Natural gas is a popular fuel in our state. Besides heating many buildings, it’s used in home appliances, such as stoves. But a Georgia physician writes in a new GHN Commentary that it can harm human health. Fossil fuels, including natural gas, are accelerating climate change, says Dr. Linda Walden, a Cairo physician. She adds…
By Dr. Linda Walden Here in the Southeast, natural gas is a fossil fuel that provides electricity for our homes and business. We use it daily to heat our homes in the winter, power our air conditioners in the summer and cook our food. In fact, natural gas accounts for 46 percent of our electricity…
Doctors in Georgia and other Southern states have seen since April an unusual surge of a common respiratory virus that affects children and older adults. The spike in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at this time of year is linked, at least in part, to children and others no longer widely wearing masks or…
Blacks and Latinos in Georgia have significantly lower COVID-19 vaccination rates than whites, a newly released Kaiser Health News analysis shows. Thirty percent of whites in Georgia have had at least one shot, yet they trail another group — Asians, who are at 44 percent. The data were provided to KHN by the CDC in…
A big change in drug treatment for cancer is arriving in Georgia. It’s not a new medication. What’s coming is something known as “white bagging,’’ an insurer tactic involving expensive infusion or injection drugs. And at Crisp Regional Health Services in Cordele, Jennifer Taylor, an oncology nurse practitioner, is concerned about the ultimate effect on patient…
Despite two recent mass shootings, including one in Georgia, the state Senate on Monday passed a gun rights bill that proponents say protects the Second Amendment freedoms of citizens. The bill passed along party lines, with Republicans, who control the chamber, voting in favor of it. Gov. Brian Kemp’s floor leader, Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia),…
As COVID-19 spread last year, sales of hand sanitizers skyrocketed, with consumers and businesses trying to prevent infection. Also soaring were sanitizer-related calls to the Georgia Poison Center. Here and nationally, more kids than usual have been ingesting these fluids, which are typically alcohol-based. The state saw a 60 percent increase in poisoning calls related…
An Elbert County physician office that was penalized for giving COVID-19 vaccine to teachers has seen its controversial suspension shortened by state health officials. An agreement Thursday between the state and the Medical Center of Elberton came a day after the Department of Public Health set out the penalties for vaccine providers who give shots…
The Elbert County medical practice at the center of a COVID-19 vaccine controversy says it was shocked at being suspended by the state after giving shots to educators. “We feel we were used to send a message,’’ said Dr. Jonathan Poon, part of the seven-physician family medicine practice in rural northeast Georgia. “We were really…
Story updated Vials of COVID-19 vaccine have been arriving at medical facilities across Georgia over the past two weeks. But the inoculation process itself has not always gone smoothly here, with logistical challenges and even some ethical concerns, according to health care providers. Still, physicians and medical organizations contacted by GHN expressed relief and excitement…