EAST POINT, Ga. — Wellstar's East Point urgent care center will close next month, the healthcare operator announced Tuesday, fully shuttering the old Atlanta Medical Center South hospital.
The old hospital's emergency room closed last year, and the facility was repurposed as an urgent care center. Wellstar will now close the facility entirely on Jan. 12. In a release the healthcare operator said it is "committed to a thoughtful process to determine the future" of the site.
Wellstar also said it will invest $5 million over five years to help expand the neighboring Southside Medical Center East Point clinic.
A joint release also added that Southside, starting the first week of January, will "expand its urgent care hours of operation to seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., for all patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay." Wellstar said following a partnership with Southside offering more preventive care and management of chronic conditions, its urgent care facility had seen patient volume drop 65% to roughly 28 patients a day by November.
"People who previously received urgent care services at Wellstar EPHC will have access to a greater range of services at Southside Medical Center's East Point clinic, which is located next door. In addition to urgent care, patients can receive primary care, pediatric care, dental care, OB/GYN services and immunizations at Southside’s East Point facility and support like mental health care services virtually," the release said. "Patients can also access substance abuse support and other specialty care like podiatry, basic optometry and urology at the main Southside Medical Center clinic location, located at 1046 Ridge Avenue, less than 10 minutes away from the East Point clinic."
Wellstar said healthcare workers at the East Point urgent care facility will be offered positions at other Wellstar locations. The two healthcare operators also said their HR departments would work together to offer Southside opportunities to any Wellstar employees who wish to remain in East Point.