Dedicated to Improving Health Outcomes in Fulton & DeKalb Counties

Governed by a ten member Board of Trustees appointed by the commissioners of Fulton and DeKalb counties, the Authority is committed to working to meet the health and wellness needs of the residents of Fulton and DeKalb counties through partnership with the Grady Health System.

Building a Strong Foundation: Our Strategic Pillars

The FDHA works to ensure that the residents of Fulton and DeKalb counties have access to quality prevention and healthcare services. To do this, the FDHA has identified the following strategic pillars as central to the success of our mission and the proper execution of the legal mandates that govern our work.

Organizational Capacity & Accountability

Stakeholder Engagement

Innovative Strategies & Initiatives

Asset
Management

Interested In A Career In Emergency Medical Services (EMS)? New Scholarship Opportunity Available

The (FDHA) is committed to supporting the EMS community within Fulton and DeKalb counties. Currently, the FDHA has scholarship opportunities available for individuals who meet the required qualifications for the Grady EMS Academy training program for EMTs, AEMTs and Paramedics. The scholarships will cover the full cost of the training program and all associated fees (including exam fees, uniforms and other resources). Please click here to visit the Grady EMS Academy website to complete all pre-admission requirements. Once your application has been completed, please submit it to careerdevelopment@thefdha.org along with this form. Scholarships are limited and applications will be selected based on essay responses and ability to work within Fulton and DeKalb counties.

Community Highlights

These dedicated individuals not only provide essential support but also empower individuals and the community as a whole through various outreach initiatives. See them out in the community through the photos below.

A Comprehensive Resource for Health Assistance

Network of Care for Public Health and Assessment and Wellness (NOC) is a groundbreaking tool that surveys all population health statistics. It presents a comprehensive dashboard of local health indicators. These indicators are connected to model practices throughout the country. It represents a powerful new era in public health knowledge and planning.

 

NOC includes maps and charts that show poverty-related Community Survey data at the zip code level for Fulton and DeKalb Counties. Additionally, it offers data visualizations that provide a glimpse into the Grady Health System and highlights the disease state in the Atlanta area. A key piece of the NOC is the integration of insurance data with the health needs of specific geographic areas (down to the zip code level in some areas). This tool can be used to fine-tune health interventions that can help positively impact health outcomes.

For More Information on Grady Pension Benefits:

If the Fulton DeKalb Hospital Authority is responsible for your pension benefits, or if you are a beneficiary entitled to current or future benefits administered by the FDHA, contact the Grady pension department: 888.356.1928

Asset Management

The Lease Transfer Agreement clearly states The FDHA’s responsibility for ensuring that all facilities currently operated by Grady are properly maintained and operated. This mandate goes beyond functioning as a landlord, but rather speaks to an expected standard of care for all. The FDHA and Grady must work collaboratively to ensure that all Grady facilities go beyond the minimum standard of “fit for use” so that the quality of Grady facilities is consistent with that of any other high-functioning hospitals.

Innovative Strategies and Initiatives

The most recent pandemic brought gaping healthcare disparities to light. As Georgia’s larg- est safety net hospital (and only safety net hospital in Metro Atlanta due to the closure of Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center), Grady continues to see increased service demands. Often, the medically indigent and underserved use the emergency room for primary care services. Issues like housing insecurity and poverty place additional strain on the Grady Health System, particularly when other factors (outside of the hospital walls) inform one’s overall wellbeing. As Grady continues to seek ways to improve health outcomes in the community, The FDHA is tasked with identifying innovative ways to support Grady’s efforts and broaden its reach into targeted sectors of the community. This pillar also speaks to The FDHA’s efforts to work collaboratively through grantmaking with organizations whose mission, vision, and work align with The FDHA’s priorities and goals. Through structured strategic partnerships, focused and aligned grant making, and ongoing community engagement, The FDHA will assume a leadership role in the health ecosystem.

Stakeholder Engagement

There are many stakeholders within the Fulton/DeKalb health ecosystem. Stakeholders can be characterizedas individuals, groups, or organizations whose efforts either inform healthcare outcomes or are impacted by healthcare outcomes. Grady remains The FDHA’s most important partner in this effort and a key stakeholder in the health ecosystem. As the daily operators of all of Grady’s health facilities, hundreds of thousands of patients per year (more than 700,000) are impacted. Maintaining consistent communication and collaboration with Grady’s Executive Leadership Team and staff is central to the success of The FDHA.

 

Similarly, The FDHA’s alignment and support of Grady’s population health and community engagement efforts are invaluable. As a grantor, The FDHA has an extensive network of community-based partners that work daily to provide direct services and/or support various health priorities. Many of these organizations provide services directly related to social determinants of health (i.e., housing, education, transportation, etc.) thereby adding value to the continuum of care. As The FDHA seeks to embrace a more prominent role as a convener, organizer, and facilitator in the health ecosystem, engaging stakeholders with purpose and intentionality becomes increasingly important.

Organizational Capacity & Accountability

The FDHA’s obligations, relative to its role as owners of the facilities operated by Grady and stewards of county resources entrusted to Grady, require the requisite skills of staff to execute key administrative and regulatory functions. Establishing and maintaining a staffing model that adequately responds to the needs of the agency is vital. Of equal importance is the establishment and maintenance of high-functioning financial management systems and general operations controls. Critical front and back-office functions should be insulated from staff turnover or shifts in organizational priorities. The provision of ongoing staff development opportunities will ensure that team members stay abreast of industry standards, best practices, and leading-edge opportunities. In addition, the curation and maintenance of financial management best practices ensure organizational accountability and responsiveness.

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