Dr. Henry Patton, an internal medicine specialist on staff at Newton Medical Center, has been appointed to The Advisory Council for Public Health according to a recent announcement made by Gov. Sonny Perdue.

“The Advisory Council for Public Health is a new entity just created by the state legislature to advise the Director of the Department of Community Health on matters concerning Public Health in the State of Georgia,” explained Patton.

Previously, the Division of Public Health was a subcommittee under the Department of Human Resources. Patton was the senior DHR Board member on the subcommittee for Public Health before the DHR was disbanded on July 1. Public Health has been repositioned under the DCH.

Patton, M.D., FACP, is president of Newton Medical Associates in Covington. He is an attending physician at Newton Medical Center, clinical associate professor of medicine for the Medical College of Georgia and an instructor of advance cardiac life support for the American Heart Association. He is a member of the East Metro Medical Society, the Medical Association of Georgia and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He has served as Chairman of the Newton County Board of Health since 1986 and served on the Georgia Board of Human Resources from 2005 until July 2009.

Patton is secretary for the Georgia Chapter American College of Physicians where he serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council. Patton earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree and medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia.