James July-August 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 29
at the federal level and could result
What is the status of healthcare
financial burden— especially fueled
in a significant impact to Georgia’s
services in Georgia? It’s strong but
by an indigent patient influx.
healthcare landscape. There is over
in need of improvement, and access
Access to pediatricians in
$1.4 billion at risk, and if these funds general is also a concern. Linda
to care tops the list of priorities say
three prominent healthcare voices in are reversed our teaching, safety net Matzigkeit, chief administrative
and small rural hospitals will face
James interviews.
officer for Children’s Healthcare of
significant funding reductions that
“The biggest challenge we are
Atlanta, said more than 60 of the 159
will result in a reduction in access to Georgia counties don’t have a single
facing, and I can only speak from
care for Georgians.”
Grady’s perspective, is making sure
pediatrician. “We know many adult
folks have access to the right
hospitals face a challenge in
level of care that’s the approtreating pediatric patients and
priate level of care close to
many families often drive long
home,” said Ryan Loke, Grady
distances just to find care for
Health System’s chief health
their kids,” she said.
policy officer. “Second to that
Lately, though, two hosis making sure folks are utipital companies have anlizing the right service. We’ve
nounced new hospital plans.
got folks today who will, due
Grady, a health system comto their insurance status or
prised of Grady Memorial
lack of it, use the hospital
Hospital in Atlanta and 14
L–R: Union City Mayor Vince Williams, Gov. Brian Kemp,
Atlanta Councilman Marvin Arrington Jr. and Grady Health
emergency room as their prihealth centers in metro AtlanSystem CEO John Haupert at the ground breaking of Grady’s
mary care access point.”
ta, is expanding with plans to
new hospital.
build a new hospital in Union City.
“[It’s] Georgia’s battle with
Its emergency department, which
chronic conditions statewide whethHospital Closures & Openings
will open in summer 2026, had its
er it’s heart disease, obesity and the
In the past 20 years, hospital
groundbreaking ceremony in April.
increase in behavioral health diagclosures in Georgia have been domUnion City Mayor Vince Williams
nosis,” he continued. “We’re doing
inating the headlines, especially in
said Wellstar’s closure of Atlanta
things to address all three of those
rural areas. According to the GHA’s
Medical, where his daughter Nia was
challenges.”
website, since 2013 18 Georgia hosborn, “had a significant impact” on his
Caylee Noggle, president and
pitals have closed. In a 2022 report
residents because it was the closest
CEO of the Georgia Hospital Associa- on hospital closures, the Georgians
tion (GHA), which promotes the pub- for a Healthy Future stated the Peach hospital. After its closure, residents
had to choose between Piedmont
lic’s health and welfare through better State had nine closures dating back
hospital care, gave a mixed review:
to 2010, ranking it third in the nation Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville,
Southern Regional Medical Center in
“The state of healthcare in Geor- behind Tennessee and Texas.
gia is promising and improving but
The Georgia hospitals closed for Riverdale or Grady Memorial if they
also at risk. We’ve seen significant
reasons ranging from financial strain, needed to get to a hospital. Williams
said he helped convince Grady Presinvestment in healthcare by the
staff shortages and high indigent
ident and CEO John Haupert and
state and hospitals in recent years to care costs. A big blow to downtown
deliver increased access to care to
Atlanta was the closing in November Fulton County Commission Chairman
communities. However, healthcare
2022 of the Wellstar Atlanta Medical
financing is currently under debate
Center. It was due to a mounting
J U LY /AU GUST 2025
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