A long-sought law creating new rules for assisted living facilities was passed by the Georgia General Assembly this year and is set to take effect July 1. But when that day comes, nothing will really change. That’s because the regulations that will make the law work will not be ready by the end of this month….
The hospital world in Georgia is turning into one wild ride. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported Friday that the Southern Regional Health System, which operates Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, is contemplating options that could include a joint venture or sale. Peach Regional Medical Center is getting a new hospital through a just-announced partnership…
Gainesville — The recent battle over federal funding for Planned Parenthood is still echoing here. The attempt by congressional Republicans to stop all $327 million of federal Title X money — while targeting Planned Parenthood as an abortion provider — endangered funding for women’s health services at clinics in Hall County, public health workers say….
Kaiser Permanente announced Wednesday that Kerry Kohnen has been named president of the organization’s Georgia health plan. Kohnen has been with Kaiser since 1975 and recently served as senior vice president of operations for Kaiser Permanente Georgia. He replaces Peter Andruszkiewicz, who left Kaiser in April to take the CEO job with Blue Cross &…
It is as predictable as high pollen counts and thunderstorms in the spring. Every few years Georgia — and the rest of the country, for that matter — experiences a severe shortage of nurses. Only this time it’s different, experts say. This time there are no easy solutions — no way to import nurses from other countries to practice…
As demand for health care grows, pharmacists are providing services that stretch the historical boundaries of their profession. The era of pharmacists simply dispensing pills into child-safe bottles is over. Now they’re just as likely to be found administering preventive vaccines against everything from influenza to shingles, or having detailed discussions with customers about how…
After a contentious debate, the General Assembly in 2008 approved a plan that eventually would allow a $150 million cancer treatment center in the metro Atlanta area. The controversial bill created a loophole in the state’s certificate-of-need law that regulates the construction of health care facilities. The legislation had been opposed by, among others, the…
When smoke from wildfires drifted dangerously close to a southeast Georgia nursing home last week, Liberty Regional Medical Center launched an emergency evacuation. The more than 100 residents in a Ludowici nursing home were brought to a nearby church. “The evacuation went very smoothly,’’ said Sam Johnson, an executive at Liberty Regional in Hinesville, which…
When rural Georgians need specialized care for serious conditions such as diabetes or heart failure, they’re often faced with limited options and a long drive. Anna Burch drives an hour from Hartwell to Athens to see her physical therapist. “I have to take half a day off work to go,” she said. And while Burch…
Pharmacists are expanding their role from drug dispenser to drug educator and chronic disease coach, Kaiser Health News’ Michelle Andrews reports. Research shows that only about half of the people take their medications as prescribed. And consumers may find it easier to find time to discuss their meds with a pharmacist than with a physician….