Jeff Cornett Receives Linda Smith Lowe Health Advocacy Award

Horizons in Hemophilia, October 2015

By Amy Bretherton, Director of Marketing & Communications

Congratulations to Jeff Cornett, Vice President of Research and Public Policy, who is the first recipient of the Linda Smith Lowe Health Advocacy Award. The Linda Smith Lowe Health Advocacy Award will be given each year to an advocate whose exemplary work advances access to quality, affordable health care in Georgia. Nominees can be either professional or volunteer advocates, must place a focus on vulnerable populations in their work and must work to achieve policy change. This award was named in honor of Linda Smith Lowe who has dedicated her career to serving as an advocate on behalf of underserved Georgians who need a voice on health and human services issues.

With almost 30 years of experience in health management and a proven track record of creating new, innovative programs with sustained success, Jeff leads the agency in achieving its goals in the areas of training, research, and advocacy. Jeff is strongly committed to the bleeding disorder community with a comprehensive knowledge of hemostasis treatment and research and has authored books recognized around the world as the easy-to-read “bibles” of bleeding disorder care.

Even as he serves a specific community, Jeff looks holistically at Georgia’s health care system, working for equitable access to medical care for all, regardless of diagnosis. Throughout his career, Jeff has been an integral part of advancing the shared goals of consumer health advocates across Georgia.

Cindy Zeldin, CEO of Georgians for a Healthy Future, said “At Georgians for a Healthy Future, we provide a strong and informed voice for health care consumers as public policy decisions are made that impact their lives. We couldn’t do this without strong community partners, and Hemophilia of Georgia has been one of the most amazing and consistent partners we have had since our formation in 2008. Jeff Cornett participates in our coalition meetings and brings the detailed knowledge and expertise of someone who has navigated the health care system on behalf of Georgians with complex health care needs for years. We have learned so much from him and deeply value not only his encyclopedic knowledge of our state’s health care system but also his commitment, sense of partnership, and vision for a day when everyone in Georgia can have access to health care. For these reasons, we chose him as the first recipient of the Linda Smith Lowe Health Advocacy Award."

We are all proud of Jeff and the important work he does. CEO Maria Manahan said “on behalf of Hemophilia of Georgia and the bleeding disorder community I congratulate Jeff on being the recipient of this prestigious award. He has been a strong voice for quality and affordable health care for the hemophilia community in Georgia for over 25 years. Jeff has championed policy changes which have improved access for the community we serve and is very deserving of this award.”