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 […]
Health
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 […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Why Black Doulas Say They Can’t Fix Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Crisis Alone
Nearly 18 years ago, Elysia Douglas’ friend was headed to Crawford Long Hospital (now Emory Midtown) for the birth of her son and asked if she would come along. The friend’s boyfriend wouldn’t be able to show up for the first part of the birth, and she initially just wanted Douglas to sit next to […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Need Help Finding a Black Doula? We Got You.
When it comes to maternal health, Georgia’s reputation as one of the worst places to give birth is well known. According to a Capital B report, since 1994, the state has lost 41 labor and delivery units, including at least six in the metro Atlanta area. Those closures, along with increasing maternal death rates among […]
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Former AMC Board Leaders Say Wellstar’s ‘Defeatist’ Attitude Led to Hospital Closures
Lisa Medellin and Todd Greene saw it coming. The two local leaders served on Atlanta Medical Center’s regional health board and sounded alarms about the potentially devastating consequences that would come if Wellstar Health System closed or failed to revitalize hospitals in predominantly Black areas. Last month, local lawmakers filed a trio of federal complaints […]
Posted inHealth, Social Welfare
With Black Residents at Risk of Losing Medicaid, These Orgs Are Here to Help
Starting next month, millions of Georgia residents will have their Medicaid eligibility reevaluated, and local grassroots organizations are mobilizing to keep Black communities informed. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which, among many things, required states to keep people enrolled on Medicaid through the end of […]
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The Health Risks Behind ‘Cop City’
Celeste Lomax has been working at Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill in southeast Atlanta for six years. This time of year, the trees and bushes are still dormant and leafless, but the soil underneath is rich and moist — as Lomax, the site’s food steward, reveals as she digs up an elderberry tree pup. […]
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Why a New Law Denying Health Care for Trans Youth Has Local Black Advocates Worried
Black LGBTQIA+ advocates are concerned about legislation in Georgia aimed at restricting medical care for transgender children. On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced he signed Senate Bill 140, which will prohibit certain gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Doctors who offer the banned care will face serious consequences, including losing their medical license. SB 140 would […]
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We Spoke to an Expert About Medicaid Unwinding in Georgia. Here’s What We Learned.
The countdown is officially underway. In just over two weeks, the state will start the process of reviewing and reevaluating eligibility for the 2.7 million people in Georgia on Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids. Under the federal continuous coverage mandate, which has been in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, states were required […]
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Civil Rights Complaint Alleges Wellstar Neglected Black Communities
A group of local lawmakers is alleging that Wellstar Health System discriminated against its Black patients when the nonprofit hospital system closed two hospitals in 2022. On Wednesday, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution sponsored by Chairman Robb Pitts calling for the county attorney to file a complaint with the Department of […]