Several hospitals in rural Georgia have closed in recent years. Before the trend, an old hospital in Waycross, Georgia, was replaced by Memorial Hospital. It was later repurposed as a government building.

Several hospitals in rural Georgia have closed in recent years. Before the trend, an old hospital in Waycross, Georgia, was replaced by Memorial Hospital. It was later repurposed as a government building. / Wikimedia Commons

A startling number of children eligible for Medicaid or PeachCare in Georgia still don’t have insurance coverage, a recent study has found. Another reason kids don’t see doctors as often as they should is also a factor for adults: access. It’s not just cost, but the lack of physicians, especially in rural Georgia.

On Second Thought's Virginia Prescott speaks with Karen Lawrence and Dr. Karen Kinsell.

Dr. Karen Kinsell is the only medical doctor in Clay County, a community of about 3,000 people south of Columbus and west of Albany. She joined us on the line from her clinic in Fort Gaines. Karen Lawrence, a community organizer at the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education, also joined us. She helps educate families and individuals about their health care options. They spoke of a health care crisis brewing in rural Georgia.

 

Tags: ruarl health care crisis  clay county  albany  Rural Health Care  Health Care  Atlanta  Georgia  Macon  Savannah