Good coverage. I live in the ATL area. While I'm not a patient of Wellstar, I am familiar with them. You are probably spot-on in your summary, but should note that Augusta is also an impoverished community. Not sure where they are building there, but they'll have a fair amount of charity care in Augusta. Also, downtown Atlanta has virtually every health system represented: Grady, Emory, Piedmont. Perhaps it was a competitive decision?
And while I have no affection for private hospitals like Wellstar, I think you are incorrect to accuse them of "structural racism."
A private institution can locate wherever it wants. If the voters in Felton County want what amounts to a public hospital, they should open one with public tax dollars. (That is what the city of New York did throughout the 1930's)
I realize that virtually no American city (including New York) wants to tax itself in this manner any more. We would need the federal government to be involved.
If the rich-neighborhood Wellmark hospital accepts Medicare and Medicaid, then the poor residents of Atlanta can in almost all cases get a ride over to that institution. In an emergency, they cannot be turned away. With Medicare, I do not think they can be turned away for non-emergency care either.
Wellmark's management is greedy. I am baffled how that makes them racists.
Good coverage. I live in the ATL area. While I'm not a patient of Wellstar, I am familiar with them. You are probably spot-on in your summary, but should note that Augusta is also an impoverished community. Not sure where they are building there, but they'll have a fair amount of charity care in Augusta. Also, downtown Atlanta has virtually every health system represented: Grady, Emory, Piedmont. Perhaps it was a competitive decision?
Thanks for posting this timely article.
And while I have no affection for private hospitals like Wellstar, I think you are incorrect to accuse them of "structural racism."
A private institution can locate wherever it wants. If the voters in Felton County want what amounts to a public hospital, they should open one with public tax dollars. (That is what the city of New York did throughout the 1930's)
I realize that virtually no American city (including New York) wants to tax itself in this manner any more. We would need the federal government to be involved.
If the rich-neighborhood Wellmark hospital accepts Medicare and Medicaid, then the poor residents of Atlanta can in almost all cases get a ride over to that institution. In an emergency, they cannot be turned away. With Medicare, I do not think they can be turned away for non-emergency care either.
Wellmark's management is greedy. I am baffled how that makes them racists.