By Katja Ridderbusch Every once in a while, after working long and sometimes grueling shifts, after getting yelled at and spat on and occasionally having plastic cups thrown at him, Officer Brian Vaughan feels so worn down that he wonders if being a cop is still worth it. “I guess the answer, for now, is…
One inmate at a southeast Georgia state prison has been found to have tuberculosis, and three others are suspected of having the disease, public health officials said Tuesday. All four have been transferred to Augusta State Medical Prison for evaluation and treatment. Contact tracing is being performed with more than 600 inmates and staff at…
Georgia is among 20 states that does not have a policy guaranteeing reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnancy and childbirth. That means pregnant workers who simply need a stool to sit on, drinking water to stay hydrated, or temporary relief from heavy lifting are vulnerable to termination, says Amber Mack in a new GHN Commentary. Lawmakers…
By Amber Mack The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (H.R. 1065) passed the U.S. House on May 14 by a vote of 315-101. This is an important measure that Georgia’s pregnant and postpartum employees need to thrive in safe working environments. To date, 30 U.S. states have instituted legislation to ensure working women are protected…
One sign of the severity of Georgia’s nurse shortage can be seen in the bonuses offered to experienced RNs to join a hospital workforce. Some health systems in the state are paying bonuses of more than $10,000 to attract nurses. And Piedmont Healthcare, which is rapidly becoming Georgia’s biggest health system, said it has offered bonuses…
When asked about the stench, neighbors in a rural corner of northeast Georgia tend to mention a single phrase: “The smell of death.” As Steven Adair of Lexington says of the pervasive odor, “It was like tying a couple of dead chickens to your belt. There were people who were miles away complaining about it.’’ The…
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to higher rates of anxiety and depression among adults, according to a recent study. But for children and older adults in Georgia, there were fewer mental health diagnoses last year, perhaps because of less in-person contact with schools and medical providers. In a new GHN Commentary, Dr. Timothy Kennedy, a…
By Dr. Timothy Kennedy “How are you?” is taking on a new meaning in this lingering pandemic state. We know many people aren’t doing well — beyond the physical impact of COVID-19 — because they’ve shared that. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study showed that during the pandemic, one in four adults reported symptoms of anxiety or…
In a well-kept west Atlanta yard Saturday, two women held up small pieces of a rock-like material they had spotted on the ground. It wasn’t rock, the two agreed: It was slag. Rosario Hernandez and Eri Saikawa know plenty about west Atlanta’s deposits of slag. The stuff is a byproduct of smelting, and many years ago people…
Three nursing homes that were hit hard by COVID-19 have been sold to an Atlanta-based company. Empire Care Centers, a private firm, recently purchased Westbury nursing homes in Jackson, McDonough and Conyers. Each facility lost a significant number of residents to COVID. State data show that 26 residents died from the virus at Westbury Conyers….