Georgia Community Research Articles

Pharmacist-Prescribed Hormonal Contraception: A Survey of Perceptions of Georgia Community Pharmacists and Non-Community Pharmacists.

Pharmacist-prescribed hormonal contraception (HC) is supported by a majority of pharmacists and pharmacy students; however, few studies have evaluated perceptions of non-community pharmacists, or differences in geographic areas. The primary objective of this study is to assess differences between community and non-community pharmacists in perceptions of pharmacist-prescribing HC in Georgia, a state that does not currently permit this practice. Secondary objectives include assessment of community pharmacist interest in prescribing HC, and differences in perceptions between pharmacists in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. A survey was emailed in early 2022 to 2592 Georgia pharmacists, with Likert questions assessing interest, perceptions, comfort, and perceived barriers regarding pharmacist-prescribed HC. Chi square testing identified differences between groups. The completed survey response rate was 11.8%. Regardless of practice site, a majority agreed that pharmacists are well trained to prescribe HC (community 61.8% vs. non-community 68.1%, p = 0.25) and provision of HC services is within pharmacists' scope (community 73.6% vs. non-community 74.2%, p = 0.90). Overall, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan community pharmacist perceptions were similar; however, more metropolitan pharmacists believed pharmacists are well trained to prescribe HC (66.7% vs. 48.7%, p = 0.049) and that it is within their scope of practice (78.1% vs. 61.5%, p = 0.045). In summary, the majority of pharmacists, regardless of practice type, believe that pharmacists are prepared to prescribe HC and that it is a part of pharmacists' professional scope of practice.

Looking for It: Language, Literacy, and History in Place

Within this article, we explore how teachers, researchers, and community members—including youth—worked in collaborative conversations and place-based projects to explore the languages, stories, and histories of their local Georgia communities. By examining the process of “looking for it,” as one youth researcher puts it, this article explores three inquiry practices Georgia youth use to identify and sustain community language and literacy practices: personal storytelling, walking histories, and breaking bread. These community literacies resulted in youth having a stronger sense of self and community and understanding the relationship between them. Additionally, the practices spurred critical thinking, historical inquiry, and socioemotional learning. Community exploration through community literacies created the foundation for place-based language, literacy, and history research to take root and flourish.

Examining the potential of pharmacies to expand pre-exposure prophylaxis access along Georgia’s fixed-route public transit: A geospatial analysis

BackgroundDespite accounting for more than half of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus diagnoses in the United States, the South has fewer than 30% of all pre-exposure prophylaxis users. Pre-exposure prophylaxis access geospatial analyses have focused on drive time but analyses along public transit routes have not been evaluated. Given the proximity to pharmacists and pharmacies, involvement in pre-exposure prophylaxis services may increase access and uptake of this preventative health need. ObjectiveThe objectives were to compare the rate of pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake between Georgia counties with and without public transit, to assess the geospatial accessibility of services along public transit, and to evaluate the potential impact of expanding pre-exposure prophylaxis services to community pharmacies. MethodsPre-exposure prophylaxis uptake rates between counties with and without public transit were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. Geospatial analysis was performed using ArcGIS Pro and Geoda. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake rates and population and county characteristics. Spatial analysis was completed to uncover predictors for pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake rates. Increased access to pre-exposure prophylaxis along public transit was calculated by reporting the number of counties that would experience at least a 50% increase in pre-exposure prophylaxis access through community pharmacies. ResultsPre-exposure prophylaxis uptake is significantly higher in Georgia counties with versus without public transit (P < 0.001). Pre-exposure prophylaxis rate is positively correlated with the accessibility of community pharmacies and pre-exposure prophylaxis clinics along fixed-route public transit (R2 = 0.524). Among pre-exposure prophylaxis clinics, 44% are inaccessible by public transit alone. Community pharmacies are significantly more widely distributed and accessible along public transit routes than pre-exposure prophylaxis clinics. ConclusionTransportation remains a barrier to accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis. Georgia community pharmacies along public transit may serve as a solution to pre-exposure prophylaxis care access barriers.

