ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has been awarded $1,219,501 in grants from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to continue five injury prevention programs. These programs offer technical assistance and resources to partner agencies statewide, develop community support for motor vehicle safety programs, support data linkages, and help evaluate program efforts.
“Bottom line, this funding will help us save the lives of Georgians,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health. “By working together and supporting each other, we have made a difference and can continue to save lives and prevent injuries.”
The funding from GOHS acknowledges the success of DPH programs in Georgia that are essential to protecting public health. The injury prevention programs include:
$476,802 to the Child Occupant Safety Project (COSP) that promotes safe transportation of children throughout Georgia through the car seat mini grant program. The program provides child safety seats, training for health care professionals, law enforcement, emergency medical services, schools and pupil transportation staff, childcare and local caregivers in 140 counties.
$193,536 to OASIS, a web-based query system that provides public access to statistics on deaths, hospital discharges, emergency room visits and motor vehicle crashes.
$104,200 to the Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System, a program that brings together multiple agencies to identify opportunities for crash prevention by linking and analyzing crash, vehicle and behavioral characteristics to medical and financial data.
$154,964 to the Older Driver Safety Program that works to maintain and/or enhance the mobility of older adults by developing comprehensive strategies that balance the needs of older adults with the safety of other drivers and pedestrians.
$289,999 for support of the Georgia Emergency Medical Services Information System. The database is the only statewide source for pre-hospital care information. The grant will support the work being done to increase the completeness and accuracy of the patient care information.
“The grants are key resources for our public health prevention strategies that improve highway safety throughout the state of Georgia,” said Patrick O’Neal, M.D., director of Health Protection, for the Georgia Department of Public Health.
To learn more about injury prevention in Georgia, visit dph.georgia.gov/injury-prevention-program.
About the Georgia Department of Public Health
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is the lead agency in preventing disease, injury and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing for and responding to disasters from a health perspectiveDPH’s main functions include: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, Infectious Disease and Immunization, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Emergency Medical Services, Pharmacy, Nursing, Volunteer Health Care, the Office of Health Equity, Vital Records, and the State Public Health Laboratory. For more information about DPH visit www.dph.ga.gov.