Over thirty legislative and policy staffers came to campus on Wednesday, August 16, for Emory’s annual Legislative Staff Visit. During the August congressional recess, Emory invites staffers to visit campus and learn about different initiatives and programs. This year’s theme, “Emory Across Georgia,” illustrated the work Emory does to educate and provide healthcare to the entire state of Georgia.

The federal and state staffers were welcomed by President Claire Sterk, who spoke about the economic impact Emory has on the metro Atlanta area and the State of Georgia. At the Brain Health Center, the group learned about Emory’s telehealth efforts across the state, as well as the Georgia Alzheimer’s Project. The group then toured through campus to Winship, where they learned about the costs of research and the work Winship does across Georgia.

The group of federal and state staffers came from bipartisan offices, as well as staff offices focused on providing research and budget evaluation to legislators. A number of executive offices were represented, as well, including the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and Governor Nathan Deal’s office.

These staffers are crucial to the work of their respective legislators and legislative bodies. They not only cover a number of issue areas; the staffers who came to campus are also some of the busiest around. We are thankful for their time this past week, and we are proud of the positive feedback OGCA has already received. We will continue to build these critical relationships as a way to make sure Emory’s interests are heard at the state and federal levels.