State Office Staff
Meshell McCloud (Chief Nurse) joined the Georgia Department of Public Health, Division of District and County Operations, Office of Nursing on April 1, 2007 as Assistant Chief Nurse. On April 1, 2010, Meshell was promoted to Deputy Chief Nurse. Meshell received her baccalaureate degree in nursing from Howard University, her Master of Science degree as a Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner from Georgia State University and a Post-Master Certificate from Rush University as a High Risk Perinatal Nurse Practitioner. She is currently recognized by the Georgia Board of Nursing as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and is currently certified as a Women’s Health Practitioner. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society.
She has played a leadership role in collaborating with multi-disciplinary health care leaders in the public and private sectors to improve perinatal HIV services and prevent perinatal HIV transmission. Meshell has also played a lead role in developing policy to assure that all pregnant women are tested for HIV. In 2007, Meshell was awarded the State Office Nursing Excellence Award.
Meshell has over thirty-one years of nursing experience and has held positions as staff nurse, charge nurse, and Practitioner-Teacher. She has also held a faculty appointment with Rush University, College of Nursing, where she taught Maternal and Child Health courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She coordinated and implemented the first High Risk Perinatal Nurse Practitioner Program at Rush University, College of Nursing.
Meshell’s focus areas with the Department of Public Health include Nursing Education and Professional Development and Academic-Practice Partnerships. Meshell strives to ensure that public health nursing practice is consistent with Georgia nurse practice acts, rules and regulations and scope of practice; and improves the health status of individuals, communities and populations.
Kortney Floyd joined the Georgia Department of Public Health, Division of District and County Operations, Office of Nursing on April 17, 2017 as Deputy Chief Nurse – Nurse Protocols. She began her public health career in 2012 in Maternal and Child Health as a Nurse Consultant for Children 1st and 1st Care. She later moved to the Tuberculosis Program in the Division of Health Protection. She is also a practicing Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with experience in asthma management, neonatal abstinence syndrome, obesity management and infectious diseases.
She attended the University of South Carolina, Columbia (Go Gamecocks!) and graduated in 2005 with her Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Nursing. She then obtained her Master’s Degree of Science in Nursing with a focus in Primary Pediatrics from Georgia State University in 2010.
Kortney’s focus in the Office of Nursing is to assist all districts in Georgia with operating under Nurse Protocols. In doing so, she is committed to ensuring every Public Health Registered Nurse is knowledgeable of the Nurse Protocols, adheres to the guidelines as outlined in the Nurse Practice Act and provides evidence-based care to their patients in order to achieve and maintain positive patient outcomes. Kortney hopes that her efforts impact Georgia’s citizens in a great way; ensuring great patient outcomes, autonomous nurses and a healthy Georgia.
Laura Layne serves as the Deputy Chief Nurse-Quality Improvement with the Office of Nursing at the Georgia Department of Public Health. She has a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and leads the integration of Continuous Quality Improvement principles and strategies in the Department and throughout Public Health Nursing in Georgia. She promotes a culture of quality and builds capacity to translate quality improvement into practice to improve care and outcomes for Georgians.
Laura’s experiences serving vulnerable populations in urban, rural, and international settings inspired her passion for public health and nursing. Her educational background includes a dual Master's degree in Public Health and Nursing from Emory University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Emory University and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Spanish from Auburn University.
She is a Clinical Instructor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. Since 2006, she has worked as a member of the faculty team planning the Farmworker Family Health Program to provide health services for migrant farm workers every summer in South Georgia. She mentors nursing and public health students and has contributed articles to several peer reviewed journals including International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Nursing Outlook, and Public Health Nursing.
Jennifer Burkholder joined the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Division of District and County Operations, Office of Nursing as Deputy Chief Nurse of Emergency Preparedness in June 2013. In June 2016, she was designated as the DPH Zika Response Coordinator, and served in this capacity through the response as the Deputy Director of Emergent Health Threats, in the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response. She returned to the Office of Nursing in 2017, where she serves in her current role.
Jennifer earned her Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management degree at the Rollins School of Public Health and Master of Nursing in Public Health Nursing Leadership at the Nell-Hodgson School of Nursing, both at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Pittsburg State University and has been a registered nurse since 2005.
Prior to pursuing a career in public health, Jennifer worked as a travel nurse in a variety of settings, including critical care, where she earned a special certification (CCRN). Jennifer has also served as the Vice President for the non-profit HealthSTAT, and interned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an Assistant Policy Analyst in the Office of the Associate Director for Health Reform, Policy, and Strategy. Jennifer’s passion for public health and disaster preparedness extends through various forms of academic mentoring and task force involvement, including with Emory’s Student Outbreak and Response Team (SORT) at Rollins.
Rebekah Chance-Revels joined the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Office of Nursing as Deputy Chief Nurse of Education and Professional Development in August 2018. She began her public health career at the Bulloch County Health Department in August 2002 as an expanded role nurse and health educator. After two years in that position she became the county nurse manager for the Candler County Health Department. In July 2006 she became the Women's Health Coordinator for the Coastal Health District and remained in that position until she transferred to the Office of Nursing.
Rebekah is a certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. She earned her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in 2001 from Armstrong Atlantic State University and her Master's of Science in Nursing in 2005 from the University of New Mexico. Rebekah loves sci-fi and fantasy, played the violin from 4th grade until college, and was an actress in community theater
Sara Kroening is now serving as the Deputy Chief Nurse for School Health at the Georgia Department of Public Health. She received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Nursing from Clemson University and has also earned a post-Master’s certificate from the University of South Carolina, and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Sara has been a nurse for over 18 years and has practiced in the areas of acute pediatrics, endocrine and diabetes, and public health among others. She has a passion for children’s mental and physical health and safety and recognizes the key role of community leaders such as public health nurses, school nurses, teachers, and early care and learning professionals in providing that care. Sara lives in Peachtree Corners, GA with her husband and two daughters, Chloe (6) and Caroline (5).
Contact Us
Georgia Department of Public Health, Office of Nursing 2 Peachtree Street NW, 9th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Phone: (404) 656-4454 Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday
Page last updated 06/25/18