Wellstar's East Point emergency department to transition to urgent care facility
EAST POINT, Ga. - There's concern right now in one metro Atlanta city over the closure of its only emergency department within miles.
Wellstar Health System recently announced plans to turn their East Point Emergency Room into an urgent care clinic.
Wellstar based its decision on staffing shortages and lower-than-average patient admissions.
City leaders and residents said Wellstar Health System's decision to transition the emergency department into a 24-hour urgent care and rehabilitation clinic raises many questions about how this move will impact access to quality healthcare for this community.
"The conversation is around how do we still have lifesaving techniques, strategies, and supports in place that ensure that people that need that level of intensive care are able to get it," Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham said.
Wellstar's Atlanta Medical Center South is Fulton County's only emergency room south of I-20.
It's located on Cleveland Avenue.
The healthcare system's new model for patient care now means people needing emergency services would be transported about 10 miles away -- to their medical center in downtown Atlanta.
"Traffic in the metro area, we know how many minutes that can take. Miles and minutes means life or death," the mayor said.
That emergency care is something that's helped Brenda Short several times over the years.
The facility is right around the corner from her house.
"When I've had vertigo attacks and been very sick to my stomach. I've needed to get something done immediately," she told us.
Wellstar told us this change better meets their patients’ needs, providing primary, chronic, and medication care.
They said this shift is based on a staff shortage and low patient admission.
"We are not closing Atlanta Medical Center South. We are transitioning to a new model of care that better meets our patients’ needs," said Candice Saunders, President & CEO of Wellstar Health Network. "Our patients will receive better care for their needs, from the same care teams that they do now, all in the same place."
Wellstar’s statement goes on to say that "data shows that on average there are 140 emergency department visits a day at AMC South, with only 7 resulting in inpatient hospital care (5%). For this reason, Wellstar is transitioning AMC South to a care model that provides the primary care, chronic care, medication care and rehabilitative care that our community needs and is using. This care will be available 24/7 to everyone in the community beginning May 6, 2022."
Short said she hates to see the facility close.
"I hate to see it close because of critical emergencies. Time might be most important, of essence," Short detailed.
Mayor Ingraham said she hopes to meet with Wellstar’s leadership this week.
"I’ve been trying to have a meet with Wellstar to get more details around what are the needs of our community and how do we move forward collaboratively to ensure accessible quality healthcare," she explained.