The availability of fentanyl test strips in Georgia community pharmacies

BackgroundFentanyl test strips (FTS) are increasingly being used to test counterfeit pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs for fentanyl before consumption. On July 1, 2022, Georgia legalized the distribution of FTS. One strategy for expanding FTS distribution in the community involves leveraging community pharmacies. However, less is known about FTS distribution through community pharmacies. ObjectivesThis preliminary study aimed to assess the availability of FTS in Georgia community pharmacies and examine pharmacists' knowledge and attitudes regarding FTS provision. MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional design. A randomized telephone survey of 700 pharmacies, stratified by pharmacy type, was carried out from September 2022 to January 2023. Survey questions assessed FTS stock status, pharmacists' awareness of Georgia's FTS legalization, willingness to receive FTS information, and comfort in providing FTS education. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data. ResultsOf the 376 survey respondents, the vast majority were not aware of the Georgia FTS legalization (82.71% [n = 311]) and did not have FTS stocked in their pharmacies (94.91% [n = 354]). While most participants were willing to receive FTS information (70.21% [n = 264]), only slightly over half reported feeling comfortable providing FTS education (54.70% [n = 205]). Multivariate analyses showed that female participants were less likely to feel comfortable providing FTS education to patients/clients at the pharmacy (adjusted odds ratio: 0.58; confidence interval: 0.36 to 0.92). ConclusionFindings suggest that Georgia community pharmacies may not stock FTS and that pharmacists may be unaware of the state's FTS legalization, but they are willing to receive information about FTS. Future studies should use a representative sample to design and implement strategies to support pharmacists’ provision of FTS, including a destigmatization approach for those not comfortable discussing FTS.

Survey of Georgia community pharmacists’ needs to engage in advanced community pharmacy services

BackgroundCommunity pharmacists improve health, reduce fragmentation in care, lower health costs, and improve health outcomes. In Georgia, pharmacists are able to enter collaborative drug therapy management protocols, such as hypertension management, with a collaborating physician, which may allow pharmacists to provide advanced community pharmacy services (ACPS), however few Georgia pharmacists have this licensure. No program(s) exist that empower pharmacists to successfully engage in ACPS across the state of Georgia nor trains pharmacists to successfully engage in collaborative practice. ObjectiveThe goal of this project was to explore community pharmacists’ perception, confidence, and engagement in ACPS and how this can improve access to care in Georgia. MethodsSix hundred one independent community pharmacists were sent an electronic survey May 13, 2022, with weekly email reminders through June 17, 2022. Results were analyzed with the independent sample t test. Thematic analysis was completed on open response survey questions. ResultsNinety responses were received (15% response rate). In the majority of survey outcomes, no differences were found in needs for success between rural versus urban pharmacists. Pharmacies with a smaller technician-to-pharmacists ≤2 (staffing) ratios identified billing for services as a higher priority need for success for them to confidently engage in ACPS (P = 0.012) while pharmacies with a higher technician-to-pharmacists >2 (staffing) ratio agreed a larger need was in optimization of current workflow to allow for advanced community pharmacy service incorporation (P = 0.034). All community pharmacists agreed they would require expansion in staffing and the qualities desired for additional hires to support ACPS include ambition, proficiency, and communication skills. ConclusionNumerous needs for success exist for community pharmacists to feel comfortable and confident to engage in ACPS. Addressing these needs may increase community pharmacist impact through increasing utilization of these services.

Landlords and Housing Quality in Rural Georgia: Assessing the Relationship

Landlords play a key role in maintaining the quality of rental properties. Similarly, over the last decade, the growth of financial instruments such as real estate investment trusts (REITs) along with widespread use of LLCs allow landlords to consolidate holdings with little local oversight on housing quality. Research on both these trends has focused mainly on urbanized areas. Rental properties are also common in many rural communities, but patterns of property ownership have been understudied. This article draws from community-generated data on local housing conditions and property records to describe patterns of property ownership in five rural Georgia communities using exploratory statistical and geographic analysis. We then use statistical models to assess how housing quality is related to landlord characteristics including landlords’ locations, number of total holdings, and LLC status. Our analysis finds that large, corporate ownership is limited in these communities, and that property ownership is largely local or regional, commonly including owners residing in the Atlanta metropolitan area. We also identify that properties owned by landlords with five or more properties have a significantly greater risk of dilapidation. Policies that support rural communities’ assessment of local property conditions and increase tenant protections may improve local affordable housing options.

