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Fulton County health director previews strategic plan, highlights HIV, chronic disease and accreditation push
Summary
Dr. Marcus Plescia, Fulton County district health director, told commissioners Aug. 5 the board’s strategic plan will emphasize prevention, workforce stability and a community health improvement plan; he said HIV and chronic disease remain top priorities and the department is seeking national public‑health accreditation.
Dr. Marcus Plescia, the district health director for Fulton County, told the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 5 that his office has completed a strategic plan and is finishing a community health assessment that will shape a community health improvement plan.
"I'm doctor Marcus Plescia. I'm the relatively new district health director for Fulton County," Plescia said as he outlined four main focus areas for the plan: financial stability, workforce, community health planning and service delivery. He described shifting more resources toward prevention — community‑based nurses and outreach — while maintaining core clinical services such as immunizations and HIV care.
Plescia identified chronic disease, mental and behavioral health, and infectious diseases (including HIV and a recent uptick in cyclosporiosis) as priorities, and said the department is working with the Georgia Health Policy Center on the assessment and implementation plan. He highlighted a new North Fulton clinical site that now provides vital records and travel vaccinations locally.
Commissioners asked about data transparency and coordination with hospital systems. Plescia said the department will publish a community health assessment and is developing a dashboard and a "state of public health" report to improve access to data. He also noted the county has reconstituted environmental‑health inspection capacity, hiring roughly 14–16 inspectors and expanding that team after earlier shortages.
Plescia closed by telling the board Fulton County is pursuing national public‑health accreditation, a multi‑year process he called "a heavy lift" but an important step for quality assurance and improvement. The presentation preceded separate action to adopt related environmental‑health fee changes.
