About

Our History

Established by the Georgia General Assembly in 2014

The Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness (GCLEA) was established by the Georgia General Assembly in 2014 to serve as the state’s collaborative body dedicated to advancing lupus education, awareness, research, and cross-sector partnerships. Since its creation, GCLEA has brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, public health leaders, patient advocates, community organizations, and policymakers to improve understanding of lupus, strengthen statewide collaboration, and inform strategies that enhance care and health outcomes.

The Council is leading the development of Georgia’s first State Lupus Action Plan, a coordinated roadmap designed to strengthen research, improve public health efforts, expand education, and advance equitable access to quality lupus care across the state.

Lupus awareness ribbon and georgia state

Leadership

​S. Sam Lim, M.D.

​S. Sam Lim, M.D.

Faculty
Rep. Kim Schofield, M.A.

Rep. Kim Schofield, M.A.

Faculty
Megan Andrews

Megan Andrews

Faculty

Lupus Efforts in Georgia

Georgia leads in lupus research and public health collaboration

Georgia leads in lupus research, surveillance, education, and public health collaboration. The CDC-funded Georgia Lupus Registry identified over 5,000 confirmed cases in metro Atlanta, offering one of the most comprehensive population-based studies and highlighting key racial and health disparities.

The Georgia Lupus Outcome Study (GOAL) builds on this work by improving understanding of patient experiences, quality of life, and long-term outcomes. Other initiatives—such as Lupus ECHO, which provides specialist-informed education to healthcare providers, and the inclusion of lupus questions in Georgia’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)—help strengthen provider knowledge, enhance public health data, and support better lupus care across the state.

Project ECHO

Georgia’s Lupus ECHO program connects frontline providers with lupus specialists through quarterly virtual sessions focused on improving diagnosis, care coordination, and lupus management across Georgia. The program specifically supports providers in primary care, emergency medicine, OB/GYN, dermatology, and rural or underserved communities where rheumatology access remains limited.

GOAL Study

The GOAL Study has followed hundreds of Georgians living with lupus to better understand health outcomes, quality of life, and barriers to care. GOAL data found that 31% of participants screened positive for depression, while over 40% reported not being screened for depression at all, highlighting significant gaps in lupus-related healthcare and support services.

BRFSS Inclusion

The inclusion of lupus-related questions within Georgia’s BRFSS public health surveillance efforts helps strengthen statewide health data collection related to chronic disease outcomes, healthcare access, and quality of life. This data supports broader public health planning by helping identify disparities, barriers to care, and long-term health trends impacting Georgians living with lupus.

Telemedicine and Access

Telemedicine and provider collaboration initiatives continue to help address specialist shortages and healthcare access barriers across Georgia, particularly in rural and underserved communities. These efforts support earlier lupus recognition, reduce travel burdens for patients, and expand access to specialist-informed care in areas with limited rheumatology coverage.