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Georgia lawmakers search for methods to avoid wasting hospitals from future closure across the state
In response to Wellstar’s resolution to shut Atlanta Medical Middle this November, Georgia lawmakers are debating methods to avoid wasting the remainder of the state’s hospitals from the same destiny.
ATLANTA – State lawmakers hope to search out methods to assist tackle the issue of well being care entry throughout Georgia as yet one more hospital is about to shut its doorways.
Earlier this month, Wellstar announced it would close Atlanta Medical Center, after shuttering AMC South this spring.
“It’s an ongoing difficulty and it does must be addressed,” mentioned state Rep. Darlene Taylor, R-Thomasville, who chairs the Home Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Native Service Supply.
The subcommittee met for greater than three and a half hours Monday to debate well being care providers within the state. The assembly was scheduled earlier than the AMC announcement.
“We’re speaking about it proper now as a result of it is taking place in Atlanta, however this has been taking place in rural Georgia for years now,” mentioned state Rep. Mesha Mainor, D-Atlanta. “Rural Georgia has been telling us there’s a downside.”
In line with Kaiser Well being Information, Georgia had eight rural hospitals shut in simply the final ten years.
“Most of them, till the Atlanta Medical Middle, have been within the rural communities,” mentioned Rep. Thomas. “Inhabitants goes down, the manufacturing jobs left. It took with it these good well being advantages that employers supplied. So, it left it with a low-paying base, so you’ll be able to’t preserve it.”
Healthcare professionals mentioned the most important issues they face are monetary as many sufferers are uninsured and the pay for nurses and different well being employees skyrocketed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our payer combine is non-public insurance coverage is round 28%. So, a couple of third of our enterprise—lower than a 3rd of our enterprise—has to help the losses within the different a part of our enterprise,” defined Julie Windom with Atrium Well being.
Atrium Well being is a not-for-profit firm that runs Floyd Medical Middle in Rome and Navicent Well being in Macon.
“We’re simply shutting down a few of these hospitals and shutting them up as a result of they can not preserve 20 sufferers or 30 sufferers in there on a regular basis, however you want that emergency room,” mentioned Dr. Dave Wringer.
Dr. Wringer is the CEO of Oconee Valley Healthcare, a Federally Certified Well being Middle, which is a health care provider’s workplace that will get federal help and gives a sliding payment scale for sufferers.
He mentioned FQHCs and freestanding emergency rooms may assist alleviate a number of the stress on Georgia’s well being system.
Rep. Taylor mentioned she is hopeful the state can give you some options and she or he and committee members will have a look at drafting laws forward of the upcoming 2023 session.
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