Friday, July 26, 2002

Barnes named to hospital authority

Fulton County District 6 Commissioner Nancy A. Boxill has appointed Joy Barnes to the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority Board, which has oversight for Grady Health System.

The appointment was confirmed by the Board of Commissioners at its May 15 meeting.

Barnes was appointed to a 4-year term and will serve on the Quality Oversight and Public Relations/Government Affairs/Medical School Relations committees.

Barnes is a public relations and marketing professional with an extensive background in health information services. Her clients have included the United States Army, the National Black Arts Festival, Sony Music Entertainment, former Atlanta Braves player David Justice, and the city of Atlanta.

Barnes holds a bachelor of arts degree in english/journalism from Parsons College. She is a native of New York who has lived in Atlanta for 20 years.

This appointment is a continuation of Barnes' public service commitment. She is a member of several other boards, including the People TV Board of Directors, the Jomandi Productions Friends Support Council, and the Communications/Public Awareness Subcommittee of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. She received the city of Atlanta's Phoenix Award for Public Service in 2001.

The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority Board consists of 10 members, seven appointed by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and three appointed by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners.

Responsibilities include management of, and responsibility for, the Grady Hospital System, which had a 2001 budget of $532 million. The system includes Grady Memorial Hospital, Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital, nine community health clinics, an Infectious Disease Center, Crestview Nursing Facility, and Grady EMS Service.