EAST POINT, Ga. — About 200,000 people who live in the south part of Fulton County are at least 10 miles away from emergency care, which has pushed officials in East Point and the City of South Fulton to work together on the proposed South County Hospital Authority.
It would create at least one hospital in the area.
In 2022, WellStar AMC South closed after long occupying a building along Cleveland Avenue. That means there’s no emergency room in Fulton County south of I-20.
“You need a hospital close to you or something in case something tragic was to happen or anything," Roz Smith said.
East Point Councilman Joshua Butler, IV, echoed the same feeling.
“One of my constituents told me the story of how her husband died because he couldn't get to Grady in time," Butler said.
East Point started its own hospital authority board this summer, and this week, Butler and State Senator Donzella James met with the City of South Fulton Council, asking the city to join the effort.
“Our goal is to reopen this hospital here in East Point immediately and then open up a new hospital south of here, so we're looking at the City of South Fulton to having its own hospital too," Butler said.
City of South Fulton Councilwoman Helen Z. Willis said she's concerned about the hospital desert.
“The closest hospital is in Fayetteville, so we have to go to Grady, which is in the City of Atlanta, or Douglasville," Willis said.
Willis said the City of South Fulton Council is in the early stages of deciding whether it wants to be part of a county-wide hospital authority.
“The hospital authority functions sort of like the Grady Atlanta Authority," Willis said. "It will be able to raise funding. They will be able to seek grants, so we'll be able to get state funding, federal funding, funding from the county.”
“Our ultimate goal is to invite all of the cities south I-20 in Fulton County to participate in a new hospital authority," Butler said.
The hospital authority would include a board of medical and business professionals to bring emergency care back to the area.
Willis said the next step for the City of South Fulton is to meet with the city manager and financial advisor to determine whether bringing a hospital to the south part of Fulton County is doable.