Community pharmacists’ naloxone counseling: A theory-informed qualitative study

BackgroundOpioid-related overdose (ORO) deaths have reached a record high in the United States. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Pharmacists are in an ideal position to provide naloxone and related counseling, given their accessibility and expertise. However, minimal research is available on community pharmacists’ naloxone counseling. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate Georgia community pharmacists’ naloxone counseling as well as explore their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control toward counseling. MethodsSemi-structured telephone interviews were conducted to elicit pharmacists’ beliefs and practices regarding naloxone counseling. The interviews were guided by open-ended questions based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Thematic analysis was performed to identify the modal salient beliefs expressed by the pharmacists. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research was used to report the study findings. ResultsA total of 12 community pharmacists participated. Pharmacists held mixed attitudes toward naloxone counseling. While they recognized it as a vital part of their profession to prevent ORO deaths, they also expressed concerns about offending patients. Regarding normative beliefs, pharmacists identified several groups, including regulatory agencies (e.g., Board of Pharmacy, CDC), managers, news/media, patients, and doctors, influencing their provision of naloxone counseling. Facilitators to counseling included receiving naloxone training and having access to counseling guidelines and resources. Reimbursement issues, high costs of naloxone, and lack of patient awareness were the most commonly cited barriers. Pharmacists reported participating in counseling and providing information on identifying signs of opioid overdose and administering naloxone. ConclusionsThe TPB is a useful framework for understanding community pharmacists’ beliefs and practices regarding naloxone counseling. Capitalizing on facilitators and targeting barriers related to pharmacists’ reimbursement issues, high costs of naloxone, and increasing patients’ awareness of naloxone use and benefits may enhance pharmacists’ naloxone counseling.

Georgia community pharmacies and clinics: An evaluation of health outcomes and care access

BackgroundCare access remains a major social determinant of health. Safety net clinics may not be numerically sufficient to meet the health care demand for vulnerable populations. Community pharmacists remain a trusted health care provider and serve as first-line care access points. To date, Georgia care access points by safety net clinics and community pharmacies have not been compared. ObjectivesThis study sought to evaluate care access across Georgia. County health outcomes and health factor rankings were compared with mortality prevalence of respiratory disease, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, and a composite of ambulatory care sensitive conditions emergency department (ER) utilization and hospital discharge. In addition, this study sought to determine whether care access points improve if community pharmacies were to provide primary care services. Design and Outcome MeasuresGeographic information systems mapping was used to locate safety net clinics and community pharmacies. Care access difference was analyzed using a 2-sample t test and health outcomes and rankings were evaluated using ordinary least square regression analysis. ResultsA significant difference in care access points was found between safety net clinics and community pharmacies across the state of Georgia (P < 0.05). Mortality prevalence for respiratory disease (P < 0.01), diabetes mellitus (P < 0.1), kidney disease (P < 0.05), ER utilization (P < 0.01), and hospital discharge (P < 0.01) was lower in counties in the top 50% than the bottom 50% health outcome ranking and health factor ranking. Approximately 95% of counties (n = 151) would experience more than a 50% increase in primary care access points by way of community pharmacies. ConclusionCommunity pharmacies are well positioned to address primary care disease states, reduce health care resource strain, and decrease preventable health care resource utilization. Leveraging pharmacists to provide primary care services can address care access issues and may improve care quality and reduce preventable hospitalizations and ER utilization in Georgia.

Community-Centered Assessment to Inform Pandemic Response in Georgia (US).

The Georgia Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities Project conducts community-engaged research and outreach to address misinformation and mistrust, to promote inclusion of diverse racial and ethnic populations in clinical trials and increase testing and vaccination uptake. Guided by its Community Coalition Board, The GEORGIA CEAL Survey was administered among Black and Latinx Georgia 18 years and older to learn about community knowledge, perceptions, understandings, and behaviors regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccines. Survey dissemination occurred using survey links generated through Qualtrics and disseminated among board members and other statewide networks. Characteristics of focus counties were (a) highest proportion of 18 years and older Black and Latinx residents; (b) lowest COVID-19 testing rates; and (c) highest SVI values. The final sample included 2082 surveyed respondents. The majority of participants were men (57.1%) and Latinx (62.8%). Approximately half of the sample was aged 18-30 (49.2%); the mean age of the sample was 33.2 years (SD = 9.0), ranging from 18 to 82 years of age. Trusted sources of COVID-19 information that significantly predicted the likelihood of vaccination included their doctor/health care provider (p-value: 0.0054), a clinic (p-value: 0.006), and university hospitals (p-value: 0.0024). Latinx/non-Latinx, Blacks vs. Latinx, Whites were significantly less likely to get tested and/or vaccinated. Non-Latinx, Blacks had higher mean knowledge scores than Latinx, Whites (12.1 vs. 10.9, p < 0.001) and Latinx, Blacks (12.1 vs. 9.6, respectively, p < 0.001). The mean knowledge score was significantly lower in men compared to women (10.3 vs. 11.0, p = 0.001), in those who had been previously tested for COVID-19 compared to those who had never been tested (10.5 vs. 11.5, respectively, p = 0.005), and in those who did not receive any dose of vaccination compared to those who were fully vaccinated (10.0 vs. 11.0, respectively, p < 0.001). These data provide a benchmark for future comparisons of the trajectory of public attitudes and practices related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also point to the importance of tailoring communication strategies to specific cultural, racial, and ethnic groups to ensure that community-specific barriers to and determinants of health-seeking behaviors are appropriately addressed.

