

ASPR HPH Sector Highlights (Cybersecurity) - Aug. 22

 

Georgia Weekly Influenza Report - Week 33

 

MESH Weekly Situational Awareness Brief - Aug. 22

 

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Aug. 28

 

News and Notes - Aug. 22

EDUCATION

Emergency Preparedness Systems Training:

Everbridge Training

GHC911 Training

 

28th Annual Cardiology Update for the Non-Cardiologist Conference

Oct. 24-25

 

AHEPP Annual Conference

Feb. 24-25, 2026

 

ASPR Disaster Telehealth Webinar

Sept. 3

 

CISA Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) Training Courses

Sept. 15 & 26

 

CISA Virtual Training Workshops

Insider Threat Mitigation Workshop - Sept. 12

Securing Public Gatherings Workshop - Sept. 19

Combination Workshop - Sept. 29

 

NACCHO Preparedness Summit

April 13-16, 2026

 

National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference

Dec. 1-3

 

Psychological First Aid: Train the Trainer

Sept. 9-10

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.

Violent Actors and Cyber Criminals Threaten Emergency Services Sector

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis sent an assessment of threats to the Emergency Services Sector— police, firefighters, and other first responders— from violent extremists, other physical threat actors, or malicious cyber actors. 

Volunteer

ONLINE PREPAREDNESS TOOLS

GHC911

GHC911 DRL

Go to the GHC911 homepage

WebEOC

WebEOC

Add your facility to WebEOC.

Everbridge

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.

Georgia Hospital Association, 380 Interstate North Parkway SE, Suite 150, Atlanta, Georgia 30339, 770-249-4500

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