Cameron Sparks’ son Prince has grappled with a relentless struggle to breathe ever since he had his first asthma attack at age 5. Now, at the age of 7, the attacks, triggered by food allergies, viruses, and seasonal changes, landed Prince in Atlanta’s Children’s Egleston Hospital emergency room three times in 2023 alone. It’s a […]
Health
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy
Dems Make Final, Desperate Plea for Medicaid Expansion Ahead of Sine Die
Georgia Democrats clung to hope Wednesday that there was still time to enact desperately needed full Medicaid expansion this year before the latest 40-day legislative session comes to an end Thursday. State Democratic Party leaders, including House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, and Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, issued a desperate plea for […]
Posted inReproductive Health
The Biggest Barrier to State-Funded Doulas for Pregnant Women
The discussion around offering state-funded doulas to low-income pregnant people might be headed back to the Georgia legislature, advocates and lawmakers say. Supportive legislators are planning to introduce a bill that would allow the state’s Medicaid dollars to fund doula services in an effort to reduce maternal deaths in Georgia. The state has among the […]
Posted inHealth
Insulin Injustice: Warnock Tells Us About His Fight for Fair Prices for Diabetic Patients
Diabetes is a big problem in Georgia, sending thousands of people to hospitals and emergency rooms every year. And the price of insulin — the life-saving drug that helps diabetes patients control their blood sugar — continues to soar. Research suggests at least 14% of people spend upward of 40% of their annual income to […]
Posted inReproductive Health
Why Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Rates for Black Women Are Alarming Health Advocates
Chanel Stryker-Boykin knows about the challenges facing Black pregnant women in Georgia. The doula working in metro Atlanta says a new report from the Georgia Department of Public Health that 56% of pregnancy-related deaths in the state from 2018 to 2020 were Black women should alarm local leaders and health care providers. “I’m hoping that […]
Posted inReproductive Health
Atlanta Leaders and Local Activists Say More Is Needed to Support Abortion Fund
The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution seeking more support from metro Atlanta counties for abortion services. On Wednesday, the council, led by District 5 representative Lilliana Bakhtiari, urged Atlanta’s executive branch to collaborate with neighboring counties to invest in abortion care. Last year, the council approved donating $300,000 to support ARC-Southeast, an organization providing […]
Posted inHealth
What Grady’s Chief Health Equity Officer Said About Challenges Facing Black Patients
Dr. Yolanda Wimberly is fully aware of the health challenges facing Black patients in metro Atlanta. Hospitals have closed across the state, including Atlanta Medical Center South in East Point and AMC’s main campus in Old Fourth Ward last year. Both hospitals served predominantly Black communities. According to Wimberly, Grady Health System’s chief health equity […]
Posted inHealth
How Georgia Launching Its Own Health Insurance Marketplace Could Hurt Black Patients
Health equity advocates are urging Gov. Brian Kemp and other healthcare officials to delay the implementation of a state-based marketplace exchange. Last month, Kemp signed legislation that gave the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI) the authority to launch a state-based marketplace exchange. This move would allow the state to exit HealthCare.gov, the […]
Posted inHealth
Mpox Could Surge Again in Georgia, Community Leaders Warn
Black community leaders who were on the front lines of Georgia’s mpox response are heeding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s warning about a possible resurgence. The CDC released a health alert on May 15, warning that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, could resurface in drastic numbers as people gather for summer festivities. The […]
Posted inHealth
Can South DeKalb Become a Food Oasis?
This story was originally published by Canapy Atlanta, a community-powered journalism nonprofit. Photos are by Nicole Buchanan and Mike Rouse, South DeKalb Fellow. Every day, a flood of South DeKalb residents cross the Flat Shoals Road bridge that hovers above I-20 to gain quick access to essentials at the Gresham Road Walmart Supercenter. For those traveling on […]