February 2019 Vital Connection Newsletter (Revised information for Regional Consultant in the North)

FEBRUARY 2019 EDITION

STATE OFFICE UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

For several years, the duties of the Director of Vital Records and State Registrar has been the responsibility of one person. After careful review of the organizational chart and requirements of the State Office of Vital Records, the roles have been separated. The Director of Vital Records will be primarily responsible for overseeing and managing all of the administrative/personnel matters at Vital Records. The State Registrar will be primarily responsible for data integrity, compliance, and continuing to further improve community partnerships with external stakeholders such as local and county Vital Records offices, funeral homes, hospitals, and etc.

Keisha Dixon has assumed the role of Director of Vital Records . Ms. Dixon currently serves as the Chief of Staff to DPH Commissioner O’Neal, MD, for the Georgia Department of Public Health. Her responsibilities include oversight of the Department's Administrative Services, Facilities and Support Services, Grant-in-Aid, Office of Quality, Performance, Accreditation, Diversity and Health Equity, and the State Office of Vital Records. Ms. Dixon has more than 13 years of experience with the State of Georgia in the area of administrative and operational services with Departments of Community Affairs, Human Resources and Community Health, and Public Health. Prior to state service, she served 10 years with the Atlanta Housing Authority in the area of administrative services.

Deputy Director, Christopher Harrison will serve as the State Registrar. Chris Harrison joined the Georgia Department of Public Health in 2013 as the Data Quality Liaison for the State Office of Vital Records. Since that time, he has served as the Manager for the Data Quality and Reporting Unit, and most recently as a Deputy Director of Data Integrity & Analytics. During his years with Georgia DPH, Chris has been an active participant in several agency-wide quality improvement efforts and was a member of the Good to Great Champions, the DPH Agents of Change, and the Quality Improvement Council. Chris is also a member of the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS) and co-chairs the NAPHSIS Mortality Data Quality Workgroup. Prior to joining Georgia DPH, Chris earned his Masters of Public Health from the University of Michigan, with a concentration in epidemiology.

Crystal Holmes Myers has been promoted to Regional Consultant of the North Region . Mrs. Meyers has been employed with the State Office of Vital Records for 7 years. Previously, she served as the Regional Coordinator for the Regional Training and Support team. Crystal has also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Francis Marion University in 2005. Mrs. Meyer’s mission at the State Office of Vital Records is to help educate, train, and support our stakeholders.

When she is not working at the State Office of Vital Records, Crystal enjoys traveling the world as well as promoting both her novels and stage plays. Crystal is the author of several books, a playwright, and a director.

She is excited about this opportunity and looks forward to working with each and every Vital Records stakeholder in the North Region of Georgia.

UPCOMING WEBINARS & MEETINGS

WEBINARS

New Registrar Orientation

March 14, 2019

10:00 AM - 12:00PM

Customer's Special Request

(Veterans, Genealogists, and Non-Traditional)

March 8, 2019

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Fee & Issuance Training

June 19, 2019

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

New Registrar Orientation

July 10, 2019

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Disposition Permits

August 14, 2019

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

New Registrar Orientation

September 11, 2019

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

New Registrar Orientation

November 13, 2019

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

MEETINGS

Registrar Meeting (Glynn County)

April 10, 2019

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Registrar Meeting (Dougherty County)

April 11, 2019

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Registrar Meeting (Gwinnett County)

April 15, 2019

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Registrar Meeting (Richmond County)

April 16, 2019

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Registrar Meeting (Bibb County)

April 18, 2019

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Registrar Meeting (Floyd County)

May 21, 2019

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Registrar Meeting (Hart County)

May 22, 2019

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Please click here to download a copy of the calendar of events.

CONSTITUENT'S CORNER:

Georgia Death Certificates

For several years, there has been a lot of conversation surrounding death certificates. From the 2007 Attorney General’s opinion on Open Records, to cause of death vs. no cause of death on death certificates, this has been a consistent hot topic. In July of this 2018, the State Office, in conjunction with DPH General Counsel, submitted a revision to the Rules and Regulations, governing the distribution of death certificates. This regulation was revised to incorporate the Attorney General’s opinion into the regulation due to discrepancies. In October, the revisions were accepted and now reflect the Attorney General opinion regarding death certificates with cause of death. Furthermore, the regulation clarifies how death certificates should be distributed to persons requesting document(s) under the Open Record Act.

