Residents in Atlanta and the metro area are still reeling from Wellstar Health System’s stunning decision to close Atlanta Medical Center. After the hospital closed its doors on Nov. 1, the city and state lost one of its few trauma units, an active labor and delivery unit, emergency services, and even primary care doctors. Nearby […]
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Life After AMC’s Closure: Four Stories About Resilience, Challenges, and Hope
People from all walks of life are grieving the loss of Atlanta Medical Center, formerly known as Georgia Baptist. Wellstar Health System closed the nearly 500-bed hospital on Nov. 1, leaving a large void in Old Fourth Ward for people who either worked or were patients at the hospital. Capital B Atlanta spoke with four […]
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Emory Midtown’s Labor and Delivery Service Scrutinized After Viral TikTok
When Latasha Gomiller, a southwest Atlanta resident, contacted Emory University Hospital Midtown for her scheduled induction on Aug. 31, she was stunned by the “rude” response she received from the person who answered the phone. With a dismissive tone, the person curtly stated that all the beds were full in the labor and delivery unit. […]
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Despite Temporary ‘Sigh of Relief,’ State Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Law
The state’s highest court just ruled to keep Georgia’s six-week abortion ban in place, ending a short-lived victory for abortion rights advocates. Last Tuesday, a Fulton County Superior Judge ruled the law, HB481, passed in 2019 unconstitutional since it was passed while Roe v. Wade was still in effect. Robert McBurney, the judge in the […]
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More Wellstar Closures Bring Dwindling Health Care Options
Jackie Anderson sat in the waiting room at Wellstar Family Practice on Cleveland Avenue, frustrated that her primary care office would be closing. Just next door was the old hospital, Atlanta Medical Center South, where she worked for more than 30 years. When Wellstar Health System closed AMC South’s emergency department in May, Anderson lost […]
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AMC’s Emergency Room Closes, Leaving a Health Care Void
The waiting area at Atlanta Medical Center’s emergency room was desolate at 6 a.m. Friday. The “Level 1 Trauma Center” sign had been peeled from the hospital’s walkway the day before. Now, security guards walked down the driveway to post a new set of signs: “Emergency Department Closed — Authorized Personnel Only.” On a normal […]
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Could Medicaid Expansion Have Saved AMC From Closing?
In a letter sent Tuesday to Georgia’s Democratic congressional delegation, Gov. Brian Kemp said that Medicaid expansion would not have stopped Wellstar’s decision to close Atlanta Medical Center. Kemp maintains Medicaid expansion instead may have been detrimental to AMC’s longevity. “It would hurt both patients and providers because, as you know, healthcare providers actually lose […]
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Black Residents Worry Grady’s Not Ready to Handle Fallout from AMC Closure
Kevin Marshall remembers being rushed by ambulance to Atlanta Medical Center after a horrendous car accident in August. The accident, which left his car totaled, was in North Druid Hills, and Marshall needed stitches on his legs. He thought it would have made the most sense to go to nearby DeKalb Medical Center, but the […]
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Another Hospital Closure Means Another Maternity Ward Closes, Too
When Aleah Walker had her baby in late January 2014, she wanted to give birth at Atlanta Medical Center. Walker, a Powder Springs resident at the time, wanted a water birth and was willing to drive over 20 miles to Atlanta Medical Center because it’s one of the few hospitals in the metro area where […]
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State Gives Out 4,000 Monkeypox Vaccines at Black Pride, Expands Eligibility
The Georgia Department of Public Health says it was able to distribute more than 4,000 monkeypox vaccine doses to people during Atlanta Black Pride weekend. Nearly half of those — 48% — went to Black people. The state’s public health department participated in President Joe Biden’s initiative to get extra monkeypox vaccines to certain states […]