Action Taken by the Georgia State Board of Funeral Service at its August 11 Meeting

Macon, Ga.—The Georgia State Board of Funeral Service met on Tuesday, August 11, 2009.

The Board voted to approve 13 applications for funeral apprentice licenses, five applications for funeral director licenses, five applications for embalmer licenses, one application for funeral establishment license and one application for a crematory license. The Board also voted to approve five changes to funeral director in full and continuous charge.

The Board accepted a voluntary surrender from the following funeral director and embalmer licensee: 

• Phillip S. Martin, II, Clayton

The Board voted to approve requests from the following establishments for grace periods to replace the facilities’ funeral director in full and continuous charge:

• Ronnie L Stewart Family Funeral Home, Glenwood
• Brannen-Kennedy Funeral Home, Reidsville
• Hanley Shelton Funeral Home, Marietta

The Board approved the following orders to accept fine money for inspection violations:

• McKinney-Neal Mortuary, Inc., Elberton: Fined $600 for failure to maintain the sanitary and clean condition of each embalming room, including all instruments and tables; use of the embalming room for purposes other than the embalming of dead human bodies; and failure to screen all outside openings where left open for ventilation.
• Smith-Albritten Funeral Home, Cuthbert: Fined $300 for failure to maintain one operable motor hearse and failure to maintain a state of clean, sound, safe, and acceptable repair and condition of the establishment at all times.
• Warren Brothers Mortuary, Sparta: Fined $250 for failure to have a card or brochure in each casket stating the price of the casket and failure to screen all outside openings where left open for ventilation.
• Norrington Funeral Home, Greensboro: Fined $100 for failure to maintain one operable motor hearse.
• Young Funeral Home, Atlanta: Fined $200 for failure to maintain a minimum of 8 adult caskets within the display room on the premises of the establishment. 
• G L Haynes Funeral Home, Warrenton: Fined $100 for failure to contain in each embalming room instruments and supplies for the separation and embalming of dead bodies.
• Leonards Funeral Home, Talbotton: Fined $100 for failure to maintain a minimum of 8 adult caskets within the display room on the premises of the establishment.
• SouthEast DeathCare & Cremation Services, Rincon: Fined $50 for failure to contain in each embalming room instruments and supplies for the separation and embalming of dead bodies.

The Board voted to approve the following courses for continuing education:

• Georgia Funeral Directors Association (GFDA): 2009 District Meeting
• International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA): ICCFA – Fall Management Conference: Preferred Funeral Directors
• National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA): Preventing OSHA Violations in Your Funeral Home
• The Dodge Institute for Advanced Mortuary Studies (DIAMS): Embalming – The Challenges & the Rewards (Scottsdale, AZ, September 23 & 24, 2009)
• The Dodge Institute for Advanced Mortuary Studies (DIAMS): Dodge Seminar
• The Dodge Institute for Advanced Mortuary Studies (DIAMS): Embalming – The Challenges & the Rewards (Toronto, Canada, November 18 & 19, 2009)

The Board voted to authorize Vice Chair Lauren McDonald of Cumming, GA and David Roach of Powder Springs, GA to act as its representatives when meeting with agency officials to discuss concerns with the proposed process and procedural changes for filing Georgia death certificates.

The Georgia State Board of Funeral Service voted to change the date of the next regularly scheduled meeting from September 8, 2009 to September 15, 2009, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Professional Licensing Boards office located in Macon.