“The Volunteering Days is Gone”: All‐Hazard Incarcerated Firefighters and Rural Disinvestment☆

AbstractAfter decades of economic restructuring, many rural communities are struggling to provide adequate fire and emergency services across their communities. Subsequent population loss, the destabilization of local tax‐bases, and an increased demand from work and family have left local fire departments at a loss for personnel and support. In this context, rural Georgia communities look to nearby prisons to provide incarcerated persons to work as local firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to stabilize rural emergency services. In this paper, I examine the narrative accounts that officials who employ, manage, or work alongside incarcerated workers who are trained to respond locally as firefighters and EMTs and ask why incarcerated workers are looked to for this type of work in spite of the challenges associated with the program. Officials describe turning to the state prison system as the only viable option to make their communities and fire departments safe. These findings further illuminate the relationship between racial capitalism, carceral infrastructure, and emergency services as rural communities turn to the false promise of prisons and all‐hazard incarcerated firefighters to keep their communities safe.

Pre- and Post-Conception Relationship Duration and Parental Involvement Satisfaction among Noncustodial African American Fathers

This study examines how parental involvement satisfaction (PIS) in terms of accessibility, engagement, and responsibility (A-E-R) among of noncustodial African American fathers (NCAAFs) may be explained by the pre- and post-conception relationship durations they have with their children’s mothers, controlling for quality of communication satisfaction (QCS) with the mothers. Method: A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was performed with a sample size of N=163 NCAAFS who were surveyed participants in the Parenting Time Visitation Program (PTVP) in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia communities. Results: There no significant relationships found between pre/post-conception relationship durations and PIS in terms of A-E-R, even when controlling for QCS. Correlational and crosstabulation analyses did reveal some interesting patterns of note. Discussion: This study extends the literature on noncustodial father involvement with their children and provides valuable insight to co-parenting studies.

Praying with One Eye Open: Mormons and Murder in Nineteenth-Century Appalachian Georgia

Praying with One Eye Open: Mormons and Murder in Nineteenth-Century Appalachian Georgia

Emergency Contraception Access and Counseling in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Pharmacies in Georgia

Background: Emergency contraception (EC) efficacy is dependent on timing of administration. Adequate pharmacy stock information and accurate patient counseling are important to ensure timely access. Objective: This study evaluates pharmacist reported availability and counseling for levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA), and identifies differences between caller type and pharmacies in metropolitan vs nonmetropolitan areas of Georgia. Methods: This prospective, randomized, telephone-based study included 25% of Georgia community pharmacies, stratified by geographic location. Calls were made by investigators, first posing as a mystery shopper inquiring about EC stock and efficacy, then 3–6 weeks later as a researcher inquiring about EC stock. Analysis utilized descriptive statistics, chi Square, and logistic regression. Results: Of 600 pharmacies, the mystery shopper caller reached 86%: 74% of pharmacists initially discussed LNG, 57.1% had it stocked, more often in metropolitan areas (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.08–2.6). Ulipristal acetate was discussed by 1.9% and reported in-stock < 1%. Of those who discussed window of efficacy, 79% indicated LNG would either not work 4 days after intercourse or they were unsure. The research caller successfully completed a second call for 64% of pharmacies: 57% stocked LNG, 3% stocked UPA, and UPA was more likely to be stocked in metropolitan pharmacies. Conclusion: In Georgia, UPA availability is poor, and nonmetropolitan pharmacies were less likely to stock LNG and UPA. A minority of pharmacists correctly indicated that LNG may work up to 120 hours after intercourse. Strategies are needed to overcome barriers to EC availability in community pharmacies and support pharmacists’ EC counseling.

