The FDHA Blog

We’ll be sharing insights and resources to help you stay informed and proactive about your health. We believe that knowledge is power, and by staying informed and engaged, you can take charge of your health and well-being.

Awareness Month

Nutrition Month

Good nutrition is essential to keep current and future generations healthy across their lifespan. According to the CDC, chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths annually in the United States. People with healthy eating patterns live longer and are at a power risk for serious health problems such as

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Awareness Month

National Kidney Month

According to the National Kidney Foundation, there are several ways to keep your kidneys healthy such as: regulating fluid levels, activating Vitamin D for healthy bones, filtering waste from the blood, direct production of red blood cells, regulating blood pressure, and keeping minerals in the blood in balance. Problems with

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Awareness Month

American Heart Awareness

Heart disease is a leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Heart-healthy living involves understanding your risk, making choices, and taking steps to reduce your chances of getting heart disease. Heart disease can cause heart attacks but by taking preventative measures, you can lower

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Awareness Month

National Hand Washing Awareness Week

National Handwashing Awareness Week takes place this year from December 1st-December 7th. Why is handwashing so important? It is as important as it has ever been. Washing your hands regularly can help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including the coronavirus. It is important to make sure that you are

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Awareness Month

American Diabetes Month

November is American Diabetes Month. This year’s campaign focus is on prediabetes and preventing diabetes. Prediabetes is a serious condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. According to the CDC, 88 million adults have prediabetes,

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Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month begins October 1st and there has been much progress made since the 30+ years this was launched in 1987. The tireless efforts have been made to support domestic violence survivors, hold abusers accountable, and create and update legislation to further those goals. According to the CDC,

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Awareness Month

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

According to the CDC, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women overall and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. Approximately 42,000 women and 500 men die each year from breast cancer. Black women have a higher rate of death from breast cancer

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Awareness Month

National Healthy Aging Month

September is National Healthy Aging Month, the purpose of this awareness is to broadly promote wats that people can stay healthy as they age. Older adults are at higher risk for chronic health conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s. Additionally, according to the CDC, 1 in 3 older adults fall

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Awareness Month

Suicide Prevention Month

September is Suicide Prevention Month. The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority wants you to know that it is okay to talk about suicide, it is important. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. The overall suicide rate has increased

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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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