Sylvia Wright hails from a family that has a long tradition of white coats. The Atlanta-based dermatologist and partner at Peachtree Dermatology Associates is a fourth-generation physician. For her, the white coat represents “the honor, the service and the commitment of practicing medicine.” But Wright could be the last in her family to wear this…
This story uses pseudonyms for victims of sex trafficking. Each pseudonym is introduced with an asterisk. Bailey Johnson* was sold into sex trafficking as a prostitute in eight states before she found help in Georgia. At age 17, she was rescued by a police officer who noticed signs of sexual exploitation during a routine traffic…
The national uproar over the soaring cost of EpiPens has ignited fears that lack of access to this lifesaving medication may cause deaths that could have been prevented. But if advocate Karen Harris has her way, no one in Georgia will face this situation. “It’s imperative that this medication is within an arm’s reach away…
Four months ago, a tanker truck carrying jet fuel hit a post at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, ripping open a valve. Fuel spilled out onto the tarmac and flowed into a storm drain. The early-morning accident occurred at the ramp level at Gate D41, but there was no aircraft at the gate then, airport officials say….
State health officials say 48 rural hospitals are eligible to receive donations from individuals and corporations under a new Georgia program that will give tax credits to donors. The list of eligible hospitals, along with financial forms, were issued by the state Department of Community Health this week. The tax credit program, passed by the…
The state insurance department Tuesday approved an average premium increase of 21.4 percent for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia for the 2017 health insurance exchange in Georgia. The company earlier had requested an average premium of 15.1 percent, but it raised the request in the wake of Aetna’s pullout from exchanges in Georgia…
To those driving out of Watkinsville along State Route 53, farms and horses are a common sight. But hidden behind a wooden privacy fence adorned with painted butterflies is a nine-acre farm that is home to eight uncommon horses. The horses at Butterfly Dreams Farm, a nonprofit therapeutic horseback-riding center, provide life-changing therapy to individuals…
A Georgia court case on public access to hospital records has sent tremors through legal circles, the state’s hospital industry and the media. A major question is at stake: Does a nonprofit hospital have the right to reject requests for information about its financial documents and other matters? So far, two Georgia courts say the…
When the president of her company announced plans for a team-building exercise through a computer program, Jane LaSalle had no idea it would lead to a significant weight loss for herself. Nor did LaSalle realize that it would accomplish what health-and-lifestyle gurus have been working on for years — behavioral changes for those who need them…
This article was done in partnership with Kaiser Health News. Aretha Frison got an unusually helpful mailing recently through the Louisiana food stamp program. The letter indicated that she could qualify for Medicaid coverage beginning next month. Frison, usually a journalist by occupation, has been able to work only part time at an animal hospital while suffering with…