“Really Knowing” the Community: Citizen Science, VGI, and Community Housing Assessments

This paper evaluates a citizen science initiative to assess housing conditions in multiple rural Georgia communities. Using technologies for digitized collection of volunteered geographic information (VGI) on property conditions and an online dashboard to analyze results, local housing teams identified the characteristics and prevalence of housing problems in their communities. Drawing from a pragmatist framework, we note how this process created new connections between local leaders and residents and brought attention to sometimes unexpected issues. Conversely, participation was uneven within local communities in ways that potentially limit the effectiveness of these local initiatives.

Documenting Slavery at the Local Level: Montgomery, Alabama; A Case Study

Documenting Slavery at the Local Level: Montgomery, Alabama; A Case Study Dallas Hanbury (bio) Slavery, a defining characteristic of american history, continues to impact communities across the country and the nation as a whole. From frustration over the role and place of Confederate monuments in public places to the historical under-representation of minorities in cultural institutions, slavery and its continuing effects constitute a phenomenon that is anything but forgotten, including in Alabama. Repositories in Alabama that house local public records, including the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH), county courthouses, probate courts, circuit courts, historical societies, and archives have something to offer to the ongoing, multi-faceted discourse regarding slavery. These repositories hold a wide array of records, some possibly unknown or otherwise underused, that provide insight into how slavery manifested itself in communities across the state.1 These records greatly aid in documenting slavery at the local level and demonstrate how local histories of slavery in Alabama contribute to and fit within much [End Page 223] broader narratives regarding American slavery. A close reading of these records, many of which researchers can find on microfilm at ADAH and in Alabama county seats of government, probate courts, historical societies, and county archives, reveals a great deal of information about how Alabama communities constituted a part of, reacted to, and became shaped by the wider contexts in which American slavery existed, including antebellum finance, law, morality, race relations, territorial expansion, and more. Local government records also document that enslaved and formerly enslaved people constantly worked to carve out a space in which they made their own choices, created their own lives, and claimed and defended their humanity during the oppression of slavery and the turbulent times following emancipation. From running away, marrying during slavery—despite the knowledge that the law did not recognize such unions—negotiating the sale of their labor and their own working conditions post-slavery, to having marriages made during slavery legitimized following emancipation, African Americans in the South, specifically Montgomery County, Alabama, exhibited tremendous agency as they built their own worlds. Although local government records provide a wealth of information about how slavery manifested itself in Alabama communities, and therefore deserve attention, it remains important to consult other bodies of knowledge that help to contextualize the information found in local government records. Publications focused on the history of slavery and Reconstruction in Alabama demonstrate that a pattern exists in terms of what local records, and records of a broader context regarding slavery and its aftermath, researchers will find in Alabama. For example, in Michael W. Fitzgerald’s Reconstruction in Alabama and Anthony Gene Carey’s Sold Down the River, the authors show that a blend of local public records and other primary sources, including court records, census records, newspapers, and letters, provide illuminating insight into the history of slavery in Alabama and Georgia communities. In other words, published works suggest that researchers may find a degree of typicality among sources when researching slavery in Alabama communities. Such similarities constitute [End Page 224] a boon in that they provide researchers with a guide to beginning their inquiries into how slavery and its aftereffects manifested themselves in Alabama communities. However, as most researchers know, while typicality may exist among local records when researching certain topics, scholars should not take it for granted that such uniformities are universal; local public records will yield interesting surprises. This article aims to make interested, though perhaps less-experienced, non-professional historians aware of local government records related to slavery, and to help them understand how those records exist within a broader historical context. Professional historians have long known the value of, and have accordingly used, local government records in their research regarding all manner of subjects, including slavery. However, it remains important to remember that there exists a body of non-professional historians who may not know that local records, like those discussed in this piece, are available to scholars. This article does not provide an exhaustive list of local government records related to slavery; rather, using a selection of local government records from Montgomery County, Alabama, it provides a framework for engaging with and constructing narratives from local government...

