Fulton County Board of Health
About the Board
The Board of Health consists of seven members by City of Atlanta and Fulton County entities for a four-year term. All members reside within the general Health District. Board members may not hold an elected office. Members of this board may have an interest or be knowledgeable in the field of health. At least one member shall be a physician licensed to practice medicine within the state.
Board Meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month on the 4 th floor of the Department of Health and Wellness located at, 99 Jesse Hill Jr., Drive, Atlanta, Georgia. All meetings are open to the public. To see the agenda for an upcoming Board of Health meeting or to see minutes from previous meetings, please click on the appropriate item on the right hand side of this page.
The Fulton County Board of Health was first established in 1952 under the 1951 Plan of Improvement, which gave Fulton County responsibility for health care in Atlanta and Fulton County. In 1991 the Board was re-established pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia 31-3-2-1. Members of the Fulton County Board of Health serve in an advisory capacity. They represent the interests of the citizens of Fulton County and supports Department of Health and Wellness programs to assure the health and wellness of Fulton County citizenry.
Membership appointments
Membership/Appointments: 1) Fulton County Schools Superintendent or designee; 2) Chairman of Board of Commissioners or designee; 3) Atlanta Superintendent of Schools or designee; 4) Atlanta Mayor or designee; 5) Citizen Appointee of Fulton County Board of Commissioners; 6) Citizen Appointee of Atlanta City Council; and 7) Physician Appointee of Fulton County Grand Jury.
The member appointee of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners shall serve as the Chairperson of the Board of Health.
Term
All of the appointee positions the initial terms are staggered; thereafter four (4) years and until either reappointed or their successors have been appointed. For elected officials and their designees, the term is concurrent with their term of office.
Board of Health Public Comment Procedures
I. BOARD OF HEALTH PUBLIC COMMENT PROCEDURES
II. BOARD OF HEALTH PUBLIC HEARINGS POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Current Board Members
 Phoebe L. Bailey, PhD, Chair
Lynne P. Meadows, RN, MS
Monica Ryan, MPA
Khaatim Sherrer El, BS
Samantha P. Williams, PhD
Mary Long, RN
Patrice A. Harris, MD
Patrice A. Harris, M.D., Director of the Health Services is the secretary of the Board of Health and does not have voting priviledges.
Phoebe L. Bailey, PhD, Chair
Dr. Phoebe L. Bailey, Ph.D, serves as Chair of the Board of Health for Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, she was appointed by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Dr. Bailey is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Visions in Action, USA, Inc. She is a consultant and corporate coach, a member of the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches and the National Speakers Association. Dr. Bailey describes the context of her work as a life devoted to “equity and excellence in education, wealth, and health.”
Currently, Dr. Bailey is taking her passion for empowerment to the streets. She is boldly bringing her traditional and non-traditional models of education out of the classroom and into Georgia’s communities after 40 years “on the frontlines” as a high school and university teacher, administrator and curriculum developer.
She was recently appointed as Director of Education Programs-Program & Youth Development Services/Services to ClubsNational Headquarters, Atlanta Georgia to work to implement and manage education programs including a new partnership for strategic tutoring with the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning (KU). In addition, she is responsible for working with KU to develop a pilot project to implement strategic tutoring at Boys & Girls Clubs and adapt this pilot to a scalable project for the Movement.
Dr. Bailey is a graduate of Spelman College and received her PH.D. from Purdue University. Her career has spanned service at Purdue University, as well as the Atlanta and DeKalb County (Georgia) public school systems.
 Lynne P. Meadows represens the Superintendent of Fulton County Public Schools Systems. She has over 19 years of experience in health care and nursing.
Currently, she is the Coordinator of Student Health Services for the Fulton County School System. She sits on a host of health care and community boards.
Her health care career includes serving as Assistant Head Nurse, Staff Development Instructor, Director of Quality Improvement and Assistant Vice President of Patient Care Services. In addition, she has worked as a Pediatric Nursing Instructor and a Legal Nurse Consultant.
Mrs. Meadows is a graduate of Queens College and has earned a Masters Degree in nursing from Georgia State University.
Monica Ryan, MPA
Monica A. Ryan represents the Mayor of the City of Atlanta on the Board of Health. She works for the City of Atlanta in the Executive Office of the Mayor/Office of Human Services. In her position as Management Analyst, she is responsible for millions of dollars of grant projects benefiting economically challenged residents of Atlanta. Ms. Ryan also serves as a member of the Education and Training Committee and the Membership Committee of the National Association of Local Boards of Health (NALBOH).
