In a signed proclamation delivered to the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA), Gov. Nathan Deal has declared June 5-11, 2011 as Community Health Improvement Week in Georgia. A national event created by the Association for Community Health Improvement, its purpose is to encourage Georgia citizens to be aware of the health care services in their communities and learn how providers and resources impact the quality of, and access to, care.

Community Health Improvement Week is a time to promote collaboration between consumers and providers in an effort to improve quality of life. Through participation, hospitals can help enhance the collective health of Georgia citizens by offering education, peer networking, practical tools and forums for discussion.

Gov. Deal’s signing of the proclamation falls in line with steps he has taken as part of his commitment to improving community health. For example, he recently signed HB 214, which moves the state’s public health operations out of the Department of Community Health and establishes a separate Department of Public Health (DPH) that reports directly to the governor. Lawmakers say that making DPH a free-standing, cabinet-level department means that it will be better able to fulfill its mission.

Gov. Deal also signed SB 88, which increases the age requirement of children required to ride in a car seat from six years to eight years. Deal also signed HB 249, which requires hospitals to provide information on pertussis and the availability of a vaccine to parents of newborns.

`Community Health Improvement Week is an excellent way to bring attention to the need for a true collaboration between health care providers and citizens to improve the health of our communities,” said Joseph Parker, president of GHA. `We applaud Govenor Deal’s leadership on this issue and thank him for his efforts and commitment to making Georgia a healthier state.”

For more information on health improvement, visit www.hhs.gov.