This story comes from our partners at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more on the news, trends and events shaping Black culture in Atlanta, sign up for the Unapologetically ATL newsletter and read more here. Samuel Glickman was worried when one of his clients stopped coming in for his regular haircuts last year. Glickman’s Privado barbershop — located on […]
Health
Posted inHealth
From Medicaid Expansion to Abortion, Here’s What Georgia Lawmakers Are Discussing
The General Assembly is back in session, and health care is on the minds of lawmakers. It’s the first session in a post-Roe v. Wade Georgia. The assembly’s return comes as the Biden administration seeks to wind down the federal emergency pandemic response, putting the majority of responsibility into the hands of state governments and […]
Posted inCOVID-19, Health
There’s a New COVID-19 Variant Spreading. Here’s What We Know.
President Joe Biden might have declared, “The pandemic is over,” but a new Omicron subvariant is a reminder that COVID-19 is still with us. The new culprit behind a rise in COVID-19 cases is the XBB.1.5 variant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, XBB.1.5 represents over 27% of COVID-19 cases nationwide. In […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
AMC Closed, but You Have Some Options. We Explain.
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 […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
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 […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
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. […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
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 […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
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 […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
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 […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
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 […]