Athens News Matters: The future of safety net hospitals in Georgia

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Atlanta Medical Center has been a community fixture in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood for decades. Wellstar Health System, the nonprofit that owns the facility, plans to shutter it in November. It's the latest change in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood and another severe blow to the Atlanta-area health care landscape. (Sam Whitehead/KHN)
Sam Whitehead/KHN

Over one million Georgians are without health insurance. Slightly more are enrolled in public health insurance, ultimately relying on federal and state funding for their healthcare.

Both groups rely on a network of non-profit hospitals with the responsibility of serving the most vulnerable people. So what happens when one of those hospitals closes?

GPB’s Sofi Gratas gives us a better look at why the future of Georgia’s safety net hospitals may be at risk.

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