ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has sent a follow-up letter to Wellstar CEO Candice Saunders regarding the closure of Atlanta Medical Center in downtown Atlanta.
The letter says:
“As Mayor of Atlanta, I will leave no stone unturned as I explore every option to safeguard access to vital healthcare services for members of our community,” Mayor Dickens wrote. “But let me be clear: Wellstar still has a responsibility to this community as well. Wellstar needs to provide immediate answers to the community about what you are doing to mitigate the harm to the community of this closure.”
The Mayor highlighted several priority areas—including care transition for patients at Atlanta Medical Center, emergency planning, and the future use of the 25-acre site—and noted that he and his team are deeply engaged with other governments and stakeholders to address the situation.
“We will continue to engage these partners to quickly identify potential resources and services to meet the needs of our community and mitigate any detrimental impacts from your decision to close Atlanta Medical Center.”
READ FULL LETTER HERE
Wellstar informed its employees on Aug. 31 that the hospital, which has a Level 1 trauma unit, will close on Nov. 1.
Many officials and lawmakers have expressed their concern and Dickens gave Wellstar a deadline of Sept. 16 to explain their actions.
Wellstar has said they are being forced to close the hospital because of financial concerns.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF AMC CLOSURE
Fifty thousand of the 65,000 patients seen in the hospital’s emergency room last year were considered low-income.
The president and CEO of Grady Health System says the closure of Atlanta Medical Center is going to put a “lot of strain” on the other hospitals in metro Atlanta.
Patients of the hospital are also angry and feel like they’ve been hung out to dry. The residents of Old Fourth Ward neighborhood are among those who will be most impacted.
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