The GE Atlanta Veterans Network, The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc., and Fulton County Health & Wellness to Host Second Annual Event in Support of Local Veterans

The GE Atlanta Veterans Network, The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc. (FHCGA), and Fulton County Health & Wellness are organizing an event in support of local veterans to provide them with valuable healthcare, housing and employment opportunities.

With more than 2,000 veterans residing on the streets of Atlanta and an estimated 2,000 additional veterans returning to Georgia from Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans in urgent need of housing and other support continues to increase.

In an attempt to alleviate this issue, the second annual veterans’ event will take place Thursday, September 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Family Health Center at Adamsville Regional Health Center, located at 3700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. SW in Atlanta. In addition to observing 9-11, there will be free health screenings, food, music, and fun for veterans and their families. City and county officials are invited to speak, including Atlanta City Council member C.T. Martin from District 10 and Fulton County Commissioners Joan P. Garner from District 6 and Emma L. Darnell from District 5.

“At GE, we value the leadership, loyalty, integrity, and commitment to excellence instilled through military service,” said Tim Schneller, Co-Chair of Community Service for the GE Atlanta Veterans Network. “We are demonstrating our commitment to veterans by partnering with Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc. (FHCGA) to reach out to veterans in the greater Atlanta community. The GE Atlanta Veterans Network is proud to sponsor this event and connect local GE businesses with FHCGA, an initiative of GE Developing HealthTM.”

With a financial contribution of over $850,000 from the Developing Health initiative, GE chose FHCGA as one of its “Healthymagination” partners and solidified its commitment to help uninsured populations receive access to healthcare.

“We are thrilled to partner with GE again to provide access to healthcare services and education for veterans and their families,” said Dr. Michael W. Brooks, President and CEO of The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc. (FHCGA). “We thank Fulton County Health & Wellness for joining us this year. FHCGA's mission for more than 37 years has been to bridge the gap between healthcare access, coverage and care. We now have a national spotlight on the lack of access to healthcare that many veterans face. Our goal is to educate local veterans on where they can receive quality healthcare, regardless of their ability to pay.”

Additional event partners include Walmart’s Hire Veterans Program, the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency, and the Red Cross Veterans Program.

All veterans are encouraged to attend and represent their respective branches of the military.

GE Veterans Network

The GE Veterans Network (GEVN) is a new addition to GE’s group of affinity networks and employee groups that supports, develops and promotes the unique characteristics of military veterans throughout GE’s businesses and local communities and also focuses on fostering a culture inside the company that recruits, transitions, develops and retains veterans as an essential leadership pipeline at GE. GE currently recruits military veterans through its Junior Officer Leadership Program (JOLP), as well as through hiring programs that target those finished with their active duty commitments. The vision of the GE Veterans Network is to make GE the employer of choice for veterans, reservists, and guardsmen while creating a GE community of veterans and veteran leaders to support and encourage the career development and growth of all its members while also serving the veteran community nationwide through national and local community service events. For more information about GE Veterans Network, visit http://www.ge.com/careers/culture/diversity/veterans-network.

The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc. (FHCGA)

Providing comprehensive preventive healthcare since 1976, The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc., formerly West End Medical Centers, is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3, federally qualified community health center. Services include adult medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health referrals, OB/GYN, and dental. FHCGA operates nine locations in Fulton and Cobb counties, including The Family Health Center at Adamsville Regional Health Center, a mobile medical & dental unit, and a school-based health center. FHCGA provides healthcare services to more than 22,000 patients annually, generating more than 55,000 patient visits. For more information about FHCGA, visit www.fhcga.org.

Fulton County Health & Wellness

The Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness, formerly the Fulton County Health Department, was established in 1952 through legislative action by the State of Georgia; this action merged the City of Atlanta’s Health Department with that of Fulton County and placed all health services under the jurisdiction of Fulton County Government. The Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness is the only public health agency in the State of Georgia that is under the auspices of local government.

With a workforce of more than 700 health care professionals and support staff, the Fulton County Department of Health & Wellness is the largest county health department in the State of Georgia, covering a 535 square mile area encompassing approximately 88 percent of the City of Atlanta. Included in its population are richly diverse communities of color, ethnicity and class, and a significantly large uninsured population. The department has 8 health centers, some within the City of Atlanta and others in the surrounding areas of Fulton County. The health centers are easily accessible via public transportation and convenient to a vast majority of clients. Mobile units further increase client access to Health and Wellness services. The department provides services for more than 350,000 visits annually, an average of over 1500 visits per workday. For more information, visit www.fultoncountyga.gov/dhw-home.