By Rebecca Grapevine
South Atlanta leaders aim to revive the shuttered hospital in their community.
Their plan follows Wellstar Health System’s decision to close the urgent care clinic at its former Atlanta Medical Center (AMC) South hospital in East Point. That clinic was the only remaining piece of the campus on Cleveland Avenue still in use within the community.
Wellstar is scheduled to shut down the clinic on Jan. 12.
Leaders are considering a new hospital authority that can create options for health care services in the community. A plan to form an authority already has approval from the East Point City Council.
The proposal could be considered by the City of South Fulton’s city council as soon as next month.
That would meet the state law’s requirement that at least two municipalities pass a resolution to create a hospital authority, said East Point Councilmember Joshua Butler. He developed the plan for an authority, along with state Senator Donzella James, a Democrat.
South Fulton Councilmember Jaceey Sebastian said he expects his council to take up the hospital authority resolution in January or February. Both Sebastian and Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs told the Atlanta Business Chronicle they think the measure will have enough votes to pass.
What happens next?
If created, it’s not yet clear exactly how the hospital authority would work.
It could contract with a nonprofit or for-profit hospital operator. East Point’s Butler would like to see the hospital authority partner with Morehouse School of Medicine or one of the local health systems to bring the entire Atlanta Medical Center South back to life.
Butler said he and Sen. James met with Morehouse School of Medicine President and CEO Valerie Montgomery Rice this spring and that MSM leaders were “very interested” in that plan.
Southside Medical Center
East Point Mayor Deana Ingraham said she could see nearby Southside Medical Center partner with MSM to revive the former AMC hospital campus.
“We are continuing to explore other partnerships, which support our core mission and work to further reduce institutional inequities in the delivery of health care,” MSM said in a statement provided to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. MSM recently opened a clinic in East Point in partnership with Fulton County and health care nonprofit Atrium Health.
Wellstar committed to donating $5 million to Southside for the next five years after it announced the closure of the AMC South hospital last year.
In a joint statement with Southside Medical Center this week, Wellstar said it is “committed to a thoughtful process to determine the future of the AMC South site.” That includes ongoing cooperation with Southside Medical Center president and CEO Dr. David Williams, the statement said.
This week, the two organizations said that Southside will increase its urgent care hours to help meet the need created by the upcoming Atlanta Medical Center South urgent care closing.
A new hospital?
The City of South Fulton’s Sebastian said he’s open to a revival of the Cleveland Avenue hospital but thinks building a new hospital on the Southside could be another option. The area could even support two hospitals, he said.
“I think we have to look at all the options and in the end go with what is the best option for the region because medicine has changed, just like everything else,” Sebastian said.
Many procedures that formerly required hospital admission are now completed in outpatient facilities. Building or reviving a large hospital may not be the most efficient use of resource, Sebastian said, but the area needs a higher level of services than currently exist.
Many of Sebastian’s constituents have told him that if they want specialist or even primary medical care, they must drive to the northern Atlanta Perimeter area or south to Fayette County.
Fellow City of South Fulton Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs agreed with Sebastian. With over 100,000 residents, the city of South Fulton could support its own hospital, she said.
“We are losing lives every single day for not having a hospital that is closed in our area and people having to travel so far,” Gumbs said.