Governor Appoints Nursing Professor to Georgia Ebola Response Team

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ATLANTA – Mercer University Associate Professor Brenda Rowe, M.N., R.N., J.D., has been appointed to the Georgia Ebola Response Team by Gov. Nathan Deal.

The Georgia Ebola Response Team, composed of leaders in health and research communities and state agencies, was created by executive order to assess current state health and emergency management procedures and produce necessary recommendations to minimize any potential impact of the disease in Georgia.

The 13-person team is chaired by Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald and will meet this week to immediately begin issuing recommendations to the governor.

“Those that have been chosen to serve on the panel are leaders in their respective fields, and I'm confident that their combined talents and experience will allow them to effectively examine state preparedness and provide all necessary recommendations,” Gov. Deal said in a release distributed on Monday.

“By opening up lines of communication between the private and public sector, Georgia is uniquely positioned to combat the risks of Ebola should the need arise and protect the health of the people of our state. An informed public and a prepared group of first responders and health care professionals can save lives. Let me reiterate: As a state, we are taking every precaution to make certain Georgia stands prepared.”

Rowe is a tenured faculty member of the Georgia Baptist College of Nursing on Mercer's Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus in Atlanta, where she has taught since 1992. Her research interests include health care policy, legal and ethical issues affecting health care, and NCLEX-RN preparation for prelicensure students, and she has presented her work at the local, state and national level.

“As a respected member of the health care community, Professor Rowe is quite capable of working with other Georgia Ebola Response Team members to assess state health, devise procedures for management, and make any necessary recommendations,” said Dr. Linda A. Streit, dean of the College of Nursing.

Rowe earned her B.S.N. from the University of Evansville, M.N. from Emory University and J.D. from Georgia State University. She completed 28 years as an Army Nurse Corps Officer for the United States Army Reserves, which included service in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and she retired as a full-bird colonel.

Rowe has participated in the Governor's Teaching Fellows Program and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Sigma Theta Tau International and the American Nurses Association. In 2012, she was appointed by Gov. Deal to serve on the Georgia Board of Nursing. She was a recipient of the College's Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year Award in 2013.

About the Georgia Baptist College of Nursing

Founded in 1902 as a school of nursing, the Georgia Baptist College of Nursing is the oldest nursing program in Georgia. Over its 111-year history, the College has graduated more than 7,500 nurses. The College remains dedicated to educating the person, fostering the passion and shaping the future of nursing. The College merged with Mercer University in 2001 and offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing, a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Ph.D. in nursing. The College of Nursing is one of four academic units within the Mercer University Health Sciences Center. nursing.mercer.edu