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
L–R: Union City Mayor Vince Williams, Gov. Brian Kemp,
lack of it, use the hospital
Hospital in Atlanta and eight
Atlanta Councilman Marvin Arrington Jr. and Grady Health
emergency room as their prineighborhood health centers
System CEO John Haupert at the ground breaking of Grady’s
new hospital.
mary care access point.”
in metro Atlanta, is expand“[It’s] Georgia’s battle
ing with plans to build a new
hospital in Union City. Its emergenwith chronic conditions statewide
Hospital Closures & Openings
cy department, which will open in
whether it’s heart disease, obesity
In the past 20 years, hospital
summer 2026, had its groundbreakand the increase in behavioral health closures in Georgia have been doming ceremony in April.
diagnosis,” he continued. “We’re
inating the headlines, especially in
Union City Mayor Vince Williams
doing things to address all three of
rural areas. According to the GHA’s
said Wellstar’s closure of Atlanta
those challenges.”
website, since 2013 18 Georgia hosMedical, where his daughter Nia was
Caylee Noggle, president and
pitals have closed. In a 2022 report
born, “had a significant impact” on his
CEO of the Georgia Hospital Associa- on hospital closures, the Georgians
tion (GHA), which promotes the pub- for a Healthy Future stated the Peach residents because it was the closest
hospital. After its closure, residents
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 had to choose between Piedmont
Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville,
“The state of healthcare in Geor- behind Tennessee and Texas.
gia is promising and improving but
The Georgia hospitals closed for Southern Regional Medical Center in
also at risk. We’ve seen significant
reasons ranging from financial strain, Riverdale or Grady Memorial if they
needed to get to a hospital. Williams
investment in healthcare by the
staff shortages and high indigent
said he helped convince Grady Presstate 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 ident and CEO John Haupert and
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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