The amended rule and regulation 511-1-3-.33 (5)(c) reads as follows:

A person who demonstrates that a certified copy of the death certificate is needed to establish a legal right or claim.

A plain paper copy of a death certificate showing cause of death may be issued to any person; provided, however, that the decedent's Social Security number shall be redacted.

We hope that this new revision clears up any confusion and that we are able to move forward consistently when distributing death certificates to our constituents.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1: Where can I obtain Vital Records data?

A1: Users can find most Vital Records data on the Georgia DPH OASIS website, which can be accessed at https://oasis.dph.ga.gov/ . OASIS is a powerful tool that can create maps, as well as several types of graphs and charts. Users also have the option to download the data from OASIS.

If the data you are looking for is not present on the OASIS website then you will need to request it through the DPH Public Health Information Portal (PHIP). Please access the PHIP at this link: https://dph.georgia.gov/phip-data-request . To request data, you will need to first create an account, and then submit a request describing what data you need, and for what purpose.

Q2: Who is responsible for obtaining assurance from the physician or the coroner, regarding whether or not the death was natural or not, in order to issue the disposition permit?

A2: Section 15 of Code 31.10.15, states that the funeral director who first assumes custody of the dead body shall file the certificate of death and obtain the personal data from the next of kin and shall obtain the medical certification.

Section 22 of Regulations 511.1.3.22, states that it is the responsibility of the person removing a dead body from the place of death to obtain assurance from the attending physician that the death is from natural causes, and, notify the coroner or ME if the case comes within their jurisdiction.

Q3: How should the coroner submit additional information to resolve a pending death file?

A3: The coroner should forward the VR Supplemental Form to the State Office of Vital Records anytime the cause of death was pending or incorrect at the time the certificate was filed. The coroner should complete the form, including the cause of death and mail or fax to:

ATTN: State Office of Vital Records

1680 Phoenix Blvd., Suite 100,

Atlanta, Georgia 30349

Fax 404-591-5083

[email protected]

Q4: Should the local VR office charge a customer for a copy of a death record with a pending cause of death, and then again when the cause is added to the record?

A4: The $25.00 fee includes a copy of the record with the actual cause of death, once the pending cause of death is updated, please swap the certificate at no charge.

GAVERS TECHNICAL TIPS

If a customer purchases a certificate but decides that they would like an additional copy after the transacation has been completed; please follow the steps below in Fee and Issuance.

To complete the transaction. Here's what you should do if the clerk has completed the initial transaction and clicked yes:

1. Create a new request and add the transaction details.

2. Click refund/adjustment to adjust the price added to the transaction(s) to $5.

3. Process the transaction as you normally would and complete the request.

PROTIP: Use the clone feature in Fee.

Take Payment > Search Record > Add DCN > Complete Request

NEW VITAL CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE

To ensure that our newsletter contains up to date and useful information, we have changed the release schedule to quarterly instead of bi-monthly. Please look for our next issue in the Spring of 2019. In the meantime, please visit our website at www.dph.ga.gov/VitalRecords to view our Vital Connections Newsletter Archives or click this link .

2018 MOST POPULAR NAMES

Stumped for a baby name? See the top five most popular baby names in Georgia for both sexes. This information is based on the data collected at the State Office of Vital Records.

BIRTH RECORD RATINGS:

THE TOP FACILITIES

Rank

50 or Fewer Births

1. Dorminy Medical Center

2. Gordon Hospital

3. Grady General Hospital

51 to 200 Births

1. Archbold Medical Center

2. Phoebe Putney Memorial

3. South Georgia Medical Center

201 or More Births

1. Candler Hospital

2. Northside Hospital

3. Northside Hospital Forsyth

Most Improved Facilities

1. Piedmont Walton Hospital

2. Piedmont Fayette Hospital

3. Eastside Medical Center

Average Days to Register a Birth

1.8

2.1

1.9

2.3

2.1

3.4

14.0

13.0

10.0

NEW OFFICE HOURS

The State Office of Vital Records hours of operation have changed as of December 1st.

Walk-in/Front Counter Service

Monday through Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM .

The Communications Center

Monday through Friday 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM.

VITAL RECORDS GEORGIA CODE & REGULATIONS

The State Office of Vital Records is making it easy and convenient for you to access our code and regulations on the go. We have provided a link below for quick access. Click here for Georgia Code. Click here for Rules and Regulations.