Assessment of naloxone availability in Georgia community pharmacies

ObjectivesTo examine the availability of naloxone in community pharmacies and examine differences in naloxone availability across pharmacy location, pharmacy type, and areas of greater opioid overdose mortality. MethodsA cross-sectional design was used to conduct a telephone survey of community pharmacists. A list of community pharmacies was obtained from the Georgia Board of Pharmacy; 25% were randomly selected, stratified across the National Center for Health Statistics rural-urban codes. The primary outcome was pharmacist-reported naloxone stock status. Predictor variables included urban and rural location, pharmacy type, and opioid related mortality rates. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were performed using StataCorp. 2017 Stata Statistical Software: Release 15. ResultsOf the 600 pharmacies randomly selected, 166 pharmacies were not called because they were not open to the public or had known corporate policy prohibiting the release of stock information, or because of undisclosed reasons. Of the 434 called, 330 (76%) answered and agreed to participate and were included in the analysis. The majority were metropolitan (66%) and chain pharmacies with 4 or more locations (62%). Only 31% reported that naloxone was available for same-day purchase, 65% did not carry naloxone and 3% indicated that it was out of stock. Chain community pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc.), were more likely than independent pharmacies to have naloxone for same-day purchase (45% vs 24%; OR = 2.106, 95% CI 1.124–3.943), and areas with high opioid mortality rates were more likely to have naloxone than areas with low mortality rates (38% vs. 24%; odds ratio 1.866 [95% CI 1.059–3.290]). ConclusionPatients in Georgia face barriers accessing the potentially life-saving medication naloxone. Most community pharmacies (69%) did not have naloxone stocked. Naloxone was less likely to be available from independent pharmacies and in areas of lower than average opioid mortality rates. Additional strategies are needed to increase access to naloxone in an effort to combat the opioid epidemic.

A Scotch-Irish Clan in Middle Georgia? The Migration and Development of a McCarty Family across Two Centuries

This essay argues that characteristics of the Irish and Scottish kin-based clan systems brought to America by settlers from Ireland and Scotland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries had lasting effects on American kinship systems. Using a case study to focus on a single family, it suggests that elements of kinship systems originating in Ireland and Scotland could be found in a central Georgia community in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This is significant because the location was far removed from areas often identified with Irish, Scottish, and Scotch-Irish settlers, such as the hill country of the lower Appalachian Mountains. It suggests that cultural folkways could persist across many generations of a family, even outside areas where they were heavily concentrated. The latter portion of the essay focuses on the role of one woman, family matriarch Rhoda Johnson, in shaping identity and transmitting culture across generations.

Georgia Community Expands Disinfection Safety

Committed to provide sustainable, reliable drinking water while ensuring public health and safety in the region, Cobb County, Ga., has found a practical solution with on‐site sodium hypochlorite generation.

Climate research priorities for policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists in Georgia, USA

Climate change has far-reaching effects on human and ecological systems, requiring collaboration across sectors and disciplines to determine effective responses. To inform regional responses to climate change, decision-makers need credible and relevant information representing a wide swath of knowledge and perspectives. The southeastern U. S. State of Georgia is a valuable focal area for study because it contains multiple ecological zones that vary greatly in land use and economic activities, and it is vulnerable to diverse climate change impacts. We identified 40 important research questions that, if answered, could lay the groundwork for effective, science-based climate action in Georgia. Top research priorities were identified through a broad solicitation of candidate research questions (180 were received). A group of experts across sectors and disciplines gathered for a workshop to categorize, prioritize, and filter the candidate questions, identify missing topics, and rewrite questions. Participants then collectively chose the 40 most important questions. This cross-sectoral effort ensured the inclusion of a diversity of topics and questions (e.g., coastal hazards, agricultural production, ecosystem functioning, urban infrastructure, and human health) likely to be important to Georgia policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists. Several cross-cutting themes emerged, including the need for long-term data collection and consideration of at-risk Georgia citizens and communities. Workshop participants defined effective responses as those that take economic cost, environmental impacts, and social justice into consideration. Our research highlights the importance of collaborators across disciplines and sectors, and discussing challenges and opportunities that will require transdisciplinary solutions.

Tailoring a Hybrid Program for Reducing Health and Education Disparities in Georgia Communities: Outcomes of Listening Sessions

Tailoring a Hybrid Program for Reducing Health and Education Disparities in Georgia Communities: Outcomes of Listening Sessions