Fulton County health officials confirmed that mosquitoes trapped in two locations in the county have tested positive for West Nile virus. The traps were located at the Atlanta Virtual Academy in the Grove Park neighborhood and the Hoyt Smith Recreation Center in Hapeville. To combat the threat, county officials said in a press release that […]
Health
Posted inCommunity, Maternal Health, Mental Health
This Nurse’s Tiny House Clinic Is Reimagining Black Mental Health Care
In a state where mental health care access can be limited, especially for Black communities, one nurse is serving Black Atlantans in an unconventional way – by running a clinic on wheels. Psychiatric nurse practitioner Joanne Patterson launched a virtual practice in 2019 and served over 6,000 patients during the past six years. But after […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration, Mental Health
‘The System Is Failing My Son’: Mother of Bipolar Man Fears for Son’s Life Inside Fulton County Jail
Latreece Williams hasn’t had a good night’s sleep at her home in Perkerson Park in over a month. Not since her son Dewayne Lamar High Jr., who was diagnosed with epilepsy and bipolar schizoaffective disorder in 2011, has been locked up in Fulton County Jail. “I call watch command every day to ask for a […]
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy
Former CDC Official Warn Budget Cuts Could Deepen HIV Crisis for Black Women in Georgia
A former official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that funding cuts outlined in the proposed fiscal year 2026 federal budget could endanger the health of Black communities. And especially in Georgia, where HIV rates are some of the highest in the country, he warned that Black women are extra vulnerable to […]
Posted inMaternal Health
Proposed ‘Adriana’s Law’ Would Override Georgia’s Abortion Ban
Over the weekend, 30-year-old Adriana Smith was finally laid to rest after months on life support. Family and friends celebrated the young mother’s life at Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia by sharing memories of Smith’s kind spirit, while also expressing concerns about the circumstances surrounding her medical care. “It’s awful what’s happened to this family,” […]
Posted inMaternal Health
Why This Black Man Became a Doula: ‘Every Death Was Preventable’
While many doulas are women, one man is working to change the narrative about who can support families during childbirth. Sylvester Pierce, 44, operates a doula business called Younity Birthwork, where he provides services ranging from childbirth education, postpartum care, and more. “Doulas are there for the emotional, spiritual, and physical support of birthing parents. […]
Posted inHealth, Maternal Health, Politics & Policy
Mourners Attend Adriana Smith’s Funeral and Call Out Georgia Abortion Ban
After several months of controversy, the brain-dead woman, who leaves behind two children, was laid to rest in Lithonia.
Posted inClimate, Health
Where to Cool Down in Atlanta as Heat Temps Soar this Summer
The city is opening cooling centers so Atlanta residents can take extra precautions , as the city and other parts of the state are expected to get dangerously hot weather this Summer. According to the National Weather Service, a heat advisory is in effect from 1 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday for counties across […]
Posted inCourts, Maternal Health
Botched Delivery, Decapitated Baby: Parents Awarded $2.5M After Doctor Posted Video
A young Georgia couple thought they already experienced the worst pain imaginable when they lost their first child, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr., who died during delivery in 2023. The delivery of the couple’s son made headlines across the country after it was revealed that the baby was decapitated during delivery. Then Dr. Jackson Gates, the […]
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy
Adriana Smith’s Family Plans to Livestream Her Funeral
Adriana Smith, the pregnant Georgia woman declared brain-dead back in February, was taken off life support after delivering her son Chance. Now the family is planning to livestream her funeral on Youtube. Smith’s story made headlines around the country when her family revealed Emory University Hospital was keeping her on life support because doctors discovered […]