[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6670123,"mediaKeyId","2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e","parentId",2173022,"title","Medical Association outlines Safe Haven practitioner‑wellness program; committee hears plan to roll out this year","audioSeconds",530,"startMs",6220000,"endMs",6750000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e&start=6220&end=6750","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e/thumbnail_6220000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6670123/Georgia/Medical-Association-outlines-Safe-Haven-practitionerwellness-program-committee-hears-plan-to-roll-out-this-year","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670123-e76f93ff97aeadac6b864d362ccfb930/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182445&Signature=iimCuxYROkyCkOxFQAeH-CikvtSES4B25GXa5EqQD1mlAKxbAlnLIgNjFKoVWCbjG7Td3Iw5zKOjMfwEwYv3exV4Ui5ojmHA2aJHg6TXWJnDvI546aF5Ogm7az17frQHcT0Avl9oGPk0y250OS-aQzx0TLuw-iangaP2WA7bSF-3F1pWbfph~gVDtukg5z4lFcWSwu-tqYXYQIY75kdgrRtddPDXaZDGVSDC04FMSX1X40hOTH2qdg67KUddxw8iTjfoe4D2-qVXjTEvCJTCowkowqWPpN~Lr934hpXfF1KF5Kq24P~a0ApavNiqLYZBiVU-3H50tnEITecasf7CJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Georgia ","date","2025-01-29T05:58:35.44Z","article","Brent Walker, general counsel for the Medical Association of Georgia, briefed the committee on the Safe Haven practitioner‑wellness program established by last year’s legislation. Walker said the program is modeled on Virginia’s program and designed for broad practitioner participation, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses.

“The goal here is not just to prevent impairment, but to deal with stress,” Walker said, describing the program’s focus on stress management, peer support, mental‑health access, resilience training and work‑life balance initiatives. He said the program emphasizes confidentiality, peer support and a non‑disciplinary approach to encourage engagement from practitioners who might otherwise avoid employer or licensing‑board programs.

Walker told the committee the Medical Association has developed program components and vendor relationships and estimated annual per‑practitioner costs at roughly $300. He said the association plans to incentivize employers to offer the program as an employee benefit and expects to provide access for independent rural practitioners; he said a rollout is expected this year after coordination with licensing boards.

Committee members welcomed the program as a workforce retention tool given statewide shortages. Walker said the program aims to improve retention and reduce errors that are associated with practitioner burnout. He said the association is working with state licensing boards and other professional societies and would begin implementation steps this year.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public and Community Health 01.28.25","oneSentenceSummary","The Medical Association of Georgia described its Safe Haven program—a confidentiality‑protected, non‑disciplinary practitioner wellness program aimed at addressing burnout and retention—and said it expects to begin rollout this year with modest per‑practitioner costs and potential employer incentives.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",16937,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6670130,"Committee advances substitute to House Bill 89 to streamline maternal death autopsy process and formalize review of perinatal regions",844,5350000,6194000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e&start=5350&end=6194","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e/thumbnail_5350000.jpg","/articles/6670130/Georgia/Committee-advances-substitute-to-House-Bill-89-to-streamline-maternal-death-autopsy-process-and-formalize-review-of-perinatal-regions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670130-2ca23e1e8062f71bbf13ac4ceaa1949b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182445&Signature=VC33FXu9Yk5uG-11R6Tpk1Ljeb~yra8QhpCIoKVxdoIiiGgprTxOUjDqRhFfnRWnIIup-aPREjYC7GMkN~Z2FWdnY5sZ9ZctOxD2iiSihQ89QdQaRfd~gjrHt7jIocEunSTLqAGGv9DfwqRLe6iCvuqzX-3MDOL8HrrORqr56fKFQGqTHR62COd7Kvgkb7Nh68a6uI5FMml7pvooRgS7THL7ZNGmkri4aOtMqvj107~TC-nB1O1dO8ysobTkPz6d5x0EXpaGcNVqIi64OozM0HU~ZAKBGKd~Ja7oR4B3Gs43l1lSqLUdd-8zrtsB2Wz5wdVDLFSKy0y2g-2~-hmrdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Megan Andrews, assistant commissioner for policy at the Georgia Department of Public Health, presented the department’s agency bill, House Bill 89 (LC 57027S), intended to improve maternal health processes across the state. The bill received a substitute and was approved by the committee by voice vote.

