Dr. Stuart Brown to retire from DPH post

Published 10:54 am Monday, April 7, 2008

ATLANTA – Having served as a major player in Georgia’s public health community for more than 31 years, three of which were spent as Director of the Division of Public Health, Dr. Stuart T. Brown announced today his plans to retire from the Georgia Department of Human Resources. Brown will continue serving in his current capacity until April 30th.

“It has been an extreme honor to have had the opportunity to impact and empower every Georgia resident,” said Brown. “Since joining DHR, we have made great strides through our many partnerships to influence behaviors by developing and adopting strategies that resulted in positive change and put us on target to achieving what we all want – a healthier Georgia.”

Dr. Brown spent 12 years serving as the Medical Director, and later the Acting Director, of the DeKalb County Board of Health before accepting the responsibility as the State’s Director of the Division of Public Health in 2005. Prior to his lead health post, Dr. Brown served with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) working on assignments for the World Health Organization (WHO), Seattle-King County Health Department and Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness. While at the CDC, he worked on STD control nationally and internationally, protection from Chemical Warfare Agent Disposal and led the development of Injury Control and Epidemiology.

Under Dr. Brown’s leadership, the Division of Public Health worked to adopt strategies and policies that help improve the health of Georgians.

Notably, Public Health played a major role in the implementation of one of Georgia’s most important health endeavors – the passage of the Georgia Smokefree Air Act of 2005.

The Smokefree Air Act prohibits smoking inside most public places and outlines specific guidelines for allowing smoking in and around establishments that serve the public. The act played a key role in reducing the average rate of Georgia’s adult smokers by 10 percent in 2006.

The Division also worked alongside school systems across the state to implement the 100% Tobacco Free School Policy which prohibits tobacco use in school buildings and on their grounds and vehicles used to transport students. A total of 18 school systems in Georgia have adopted the policy.

During Dr. Brown’s tenure, Georgia continued to rank among the nation’s top five states for immunizing children against vaccine preventable diseases according to the National Immunization Survey. In 2006, Georgia’s immunization rate was above the national average of 77 percent, placing the state fifth on the ranking list. Of the children surveyed, 81.4 percent received the recommended 6-vaccine series of immunizations.

The Division also became the first agency in the nation to receive approval from the Office of Pharmacy Affairs, a component of the HRSA, to utilize a pilot project for dispensing AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) medication to Georgia HIV/AIDS patients. Under the Alternative Methods Demonstration Project (AMDP), patients can pick up their HIV/AIDS medication from pharmacies in their local area or participating pharmacies across the state.

“Dr. Brown has been a pivotal piece of the puzzle as we worked to identify where Georgia’s health issues lie, defining the division’s priorities and setting goals for addressing health issues in Georgia,” said B.J. Walker, Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources. “He has helped create the needed groundwork that will ultimately improve the health status of every individual in this state.”

Beginning May 1, Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford will serve as the interim Director of the Division of Public Health. Dr. Ford has served as the District health Director of the DeKalb County Board of Health since February 2005. Ford is a board-certified pediatrician and has an MBA from Howard University Graduate School of Business. She previously served as deputy State Health Officer of Children’s Medical Services for the Florida Department of Health.



For more information about the Division of Public Health’s accomplishments and general DHR information, please visit: http://dhr.state.ga.us.