IN BRIEF: The Hospital Authority awarded the Mercy Heart Clinic for uninsured patients a $50,000 primary care grant to enable them to open for an additional day during the week. The Hospital Authority Board, which met on Tuesday at Rockdale Medical Center, also granted a $5,000 grant to the Care and Counseling Center, a program with Conyers First Presbyterian and Conyers First United Methodist for mental health services. The Helping Hands Clinic, a medical clinic for uninsured patients, reportedly withdrew their application for more information.

- The board also voted to create an "ex-officio" position for immediate past board chairpersons. This would allow outgoing board chairperson Ethyl Boyle to become a non-voting member. Board member Terry Taschwer will also finish his term in September. Board members are allowed to serve up to two three year terms consecutively. The nominations to fill those two spots have not yet been submitted by the county.

- The Hospital Authority also released details on the new grant schedule. According to Grants director Julie Mills, grants would be awarded twice a year, in December and June, with exceptions for mini-grants of $1000 for one-time, emergency or unplanned situations or equipment failures. Another exception to the timetable would be in the situation where an organization needed matching grant funding in a time-sensitive situation to obtain other state or federal grants.

The new timetable would also include "worksessions" for interested applicants to talk with board members and ask questions, to see if the grant was a fit for their program.