Andrews described three principal components of the bill. First, the bill modifies an earlier 2022 requirement that maternal death autopsies be referred to regional perinatal centers; Andrews said regional perinatal centers have declined to perform autopsies due to liability concerns, so the substitute requires an autopsy but allows the Regional Medical Examiner/GBI or local medical examiner to perform it through normal channels. “We have been attempting to [implement] that legislation since 2022 and the regional perinatal centers do not want to do autopsies citing liability concerns,” Andrews said.

Second, the bill would amend confidentiality language to permit the maternal mortality review committee (MMRC) to access mental‑health records where necessary for case review, within the committee’s existing statutory confidentiality protections. Andrews said mental‑health conditions are rising as a cause of maternal death and access to those records is necessary for informed recommendations.

Third, the substitute creates a committee to review the state’s existing six regional perinatal centers on a four‑year cycle, modeled on the newborn screening advisory committee that evaluates additions to the newborn screening panel. The review body will recommend whether regional boundaries or additional perinatal centers are needed and permit the department to request budget resources if an additional center is justified.

Representative Cannon asked about a caveat in the bill that exempts records sharing “unless prohibited by state or federal law”; Andrews said that language was requested by the Georgia Hospital Association and ensures the department will not require providers to share information that would be illegal to share. Representative Cannon also asked about continuity of the MMRC after members were removed previously; Andrews said the department is reconstituting the committee and emphasized confidentiality was a factor when the prior committee was reconstituted.

After questions, the committee approved the substitute to House Bill 89 by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.","The committee approved a substitute to House Bill 89, a Department of Public Health agency bill that revises maternal mortality autopsy procedures, expands access to mental‑health records for the maternal mortality review committee, and establishes a statutory review process for regional perinatal centers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6670134,"DHS and Alzheimer’s Association present 2024 dementia report, highlight Georgia Memory Net and caregiver burden",1124,3135000,4259000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e&start=3135&end=4259","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e/thumbnail_3135000.jpg","/articles/6670134/Georgia/DHS-and-Alzheimers-Association-present-2024-dementia-report-highlight-Georgia-Memory-Net-and-caregiver-burden","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670134-f8a6f901e79526abcdfed0181bdadcc5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182445&Signature=K71WbMiwszaPmy-CHWgLkyW-nHcJiS86w1PNG3u24A3o08V5tYGNkA59FPMuvkM1BqPGQHjqYg5vycw~PqbSsdgdPjf0QX1yyu1kj9f~LKdDPQEkXbC23BLdnoMf9W6NnCaaT2c-T4A3AnjF5vAzU9u-mszV9-0Ud1Jw4iYJNsIupmtKjyd~Y~1gid-oN4pnqFMRcJZSMgnjV5Za38Vz05B7Sz7FPceUt2WlnvVCO5MI0ch25SEx9DXICr5Cl6hyNHK-tvBghvnt2qgIBzpCXuGzmTUvk1k5brL6vlJM1jfYigPW60xYJ-8ZdQX1sYwGteWK7Vx7ksD8xrtrq6mxbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mary Lee Boatwright Quinn, assistant deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services, and Nancy Petrie, director of government affairs for the Alzheimer's Association and chair of the GARD advisory council, presented the Division’s 2024 dementia report to the House Public and Community Health Committee.

“The guard state plan was established in code in 2014,” Boatwright Quinn said, describing the statutory framework for a state advisory council and the mandate to provide a dementia report. The report, prepared with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute, will now be updated on a four‑year cadence and used to guide targeted public-health interventions.

Presenters summarized statewide data and program activity. The report estimates about 188,000 Georgians age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease; approximately 74,000 of those are Medicare beneficiaries with a formal diagnosis. Boatwright Quinn said the average age at diagnosis is higher for women (about 81) than for men (about 78). The presenters noted that about 40% of dementia cases are associated with modifiable risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, poor sleep and inactivity.

The committee heard that dementia imposes large costs on families and the Medicaid program. Nancy Petrie said national estimates place direct medical costs for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) at roughly $196 billion in 2019 and caregiver time costs at about $254 billion; Georgia’s Medicaid cost for ADRD was reported as $1.265 billion in 2020 and estimated to have risen about 26% since then. Petrie said Georgia has an estimated 375,000 Alzheimer’s caregivers providing about 755,000,000 hours of unpaid care annually.

Presenters also reviewed access to specialty care and workforce gaps. They showed maps illustrating a concentration of neurologists in the Atlanta region and noted insufficient specialist coverage in many rural parts of the state. The Georgia Memory Net (GMN) program uses a mix of diagnostic clinics and telehealth sites to extend specialist diagnostic protocols statewide; presenters said GMN will provide the General Assembly with a one‑page summary this session with client statistics.

Boatwright Quinn highlighted a new dementia care specialist program placed in each area agency on aging, and she credited prior legislative investments. “All of these investments of state funds, resources, and leadership focus have made us the envy of other states,” she said, describing the state’s work on early and accurate diagnosis, caregiver supports and risk‑reduction activities.

Committee members asked about research participation, workforce pipelines, equity of access in South Georgia and the potential interaction of caregiver supports with other state programs. Boatwright Quinn and Petrie said they are pursuing targeted grants and pilot sites in southern Georgia, collaborating with the Department of Community Health and university partners on workforce initiatives, and will follow up on specific funding‑and‑program queries off the record.","The Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services and the Alzheimer’s Association presented a 2024 dementia report, citing about 188,000 Georgians age 65+ estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s, substantial caregiver burdens, and state investments in Georgia Memory Net (GMN) and dementia care specialists.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6670138,"House Public and Community Health committee adopts 2025-26 rules, sets quorum at eight",227,2357000,2584000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e&start=2357&end=2584","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2173022-cdf22d7769d9ba8c28bb0ab945b95b8e/thumbnail_2357000.jpg","/articles/6670138/Georgia/House-Public-and-Community-Health-committee-adopts-2025-26-rules-sets-quorum-at-eight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670138-3ca0f25e33037f1038bd75f89d32252e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182445&Signature=KDNt9u1eckOQMrNvjUoTQ3HWOxWhuiV3NBEdyCu2r5xVDdvZu2Pz3F7STnvoeX5YCOBukjhXZrKc2Ibefxi24NsVqiA6IU7nno2v57U2tbuj4Pl1NSo49BtfumiufIn2oDw-slFTTIrpvxC9VKysWXhbgaSgzBb2-3ri1BoyPQshre1btSAZed2Yd~QTdofaME7KlvsEu~shjUMARMmgp3h-mNYf2D0Psl4COZaxj564~aGOKteug7Ky0IVV~ygCp~ykLFD7kECzxlSF9HVupbKX~NuwZOWCwVQGsy4jNSt8ZQlT1JHBBtgblZa81lIB3Z91w7dYSJVJJbp~c9NodA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House Public and Community Health Committee voted to adopt its 2025–26 rules by voice vote after a short discussion about quorum and a motion to adopt with a condition. Representative Reese moved to adopt the rules with the condition that the chair would consider increasing the quorum if membership attendance warrants it. The committee chair called for the vote and the rules were adopted by voice.

The chair said the committee usually has good attendance but cited scheduling conflicts with other committees as a reason for keeping the quorum at eight rather than raising it now. “I would rather have it at 11, but let's start out with 8,” the chair said, adding she would consider increasing the quorum if members demonstrate higher attendance.

No roll-call tally was recorded in the minutes for the rules vote; committee members approved the rules by voice vote. The committee noted the rules came from the speaker's office and that there were no substantial substantive changes from the prior cycle other than the quorum discussion.

The adoption was procedural and does not itself change committee policy or appropriations. The chair invited members to read the distributed rules packet and asked for further questions before the voice vote.","The Georgia House Public and Community Health Committee adopted its 2025–26 rules by voice vote and kept the quorum at eight members, with the chair saying she will consider raising the quorum if attendance improves.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Medical Association outlines Safe Haven practitioner‑wellness program; committee hears plan to roll out this year

Committee advances substitute to House Bill 89 to streamline maternal death autopsy process and formalize review of perinatal regions

DHS and Alzheimer’s Association present 2024 dementia report, highlight Georgia Memory Net and caregiver burden

House Public and Community Health committee adopts 2025-26 rules, sets quorum at eight