Acceptance of grants; compliance with federal requirements

‘‘(7) Currently, the challenge exists to ensure delivery of effective, but often underutilized, interventions that are necessary in the prevention or reduction of arthritis related pain and disability; ‘‘(8) Although there exists a large quantity of public information and programs about arthritis, it remains inadequately disseminated and insufficient in addressing the needs of specific diverse populations and other underserved groups; ‘‘(9) The Arthritis Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials have led in the development of a public health strategy, the National Arthritis Action Plan, to respond to this challenge; and ‘‘(10) Educating the public and health care community throughout this state about this devastating disease is of paramount importance and is in every aspect in the public interest and to the benefit of all residents of the State of Georgia.’’ Ga. L. 2010, p. 1143, § 3/HB 1119, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: ‘‘The General Assembly finds that the purposes of this Act are to: ‘‘(1) Create and foster a state-wide program that promotes public awareness and increases knowledge about the causes of arthritis, the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate management, effective prevention strategies, and pain prevention and management; ‘‘(2) Develop knowledge and enhance understanding of arthritis by disseminating educational materials, information on research results, services provided, and strategies for prevention and control to patients, health professionals, and the public; ‘‘(3) Establish a solid scientific base of knowledge on the prevention of arthritis and related disabilities through surveillance, epidemiology, and prevention research; ‘‘(4) Utilize educational and training resources and services developed by organizations with appropriate expertise and knowledge of arthritis and use available technical assistance; ‘‘(5) Evaluate the need for improving the quality and accessibility of existing community based arthritis services; ‘‘(6) Heighten awareness about the prevention, detection, and treatment of arthritis among state and local health and human officials, health professionals and providers, and policy makers; ‘‘(7) Implement and coordinate state and local programs and services to reduce the public health burden of arthritis; ‘‘(8) Fund adequately these programs on a state level; and ‘‘(9) Provide lasting improvements in the delivery of health care for individuals with arthritis and their families, thus improving their quality of life while also containing health care costs.’’