Ms. Ryan is a graduate of American Intercontinental University and holds a degree in business Science/Human Resource Management ans a masters degree in Public Administration.
Khaatim Sherrer El
Khaatim S. El represens the Superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools Systems. Mr. Sherrer El was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education in 2003 becoming the youngest member to serve in the city’s history.
He is active in his community and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Helping Teens Succeed, Project GRAD Atlanta, and The Least that I Can Do. He chairs the Advisory Council for Project NOBILITY, an after-school program in partnership with Brown Middle School and Spelman College, and New Generations for the West End Rotary Club.
Mr. El is a graduate of Morehouse College with plans to pursue a Masters degree focusing on urban education reform. He works for Men Stopping Violence, leading their efforts to recruit and train young men to end violence against women and girls.
Samantha P. Williams, PhD
 Dr. Samantha P. Williams was appointed to the Fulton County Board of Health by the Atlanta City Council. Her extensive experience as a published writer, researcher, teacher, trainer, guest lecturer, and panelist member has shaped her professional career. She has been actively involved as a Mentor, Public Health Summer Fellowship; Member, CDC – CCWG; Member EEOAC, Member CDC- BSSWG; Mentor, Public Health Prevention Specialist (PHPS) Fellowship just to name a few. Dr. Williams is a member of the American Psychological Association; American Public Health Association; American Correctional Association; Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality; and Black Women’s Health Imperative in addition to numerous other organizations.
Dr. Williams is a graduate of Norfolk State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and earned her Master and Doctorate degrees from the University of Houston.
Mary Long, RN
 Mary Long was appointed in 2008 by the Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.An advocate, lecturer, spokesperson and consultant for several years, Ms. Long’s experience in healthcare brings a wealth of knowledge to the Board and the Department of Health and Wellness. She has lectured at nursing schools, state nurses associations, women’s organizations, community groups, hospitals and other advocacy groups. In addition, she has been a spokesperson and consultant for national television and radio public service announcements and, provided testimony on health, legislative, diversity and women’s initiatives.
Ms. Long is a graduate of Grady Memorial Hospital School of Nursing and attended Spelman College, Oglethorpe University and Brenau University.
Patrice A. Harris, M.D.
Patrice A. Harris, M.D., Director of Health Services
Fulton County Department of Health and Human Services
Serving a population of over 915,000 people Patrice A. Harris, M.D., directs the administration of all Fulton County Health Services, managing the operation of a large public health network with community-based, neighborhood health centers. In addition to the community-based neighborhood health centers, this organization includes mobile health units and several collaborative health partnerships that deliver a wide range of public health treatment and prevention services. She is actively involved in public health promotion through presentations, consultations, lectures and teaching on the collegiate level.
As the Executive Secretary for the Fulton County Board of Health, she reports all public health issues to the members of the County Board of Health. She is currently a clinical associate professor in the Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
Since 1988, Dr. Harris has been actively involved in the legislative process on both the state and national levels. From January 2001 to December 2004, she worked as a Senior Policy Fellow addressing public policy for abused and neglected children, and her responsibilities included legislative advocacy and education. Dr. Harris lectures nationally on topics of children’s mental health, juvenile law, addiction, health care disparities, and advocacy for abused and neglected children. She Was the Medical Director of the Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities before she became the Director of Health Services. Dr. Harris is past president of the Black Psychiatrists of America and is a past member of the American Psychiatric Association Board of Trustees. She serves on the American Medical Association’s Council on Legislation. Dr. Harris is a past president and member of the Legislative Committee of the Georgia Psychiatric Physician’s Association and was selected as the 2000-2001 Psychiatrist of the Year in Georgia. Dr. Harris serves on the boards of NAMI, Mental Health America-Georgia and the Advisory Board of Skyland Trail. In 2007, Dr. Harris was inducted into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni. She is the youngest graduate to have achieved this honor. She has appeared on The Today Show and CNN and has been featured on numerous national and local radio shows.
Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA is a graduate of the West Virginia University School of Medicine and completed residency and fellowship training at the Emory University School of Medicine. In addition to her general psychiatry training, she completed fellowships in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry.
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