Atlanta Medical Center to close on November 1. Here's why

The Atlanta Medical Center will close on November 1. The Atlanta Medical Center is one of the only two trauma centres in the area that can treat critical injuries, including blunt force trauma, burns and gunshots. An employee at the Atlanta Medical Center said there was chaos inside the centre once they received the closure memo.

Who will be the most affected?
The staff members believe that low-income people in metro Atlanta will be affected the most. Over the last year, over 50,000 of the 65,000 patients in the ER of the Atlanta Medical Center were of low income.

Andre Dickens, Atlanta Mayor, stated that the announcement left him blindsided. He sent a letter to Candice Saunders, the Wellstar Health System President, saying the closure would leave an open wound in the community's hearts.

Meeting with the Mayor

Atlanta Mayor has asked for a meeting with Wellstar to learn about the reason for this sudden closure. Stacey Abrams, the governor candidate, expressed her desire to ease the loss by expanding Medicaid access. Dickens believes that Georgia is not ready to deal with the medical crisis this closure will create. He believes that Brian Kemp is too callous to expand Medicaid.




Wellstar sent its staff a memo saying the hospital would close due to money issues. They said they tried many ways to save it, like going to local organizations and government healthcare providers to obtain funding. However, they could do nothing.

The closure of the 460-bed hospital will impact thousands of patients and workers.

FAQs

Q1. Why is Atlanta Medical Center shutting down?
A1. The Atlanta Medical Center is shutting down due to financial issues.

Q2. What is the alternative to Atlanta Medical Center shutting down?
A2. The only other option is the expansion of access to Medicaid.